by Peter Mayle
Rating: ****
This book was incredibly popular when first published nearly thirty years ago so I feel I am a bit late to the party but it is a delightful book. A bit smug in places and a little bit dated at times but in, what seems upon reading, a very simply narrative sets the Provencal scene from the very beginning and within a couple of sentences you feel fully immersed in the life of Provence with Mayle and his wife. A fine seam of comedy runs throughout the book. Occasionally, his rendering of the French characters and way of life seems to veer into caricature but, with very little description, you feel you are standing there with him at the farmhouse with various tradesmen. A lovely book and one that is deceptively, cleverly written.
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