Rating: 
Summary: wonderful a world of wonder
Review: In another world..a world of simple pleasures, feeling the warmth of the people, the smell of the good earth, the many paintings I envision as I observe the wonderful old buildings, hillsides, the mountains, the clean fresh air.....how I wish I was there with my watercolors and brushes.....
Rating: 
Summary: a window into pleasure
Review: Ms. Mayes details her experience in Tuscany in a documentary style that let me put myself into her world and have my own experience... my own emotions... my own pleasure. While some reviewers seemed bothered by a rather aloof perspective, I liked it. I wanted to feel I was there in my beloved Italy... and through Ms. Mayes descriptions I was able to mentally walk the Roman roads to the market myself and imagine the glorious food... (and consequently make some of it myself, by virtue of her wonderful recipes). The author did not get in the way of my enjoyment, she provided the scenery for it. How she experienced the people and the process herself was not my concern, nor my reason for choosing the book. How she opened that world to me through its details was what I hoped for and I truly enjoyed it. To me Italy is a wonderful place, the food sublime, the flow of life comfortable, the language beautiful and musical. This book let me return there through its pages. I found it delightful and will reread parts of it again and again, I suspect, when I am missing the warm Italian sun.
Rating:
Summary: joie de vivre
Review: A reviewer below complained that "romanticising the mundane" was a flaw of the book. I agree with the fact that Ms. Mayes does glorify the trivial, yet I find that characteristic to be the ambience of the novel akin to the feeling you get after your first glass of wine on a warm evening. It makes you realize how little you pay attention to detail in your life. Awareness is a quality this e-Generation has suffered from w/its efficacy and speed. I think that this novel helps heighten your sense of awareness in your own life. Ever arrive at your destination and forgot how you got there? How much in your life do you spend subconsciously making turns and shifting gears in a listless reverie? This book gives you a sense of awareness that there is delight in the means, not the end. The vivacity lies in the wildflowers as you weed your garden, the sun on your face when you run your errands, the flicker of a candle on the wall, the smell of your first bite of apple. Did you ever roll down your window and smell the air when you drive? This novel giggles a delight in immersing your self in the history and richness of a new land. Newness magnifies your attention to detail, where events, situations, and olives take on a whole new perspective. As a software designer who spends most of my day looking at the same flat screen of a laptop, I relish the visual imagery of the real world, as Frances Mayes seems to do in Italy. As a bonus, this book was invaluable on and before my trip to Tuscany a few months ago. Days before our trip, I found myself preparing ribolitta and polenta, giggling when I realized what she meant by the chef's treat for the ribolitta. In Tuscany, it was delightful to add my own layer of interpretation to hers and other authors I have read (Try Matthew Spender). As with most novels, you become intimate with the main character, whether you agree with their perspective or not (how many ppl really agreed w/Raskolnikov but liked Crime and Punishment?). You peer thru a window of words; you gain knowledge of how the world is seen through the eyes of another. And perhaps, you gain awareness on how you view your own world - be it Tuscany, Tennessee, or Taiwan -- and that awareness can be shared. Ms. Mayes sense of awareness is flows like wine poured from a friend, up late at night, sharing your lives.
Rating:
Summary: my review
Review: I like the way the author describes the process they go through for the restauration of their new home. You live through their anxieties regarding the installation of their floors, the opening of new doors, specially when you are dealing with people who have no sense of rush, but prefer to take their time and enjoy their work. I also think she has a great gift in depicting not only the people, but also the countryside, the history of the region of Tuscany. The way she talks of the markets, it makes you almost smell the tomatoes, the basil, taste the pasta...! Reading this book has not only made me a better cook... it has also made me look forward to spring!
Rating: 
Summary: I'm going to cut out the recipes and throw away the book
Review: I don't want to repeat much of what has already been said by previous reviewers, (most of the negative stuff I agree with) so I'll focus on the part of the book I thought was meritorious. I gave this book two stars to credit the author with having provided some terrific recipes as well as describing in an enticing fashion the meals she cooked and ate, and the food of the region. Frankly, I think her writing efforts are misplaced -- she should focus on the food aspects of the region and write a cookbook -- I would buy it! Unfortunately, Ms. Mayes is not an engaging author in her attempts to describe the people, scenery and traditions of Tuscany. I will not make a moral judgment or speculate that the reason she has failed to connect to her surroundings is because she lacks certain personal characteristics. Rather, I prefer to think that she excells at what interests her most, which is cooking and food. So I hope she will concentrate her next book on food and leave the description of the flora, fauna, and folks of Tuscany to other talented authors who find such a topic truly interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Read if you dare to dream...
Review: This book is a magical account through the eyes of one woman. Though i live in the U.S., I know quite a few Italians now living here, and none are like those described in the book. There are many generalizations made about the Italians, however i don't think they are meant as stereotypes. And many of the accounts seem like they're coming from a tourist, which basically is what she is. A 6-month-a-year-tourist. If you want light reading that's dreamy, sultry, and romantic, then this is a great read. If you're looking for a history of the Italian people in a true context, then call your local travel agent, and plan your own trip to Italy. We would all write this book differently, but i can appreciate one persons view point, unlike some of the other reviewers listed below me.
Rating:
Summary: Armchair view of Tuscany
Review: My daughter passsed this book along to me, and it has been a delight from the first page. The author paints pictures with her words, and I experience the vistas from her renovated home as she describes them. In addition to the visual, she introduces the wonderful aromas and tastes of the region. Her descriptions of the food purchased locally and what she and her husband prepare from them can almost be tasted. The renovation of the home is secondary to the sensual experience of being there.
Rating:
Summary: a feast for the mind of the reader
Review: "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes is a feast for the eyes of the reader. Her descriptions of simple pleasures - hills, art and antiquities, gardening, friends and food in Italy make wonderful reading.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT DO PEOPLE EXPECT--I THINK IT'S GREAT!
Review: What do people want Frances to write about? Her trials and tribulations? How she had to take a second mortgage on her California home to finance her Italian one? Then you'd say she was nothing but a complainer. Do you want French words in a book about Italy? As for Frances trying to be Peter Mayle, I never saw that. I think you all were EXPECTING Peter Mayle and when you got Frances instead, you decided to attack her! Lighten up, please! This is a sweet, friendly little look at Tuscany and I know I will treasure it!
Rating:
Summary: Mixed feelings
Review: I read this book slowly and with relish at first. The description of the slow renovations of the Italian villa, the frustrations, and very common delights of everyday life offered hours of pleasant, slow reading. The attention to the details of life,local people, planting, eating, and hard physical work were very interesting and thoughtful. The uncommon subject and the way in which the author describes the process of loving a house is delightful. I even enjoyed the details about the plumbing problems and solutions. The author lost me half way through where it seems to me she lost momentum and direction in her story. On page 125 she stops her story to review her recipes, which was a really abrupt interruption to the essay. However there is a gentle rhythm to the story and I enjoyed reading it very much as an armchair traveler.
|
