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Under the Tuscan Sun
by: Frances Mayes

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Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 910
EAN: 9780553816112
ISBN: 055381611X
Label: Bantam Books Ltd
Manufacturer: Bantam Books Ltd
Number Of Pages: 289
Publication Date: March 01, 2004
Publisher: Bantam Books Ltd
Studio: Bantam Books Ltd
Sales Rank: 62485

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Editorial Review:

Amazon.co.uk Review:
In this memoir of her buying, renovating and living in an abandoned villa in Tuscany, Frances Mayes reveals the sensual pleasure she found living in rural Italy and the generous spirit she brought with her. She revels in the sunlight and the colour, the long view of her valley, the warm homey architecture, the languor of the slow paced days, the vigor of working her garden and the intimacy of her dealings with the locals. Cooking, gardening, tiling and painting are never chores, but skills to be learned, arts to be practiced and above all to be enjoyed. At the same time Mayes brings a literary and intellectual mind to bear on the experience, adding depth to this account of her enticing rural idyll. --Amazon.com

Synopsis:
Frances Mayes - widely published poet, gourmet cook and travel writer - opens the door on a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. She finds faded frescoes beneath the whitewash in the dining room, a vineyard under wildly overgrown brambles - and even a wayward scorpion under her pillow. And from her traditional kitchen and simple garden she creates dozens of delicious seasonal recipes, all included in this book. In the vibrant local markets and neighbouring hill towns, the author explores the nuances of the Italian landscape, history and cuisine. Each adventure yields delightful surprises - the perfect panettone, an unforgettable wine, or painted Etruscan tombs. Doing for Tuscany what Peter Mayle did for Provence, Mayes writes about the tastes and pleasures of a foreign country with gusto and passion. A celebration of the extraordinary quality of life in Tuscany, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN is a feast for all the senses.

From the Back Cover:
Frances Mayes - widely published poet, gourmet cook and travel writer - opens the door on a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. She finds faded frescoes beneath the whitewash in the dining room, a vineyard under wildly overgrown brambles - and even a wayward scorpion under her pillow. And from her traditional kitchen and simple garden she creates dozens of delicious seasonal recipes, all included in this book.

In the vibrant local markets and neighbouring hill towns, the author explores the nuances of the Italian landscape, history and cuisine. Each adventure yields delightful surprises - the perfect panettone, an unforgettable wine, or painted Etruscan tombs. Doing for Tuscany what Peter Mayle did for Provence, Mayes writes about the tastes and pleasures of a foreign country with gusto and passion. A celebration of the extraordinary quality of life in Tuscany, Under the Tuscan Sun is a feast for all the senses.

About the Author:
Frances Mayes
FRANCES MAYES is the author of the international bestsellers UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN and BELLA TUSCANY. (UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN will also be a Disney movie - filming begins in 2002.) She has published five books of poetry and writes for various publications, including National Geographic Traveler and the New York Times. Formerly Professor of Creative Writing at San Francisco State University, the author now devotes herself to writing. She and her husband continue to divide their time between California and Cortona, Italy.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating:

- A Good Start!
I found this book quite funny at the beginning. As a foreigner living in Italy for these last 12 years I laughed out loud reading those everyday life incidents and lets call them diplomatic misunderstandings that different cultures bring with them.
I could just simply relive the bizarre situations that the authors describes and in a way feeling a bit relieved I wasn't the only one having problems.
Somewhere in between the book became a bit boring and I had to plod my way through the pages. The author seems to love a lot Italian cuisine because she's always describing what she's eating in the various restaurants she's been at, in different places in Italy, especially Tuscany.

Rating:

- Very evocative
I can't imagine why anyone would not have liked this book, I found that it made me absolutely LONG to be in Italy, and was so very evocative and beautifully written. I am not a cook, so the recipes went over my head somewhat, but I must admit that they did titillate my tastebuds. It made me want to read so much more and I was sad to come to the end.

Rating:

- Is there more to this than meets the eye?
What a great subject... this has got to be a good read. But no I am afraid not. I tried really hard, Frances, but had to give up at about page 50 before my brain turned to mush. I found this so shallow and inconsequential that I felt offended at my time wasted on every turn of the page. It's like being stuck in a dentist's waiting room with back issues of House and Gardens magazines. The tone is conceited: she's clearly self absorbed. Shame I wasn't. What worries me is that this is an international best seller. Mmmmmm!

Rating:

- Constructing a dream
A classic in its genre, this calm and soothing read is a chamomile tonic for a stressed out life. Frances and her partner Ed live a dual life re-building a ruin in Tuscany with work in San Francisco. An enchanting,poetic, beautifully descriptive work written succinctly with intellectual fervour. At times the paragraphs run as richly as brandy butter on the tastiest christmas pudding ever, let the eyes skim and dream of blue skies , rolling hills and tranquilo Italia. As deeply moving as Eh? Is for ants, as inspiring as Driving over lemons, excellent.

Rating:

- Is it just me, or is this book hard work?!
I found this book really hard going. It was a tremendous effort to keep reading, but I had to give up halfway through. I bought the book because I thought it would be about the restoration of an old house in Tuscany. Okay, there were descriptions here and there, but they were interspersed with too many poetic, lyrical descriptions of lavish feasts laid out by the author for her simpering new friends, or descriptions of the quality of the Tuscan sunlight, ancient architecture and history. I even found the tenses she used annoying, and the tone of the entire book was patronising and self-indulgent. The film starring Diane Lane was much better and more interesting, though of course not true to the book. But, you know what they say - a picture ... Read More:

Books : Under the Tuscan Sun