A Good Year by Peter Mayle Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A Good Year
Book Review: Light and fluffy, needs more wine
Summary: 3 Stars
A British man in a dead-end job in London gets fired and, on the same day, inherits a vineyard in Provence--that is the premise for this light novel. It was entertaining enough, but a trifle fluffy for my tastes I wish more of the narrative had been spent on wine and food, and less on silly conspiratorial plots and even sillier romances.Book Review: Turned out to be a very pleasant surprise
Summary: 5 Stars
A few years ago, "A Good Year" was the first book by Peter Mayle that I've ever read. At first I didn't know whether I would love it or hate it with a passion because of the mixed reviews here on Amazon. Well, when I was finished, I found it to be a great read. With a mildly short amount of pages (about 300 total), this became a very relaxing experience. The plot is simple and not overly complex. It's not like Dicken's "A Tale of Two Cities." Here, a thirty-something man named Max Skinner is struggling with his finances in London. His life slowly rotates 180 degrees as he discovers that he has inherited his uncle's vineyard in Provence, France. That's the main plot simply put. The characters are a bit flat (Christie Roberts can be used as an example), but all of them are fascinating nonetheless.
The plot does thicken sometime in the second half of the novel, otherwise this is a very light-hearted story with a very crisp flow. It became somewhat relaxing as I read this novel (I think the piano music that I played on my boombox in the background really helped). Try not to look for any excessive philosophical symbolisms, or any political and social commentaries. This is one of those books that makes the reader feel good.
Grade: A- (because of the few thin characters)
Book Review: Wine, south of France, romance and mystery - all in one
Summary: 5 Stars
Peter's novel of the blackmarket of wine industry with a little romance on the side with all his best character description. He is in his element with my favorite Mayle book yet!