Under the Tuscan Sun

Rating:
Summary: self absorbed and repetitive -- a real disappointment
Review: I was very disappointed with this book -- it's so self absorbed that the reader is unable to create one's own sense of life under the Tuscan sun! For a poet, Ms. Mayes doesn't seem to be aware of the "objective correlative" -- in which the writer is supposed to create an image for the reader, not belabor her own viewpoints, including the way Ms. Mayes feels every single time she contemplates how ancient Tuscany is. When she steps out of the "me" box, however, as when she travels to the Etruscan tombs, the books is quite good -- too bad those instances were so rare.

Rating:
Summary: Begins well, ends in self-absorbed rumination
Review: This book began as an entertaining description of a woman refurbishing an abandoned villa in Italy. The author brings alive the Tuscan countryside and makes one want to visit the area as soon as possible to revel in the sunshine. The book, however, could have been remarkably shortened if the author had kept her own fanciful ruminations about life out of the text. She seems to look down on the people around her, especially their religion, which is ironic since she takes D.H. Lawrence to task for being guilty of this same attitude of superiority in his book about Tuscany.

Rating:
Summary: an engrossing and evocative portrait of Tuscany
Review: I cannot remember the last time I read such an incredibly absorbing and enjoyable book. Mayes' Tuscan Sun has turned me into a fan of travel writing for good! Her light, conversational tone and graceful pen bring forth the sights and sounds of Italy in a way I never could have imagined. A must-read for experienced globe-trotters and armchair travelers alike!

Rating:
Summary: Over-rated, smug and verbose
Review: I bought this book with great expectations, having read and loved Elizabeth Romer's "Tuscan Year." Mayes' writing, however, is humorless, self-conscious and DULL. This book has been endlessly hyped and I am annoyed with myself for buying it. I'll take Mayle over Mayes any day!

Rating:
Summary: Visited Cortona during recent trip to Italy. Loved it!
Review: As I began reading the book on our way to Italy, I was enchanted by the the authors descriptions of life in a small Tuscana village. By the time my husband and I were half way through our trip and visiting Venice, I was determined to experience Cortona for myself. We used the book as our road map and as our menu! Cortona is a magical place, everything Francis wrote about. Seems that every American we met had read her book too and were there because of it. Apparently she's taken a leave of absence and is living there for the year, as a fellow travel accidently met her when driving by her home. Since we don't speak or read Italian, so her historical references to history of Cortona and the Etruscans was a great help to us. I would definately recommend this book to anyone who has been to Italy or plans to go soon. She has a gifted knack for capturing the true sense of Italy in her writing as well as her delicious descriptions of food and recipes. I hope she continues to let us in on her life Under the Tuscan Sun.

Rating:
Summary: Reminder: this is a memoir not a travelogue
Review: I loved this book and reviewed it months ago saying so enthusiastically. Every now and then I check in to read the customer reviews. To those who say there isn't enough about Italian life or the Italians themselves, or that she didn't get to know this person or that restaurant (as you would have done had you been the one living in Italy), I just want to say: Remember, this is a memoir, not a travelogue. A memoir presents the inner experience of the writer during some event or process. She presents her personal experience; everything is filtered through her mind and eyes and limitations. Her intention is not to give you the sense of being in Italy but to give you her experience of being there, with her joys, her frustrations, her awakenings, her insight into herself. That is a memoir. She does not pretend to be a travel writer, so to criticize her for not being one is absurd. On the other hand, to say you were expecting a travel book and got a memoir and didn't like it: now THAT makes sense. But don't say it's a bad memoir.

Rating:
Summary: Reads like a "Delicious" novel.
Review: Don't read this book hungry! This was a very beautiful, almost poetic memoir that inspires you to eat, cook and/or travel. The only way this book could be improved would to have an accompanying photograph book of the people, the scenery, the foods. I spent an enjoyable summer on my deck reading this book (twice) with some espresso, sweet peaches and some cheese. Thank you Frances Mayes.

Rating:
Summary: Misses the warmth of the Tuscan sun
Review: What led me to buy Undere the Tuscan sun was the book cover, the warmth, the scenery, the light. Inside the book, I found some of this. However, I surprised myself skipping many pages of unnecessary details and stories. I was expecting to learn more about the Italians and their life. There are plenty of good descriptive chapters and interesting personal moments but I was left on my appetite. For those whose first language is not english, it would be advisable to carry an english dictionnary. It could be useful from time to time. An italian dictionnary could be also indicated.

Rating:
Summary: dreaming of a house in Italy
Review: We went to Italy on our honeymoon and I had just finished this book when we arrived in Cortona where we tasted the delicious pastas in Trattoria Dardano and walked in the mountains surrounding the city. Yes, life there must be as Frances Mayes describes it, simply wonderful! I 'd like to recommand also "A house in Italy. The several seasons of a villa in Umbria" by Lisa St-Aubin de Teran. Certainly as captivating as "Under the Tuscan Sun"!

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous! The author captures the very essence of Tuscany!
Review: What could be more luxurious than summers in Italy, even if you're caught renovating your villa day in and day out?! Ms. Mayes communicates the heart and soul of the region, the color, fragrances, the sweaty brow of her contractors, I could feel it all. Magnificent, and true to life, if my own experiences are a good guide! The book sweeps you off your feet, it's hypnotic. Not for hard analysis, this is a book to savor and enjoy.