Rating: 
Summary: Alternative lifestyle or colonization?
Review: "Driving over Lemons" certainly has its educational and entertaining moments but in my opinion it does not do justice to the land and its people described therein. It was not until I nearly reached the end of the book that I was able to figure out why the book did not sit right with me while I was reading it: Stewart definetly does not come across as snobby or uncaring, he obviously loves this part of Spain and its people (after all, he turned his back on his native England to live there) However, his descriptions of how he settled into his new role and the new environment, describing the actions and interactions of his new acquaintances - natives and expatriates of varying European backgrounds, brought me to one question: Isn't this actually an act of colonization? Especially, the accounts of the expatriates' efforts to improve the native way of life always had an unspoken "even if it is not entirely appropriate to assert our beliefs and preferences, it is done with the best of intentions" lingering between the lines. Even in the humbling moments, e.g., when Stewart tries to sell his own sheep, there is an implication of "it was good that we are stirring things up around here" - is it really always for the better? Who is to say? Lastly, as much as Stewart loves and admires his new neighbors and friends. He and the other expatriates always come across with an air of superiority. One has to keep in mind, that the lives of these expatriates (I did not get the impression that any of them left their home countries for political reasons and sought political asylum in Andalucia) will never be as authentic as that of the natives. If things were to get really bad, they could always go back or draw from other resources (friends and family) in their home country. Maybe at the price of swallowing some pride - but they could. Where would Domingo and his friends and family turn to if their farms would be destroyed by a severe drought?
Rating: 
Summary: Bravo, A Realistic Account of Spain Through Prism of Expats
Review: "Okay, you've got a read this book," a friend said, plopping this paperback on my lap. "It's about a dopey Brit, who JUST like you, bought a house in Spain." 'Help Me!' I whispered to my wife. Two years ago, we, too, purchased a home in southern Spain. While some U.S. friends cheered our foresight (lining up for future visits), most thought we were completely nuts (Guilty). A couple days later, I read Stewart's book and found it worth a sharing. Unlike 'Tuscan Sun' fare, I found Stewart's book on Spain a funny, realistic, and unvarnished account of expats, finding a house in Spain, fixing it up and then trying to make a 'go' of it. I immediately recognized the take-no-prisoners real estate agents in Spain, offering you a remote but charming finca (we wisely chose a city rowhouse, instead), as well as the Spanish locals who think they've hit the national lottery, courtesy of you and checkbook. Spain is a quirky place. But trust me, it can grow on you. Stewart's book matches the quality and perspective of a similar book, called "On Mexican Time." "Driving Over Lemons" offers a Andalusian prism to what life can be like in many of the small towns and rural villages in southern Spain. I chuckled and nodded at the familiar struggles, learning the language, winning the trust of your neighbors, integrating yourself into everyday life in Spain. It also shares, in a winning way, the value of deep friendships, family, and a quality of life in Spain. Bravo Chris Stewart.
Rating: 
Summary: Drinking brown wine and ...
Review: ...eating coarse spec. In depth, very appealing, sympathetically written. The author writes humbly from the standpoint of a naive greenhorn who has everything to learn from the locals and is not forward about trying to teach them about his own talents. In stark contrast with Paul Theroux's Pillars of Hercules where the author knows it better all and leapfrogs from one place to another. Read it, you won't regret it. You won't regret reading Pillars of Hercules either.
