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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
I normally love this sort of thing but I found the second half too wordy and drawn out
I read this book right after traveling in Tuscany, so it was fun to hear about things I had just experienced. I enjoyed having recipes for foods I had just tasted and hearing about her renovation of her farmhouse (I had just stayed in one). With that said, I also alternated between being a little irritated with how easily she could just pay off I these expenses and...yes, take off her summer and winter vacations as a teacher. I'm sure it was more difficult than it actually sounded, but the book didn't express any of that balance, which I would have appreciated. Since I alternated between genuine enjoyment (it can be a peaceful meander to read) and irritation, I'm giving it a 3.
Bottom Line: If you love Italy, home restoration, or hearing about plotless travel adventures, you may enjoy this book. If you're going through any kind of financial hardship, I'd skip it. If you like plots, skip it.
Bottom Line: If you love Italy, home restoration, or hearing about plotless travel adventures, you may enjoy this book. If you're going through any kind of financial hardship, I'd skip it. If you like plots, skip it.
This was a good book. I can't say I loved it. This is mainly because I don't feel this is one of my favorite types of books. I do recognize its literary qualities and am glad I read this. I know several who do like this type of book and will recommend it to them. It is well written.
The movie made her far more interesting than the book did.
Movie version: her best friend is a lesbian and they send Mayes on a gay tour of Tuscany since the friend's wife doesn't want her to travel in the first trimester. The trip is to help Mayes recover from the divorce. She falls in love with the country, finding magic in unexpected places and buys a villa. In restoring it, she learns to love herself again, as she learns Italian ways of living.
Book version: straight lady buys house with husband because they can. They are utterly ignorant about restoring an old house. Hijinks ensue. They're only there in the summers.
Seriously, which would you pick? There are interesting parts about local Italian history and the occasional magic moment, but mostly it's a "look at how cool my normative life is, aren't you jealous?" kinda book.
Be aware that the three star rating is because Mayes is a competent writer who occasionally includes some really beautiful prose. What this rating is NOT based on is an engaging story. But I can't fault her competency in her craft.
If you liked Eat Pray Love, you may also like this one. I believe the reverse is also true.
Movie version: her best friend is a lesbian and they send Mayes on a gay tour of Tuscany since the friend's wife doesn't want her to travel in the first trimester. The trip is to help Mayes recover from the divorce. She falls in love with the country, finding magic in unexpected places and buys a villa. In restoring it, she learns to love herself again, as she learns Italian ways of living.
Book version: straight lady buys house with husband because they can. They are utterly ignorant about restoring an old house. Hijinks ensue. They're only there in the summers.
Seriously, which would you pick? There are interesting parts about local Italian history and the occasional magic moment, but mostly it's a "look at how cool my normative life is, aren't you jealous?" kinda book.
Be aware that the three star rating is because Mayes is a competent writer who occasionally includes some really beautiful prose. What this rating is NOT based on is an engaging story. But I can't fault her competency in her craft.
If you liked Eat Pray Love, you may also like this one. I believe the reverse is also true.
I couldn't finish this book. Not engaging at all. All of the actual Italians she meets come off as two dimensional caricatures that only exist to enhance her house and serve as props for her idealized life. I think the book works best for people who salivate over descriptions of food preparation and home restoration.
This was a great disappointment for me, as I usually like travel books and I love Italy. Perhaps I've read too many similar books where someone buys an old house from Italy or France and tells about the gardens, food, beautiful landscapes etc. Anyway, this was one of the dullest of them. I admit I skipped many lines and even pages, didn't even get into the recipes. Not my cup of tea!
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
I picked this book up because the movie is such a charming and sweet. I had an idea of the romance and symbolism and beauty that the book must contain but it did not remotely match. This is much more about home renovation than the relationships of the author/main character.