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Rating: 
Summary: Eating his way around France
Review: As I read this in Provence it may have coloured my view of the book. Had I read it on a wet afternoon in Liverpool like another reviewer I may have had another view entirely. Nevertheless I enjoyed the bite size chapters, each dealing with a different food/fair/or culinary treat. It made me want to seek out the bizarre and eccentric corners of France discovered by Mayle. It's not meant to be great literature but he paints an interesting picture of a country that is only reluctantly embracing the rampant MacDonaldization of the world. A fun read; I have ordered the rest of his books.
Rating:
Summary: Eating his way around France
Review: As I read this in Provence it may have coloured my view of the book. Had I read it on a wet afternoon in Liverpool like another reviewer I may have had another view entirely. Nevertheless I enjoyed the bite size chapters, each dealing with a different food/fair/or culinary treat. It made me want to seek out the bizarre and eccentric corners of France discovered by Mayle. It's not meant to be great literature but he paints an interesting picture of a country that is only reluctantly embracing the rampant MacDonaldization of the world. A fun read; I have ordered the rest of his books.
Rating: 
Summary: Bon Apetit: Travels Through France - Knife, Fork, &Corkscrew
Review: BUYER BEWARE!!! My daughter collects Mayle books. Imagine the disappointment and disgust to find I had purchased this book, only to have it the very same book as "French Lessons", which I had purchased several years before. How was this allowed? Very discouraging and misleading.
Rating:
Summary: Bon Apetit: Travels Through France - Knife, Fork, &Corkscrew
Review: BUYER BEWARE!!! My daughter collects Mayle books. Imagine the disappointment and disgust to find I had purchased this book, only to have it the very same book as "French Lessons", which I had purchased several years before. How was this allowed? Very discouraging and misleading.
Rating:
Summary: Same book, different name
Review: Not really a review, (although it was quite an entertaining read!) but just to let readers know that this book is the same as that published in the US under the name: "French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Ford and Corkscrew". Anyone have an opinion (or information) as to the reason for the change in title for the US market?
Rating: 
Summary: Fawning over the French
Review: Peter Mayle's tale of bizarre French country fairs is sure to please the amature francophile. The festivals -- from a wine fair desguised as a marathon to a truffle celebration masquerading as a mass -- bring out the best of the French: their "gourmandisme" combined with their hospitality and their out-right dorkiness. Have I offended you yet? Good, because that's where Mayle's book fails. He is so in love with everything French (or afraid to be lynched by his adopted countrymen) that he goes out of his way to avoid even the most minor of criticisms. At times it felt like I was reading a transcript of a dinner party: "I don't normally like snails because they are too chewy and bland, but these are so...interesting!" Please, Mr. Mayle, take a chance and tell us what you really think; not every Frenchman is delightful, even with a full belly and a half-empty wine glass. If you are planning a summer vacation to France and you like food or colorful local flavor, you will probably enjoy Bon Appetit a great deal. If you live in France or spend a fair amount of time there, you will undoubtedly learn a lot about offbeat traditions, regional specialties, and the Michelin Red Guide. In the end, perhaps Mayle is right to leave out any criticisms. After all, who needs indigestion while trying to enjoy such light fare?
Rating:
Summary: Fawning over the French
Review: Peter Mayle's tale of bizarre French country fairs is sure to please the amature francophile. The festivals -- from a wine fair desguised as a marathon to a truffle celebration masquerading as a mass -- bring out the best of the French: their "gourmandisme" combined with their hospitality and their out-right dorkiness. Have I offended you yet? Good, because that's where Mayle's book fails. He is so in love with everything French (or afraid to be lynched by his adopted countrymen) that he goes out of his way to avoid even the most minor of criticisms. At times it felt like I was reading a transcript of a dinner party: "I don't normally like snails because they are too chewy and bland, but these are so...interesting!" Please, Mr. Mayle, take a chance and tell us what you really think; not every Frenchman is delightful, even with a full belly and a half-empty wine glass. If you are planning a summer vacation to France and you like food or colorful local flavor, you will probably enjoy Bon Appetit a great deal. If you live in France or spend a fair amount of time there, you will undoubtedly learn a lot about offbeat traditions, regional specialties, and the Michelin Red Guide. In the end, perhaps Mayle is right to leave out any criticisms. After all, who needs indigestion while trying to enjoy such light fare?
Rating:
Summary: Another Year
Review: There is a time and a place for reading Peter Mayle. The best place is in Southern France in the heat of the day, over a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape. On rainy afternoons in Liverpool, something is missing. In this latest book he tours France visiting various festivals related to particular foods and wines. Frogs - with remarkable thighs in Vittel, Chickens in Bourg en Bresse with perfect colouring - Red, White and Blue of course, Wine in Beaune, Scantily clad women in St. Tropez (?). They are all here. They are described with his usual humour and observation. If you love food, wine or France this is for you. If not you may become a convert. A nice holiday read.
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