Rating: 
Summary: Sunny Simplicity in Southern Spain
Review: A well written, thoroughly enjoyable book about an Englishman, Chris Stewart, who moves to Granada in southern Spain to begin a new life on a rundown farm called 'El Valero'. Enlightening, if a little hurried in places. I felt that some areas of the book were 'skimmed over' and left me feeling as if I had further questions to ask the author. I did, however, enjoy the book and would recommend it to anyone as an entertaining read.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: A witty and entertaining biographical account of an English couple's assimilation into the life of the Andalusian countryside. Subtly sentimental, the author seems to have an endless supply of colorful acquaintances, including local farmers, livestock dealers, and a variety of eccentric refugees from northern Europe. An interesting theme, albeit perhaps not an explicit one, is that of the loss of an ancient way of life, and its replacement by an easier, more technology-driven lifestyle. Traditional Spanish farmers, living without electricity or running water, are selling their farms to foreigners, and moving to the city. Foreign farmers like the author are anxious to learn local techniques, yet they are not only more willing to experiment, but they also bring technology with them, such as electric sheep-shearing equipment. The description of the annual pig slaughter reminded me very much of the stories carefully preserved in the 'Foxfire' series of books about Appalachian America. Such rituals were once common and necessary throughout the rural world, but are not increasingly less significant in a time when agriculture is becoming increasingly more factory like. This was a perfect book to read alongside the pool during a relaxing week in Ronda. Often laugh-out-loud funny, it was an interesting and even educational read, that helped me understand the people and ecology of the mountainous southeastern region of Andalucia. Although the author has a highly-developed sense of observation and detachment, developed no doubt through years of experience writing for travel guides, at no time did he ever become unsympathetic to his subject or lose the ability to laugh at himself in his sometimes clumsy attempts to fit into a new culture. Its a marvelous book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is travelling to southern Spain, who is interested in back-to-the-farm success stories, or who finally, anyone who enjoys a good story about real people.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, insightful, enjoyable
Review: A witty and entertaining biographical account of an English couple's assimilation into the life of the Andalusian countryside. Subtly sentimental, the author seems to have an endless supply of colorful acquaintances, including local farmers, livestock dealers, and a variety of eccentric refugees from northern Europe. An interesting theme, albeit perhaps not an explicit one, is that of the loss of an ancient way of life, and its replacement by an easier, more technology-driven lifestyle. Traditional Spanish farmers, living without electricity or running water, are selling their farms to foreigners, and moving to the city. Foreign farmers like the author are anxious to learn local techniques, yet they are not only more willing to experiment, but they also bring technology with them, such as electric sheep-shearing equipment. The description of the annual pig slaughter reminded me very much of the stories carefully preserved in the 'Foxfire' series of books about Appalachian America. Such rituals were once common and necessary throughout the rural world, but are not increasingly less significant in a time when agriculture is becoming increasingly more factory like. This was a perfect book to read alongside the pool during a relaxing week in Ronda. Often laugh-out-loud funny, it was an interesting and even educational read, that helped me understand the people and ecology of the mountainous southeastern region of Andalucia. Although the author has a highly-developed sense of observation and detachment, developed no doubt through years of experience writing for travel guides, at no time did he ever become unsympathetic to his subject or lose the ability to laugh at himself in his sometimes clumsy attempts to fit into a new culture. Its a marvelous book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is travelling to southern Spain, who is interested in back-to-the-farm success stories, or who finally, anyone who enjoys a good story about real people.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty much a lemon
Review: Am I the only person that was bored to tears by Driving over Lemons? I found this to be a mind-numbing yawn in which sheep-shearer Stewart uproots his family to southern Spain, fixes up his wreck of a farm (irrigation problems, etc.), meets his not particularly interesting neighbors and struggles to adapt to the local ways. Sound familiar? Well Peter Mayle started the trend and is still the gold standard... and Chris Stewart just can't measure up to Mayle in terms of wit, charm or humour. Sure the writing style has the sort of easy flow that one would expect and the fact that Stewart is there for the long haul- striving to re-establish himself as a sheep shearer- represents a new twist and seems to appeal to people (the glowing reviews on Amazon led me to buy this in the first place). But reading Driving over Lemons made me realize that not every move to southern Europe deserves a book or an audience. Strictly for fans of the "expat-lifestyle" genre.
Rating:
Summary: Really quite boring
Review: Chris Stewart is a surprisingly good writer. He is also an engaging character, able to cope with the crisis of moving countries and careers with grace under pressure. This book is the diary of Stewart and his wife buying and running a small farm in Andalucia. They live in a rustuic farmhouse, get to know their neighbours, live through various natural and unnatural disasters and the birth of thier daughter. This is a unique view of Spain from an outsider but not a tourist, and an interesting meditation on consumerism, community, and lifestyle, all writter with humour and style. While not hiding the hardships, Stewart makes one want to abandon the city and strike out as a sheppard in a foreign country.
Rating:
Summary: The real thing
Review: Chris Stewart's book makes Peter Mayle's Provence efforts seem like puff fiction. Stewart's is about real poeple, while Mayle's seems to be written on the basis of market research (he's a PR man, after all). Stewart is a sheep shearer, and he's raising sheep on his finca. He interacts with his neighbors as a sheep farmer, and he tries to break into the business by passing the middle men. He learns his lessons and adapts, but it takes a lot of work and time. It's not a book for those who prefer the romantic tales about living simply in a rural Mediteranen environment. But it's a real story, told well and without pretense. Therefore it stays with you long after the other fluff has blown away.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Read ...but better without the last chapter
Review: I enjoyed reading this account of life in Spain
....all the way thru the second to the last chapter.
The last chapter - after the baptism of his daughter - didn't add-up to much.
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