A Year in Provenance by Peter Mayle

A Year in Provence 
by Peter Mayle
Adult Non-Fiction

"Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Luberon with his wife and two large dogs. He endures January's frosty mistral as it comes howling down the Rhone Valley, discovers the secrets of goat racing through the middle of town, and delights in the glorious regional cuisine." 

This book was an all-expenses-paid vacation to Provence, France, without the annoyance of standing through security, enduring a long, claustrophobic plane ride, and memorizing how to say the 'lady's room' from a tiny French guidebook. The best way to travel, in my opinion. And what a trip it was. 

We get to see the back-roads, forests, and restaurants of France that a normal tourist wouldn't know existed. But it's really the characters and the narrator who are the heartbeat of this novel. In his witty, warm way, Mayle introduces us to his lecture-loving, humorous plumber, the inexperienced hunters who dress like they're experienced, and the various aspects of truffle-hunting. 

Mayle has an entertaining way of sharing an anecdote about something that seems like an ordinary event, like a celebratory dinner, and shaping it with humor until it settles on your mind like a cozy blanket that you don't want to take off because it feels so good. 

The author gives us a rich and real picture of Provence without dipping into criticism or dull facts. He takes you, month by month, through the year in this perplexing, wonderful place until you feel like it's your home as well. 

The only aspect in this book that I had a hard time with was the usage of French words. I didn't have a problem with him sprinkling them in, since he is in France, after all, but several times he didn't mention the meaning of a particular word, leaving me in the dark about the point he was trying to tell. This did not occur often, however, so I still award this novel a 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it for 16 year olds and up.

Also, bring an empty stomach to A Year in Provence, because many of his anecdotes revolve around food!

*Mayle has also written a novel titled, My Twenty-Five Years in Provence, which I will definitely find and proceed to devour. Another cheap (if not free) trip to France! 

A Review: The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 
Genre: Classic, Adventure, Historical Fiction 

"Set against the tumultuous years of the post-Napoleonic era, Dumas's grand historical romance recounts the swashbuckling adventures of Edmond Dantes, a dashing young sailor falsely accused of treason. The story of his long imprisonment, dramatic escape, and carefully wrought revenge offers up a vision of France that has become immortal.

As Robert Louis Stevenson declared, 'I do not believe there is another volume extant where you can breathe the same unmingled atmosphere of romance.'"

Whew! After a month of reading, I finally finished this novel! And what a delight it was. So much happens in this book: sword-fights, poisoning, happy and neglected romances, treason, kidnapping, that I couldn't wait to sit down and see where Dumas would take me each day.

The main character, Edmond Dantes, who later becomes the Count, is a thoroughly enjoyable character with many faces. I did get frustrated a few times because the reader grows close to the protagonist in the first half of the book, but in the later half or more, the reader spends much more time around the other characters. I would have liked to be in the Count's head more, but I am also glad I met the other characters. The revenge and suspense was that much sweeter, and the author kept me on my toes like the other poor characters.

Although this is a classic, the translation I read was fairly easy to follow. I read the unabridged version and highly suggest others to do the same because the action and ending is well worth the extra pages. There are a few stories in here that seem random and too long, but hang in there, because they are important. Besides, I found them pretty interesting, especially since one centers on a murder. There are a lot of names in here, and since they're so different than ours, it might help to make a list. Thankfully, though, the list of characters is much less that that in Charles Dicken's books.

If you've watched the movie based on this book, I highly recommend you reading the novel; there's so much more, and it's so deliciously suspenseful and action-packed! Be warned, the ending in the novel is different than that in the movie, but just as good, if not better. If you haven't seen the movie yet, then read the book first. The movie is good, but much shallower compared to the novel (of course :).

This book has moved up into my favorites list, and thus, I give it novel a 4.5 out of 5 and recommend it for 16 year olds and up because of the length.

What I learned: Revenge belongs to God alone and in the end doesn't bring satisfaction. The wealthy in France during this time traveled much and had a distinct code of behavior.

One of my favorite quotes: "Hatred is blind; rage carries you away, and he who pours out vengeance runs the risk of tasting a bitter draught."