A Good Year by Peter Mayle Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A Good Year
Book Review: An enjoyable literary diversion
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for something to read on the plane and picked this book up because I thought it had an interesting setting. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The writing style is clean and the plot not overly-complicated. I thought the characters were believable and fit well into the lovely French countryside setting. I learned a few things about wine, too, but not more than I wanted to know.
It was fun to read a romance from the man's point of view. I also appreciated the easy, light-hearted feel to the story. It was the kind of book I could enjoy in smaller reading spurts as time allowed during my business travel. I will enjoy reading this book again some cold, rainy afternoon when I need a little literary escape.
Book Review: Beach Read
Summary: 3 Stars
It is a good book to take to read at the beach. Easy and enjoyable.Book Review: Can't wait for the movie.
Summary: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see the movie. Russell Crowe's character will inherit a winery only to find out that another woman may own it instead. She ends up moving in the same house and you can guess the rest, but I imagine this will be even a better movie. I can think of all kinds of things a director or writer could do with this book and I just bet that Russell Crowe will pull it off like the pro that he is.Book Review: Easy read
Summary: 4 Stars
Read this on the plane from Toronto to Vegas, a very easy read with pleasant characters. The plot was predictable and the author didnt try to confuse it as he could have and as others tend to do so. Happy to pass this on for others to read and put a smile on their faces.Book Review: Fun, but lightweight and fluffy...
Summary: 3 Stars
I've never read anything by Peter Mayle, but a friend gave me A Good Year, knowing that I like to read books about other countries. I found A Good Year to be fun, but lightweight and fluffy.
Max Skinner is a Londoner who is struggling with a job in finance. After working on a project for six months (that he expects to reap big financial rewards), his supervisor steals his work and then fires him. Skinner goes home that day to find a letter from a French lawyer. An uncle who lived in Provence recently died and has left his chateau and vineyard to Skinner. With a 10,000 loan from his best friend, Skinner travels to the small town of Saint-Pons, hoping that maybe he'll be able to start a new life in France. He spent his summers visiting his uncle, so he's familiar with the area and the language. He also hopes to learn something about winemaking.
Mayle has an obvious love of France and his books are filled with the beauty of France, the small towns, the customs, the people, the food, and especially, the wine. But not everything is idyllic with Skinner and his new home. The chateau's wine tastes like vinegar and there seems to be some hanky-panky going on with his caretaker and the vines. There is also a question of whether the chateau truly belongs to him. It is just enough to keep Provence from being paradise.
Mayle piqued my interest enough to want to read A Year in Provence. Not only was it a best seller, but the television series based on the book was very popular. Mayle's recurring theme of foreigners living in France has obviously been successful for him. Now if only he would help us out with a little French vocabulary...