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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Very good prose, but main character is privileged to the point of a caricature and the “challenges” faced are anything but.
Beautiful descriptions of Tuscany, but halfway thru the book it lacked organization and direction. Recipes appeared out of no where. Tours of 2 Italian cities that had nothing to do with the storyline. But the ending helped to wrap up the book.
I'm just not a fan of cozy reads like this. I really enjoyed the imagery, but it was starting to feel too repetitive for me.
LOVED it. (Strangely, I did not love the follow-up “Bella Tuscany,” but then again, she’s blissful and all loved-up in that book and a good book really needs a bit of struggle/conflict in order to arrive at some sort of emotional triumph in the end.)
I really enjoyed this book. I was drawn to the characters and enjoyed following all the author learnt from refurbishing the house, meeting all the people she and her husband met who helped them.
Having read the book I really would like to visit Tuscany.
Having read the book I really would like to visit Tuscany.
informative
slow-paced
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
I love love love the movie and the book is even better. The vibe and atmosphere is just incredible and every single page makes me smile.
this was difficult to start, because of my own mildly marred experience in Tuscany, but it was so lovely to finish with new feelings for the memories. lovely book.
Like many folks I have seen the movie which is light romantic comedy. I read the book prior to my own trip to Umbria, Tuscany and especially Cortona. The book and the film must be read/viewed separately as the two are only loosely related. Mayes' meanderings are interesting though not always flowing smoothly forward. For me it is her descriptions of the places, the foods, the people that u most enjoyed. And her tales of tracking Etruscan ruins served to inspire me to read/learn something about this history before my travels for which I was most grateful when among some of those ruins myself.
I thought this book was alright. Slow moving, but it was also written in the 90s, so pre-digital age, which was kind of nice to be honest. Not sure if I would recommend it to anyone unless they were cooks or fan of Italy.