A Considerable Town

by M.F.K. Fisher

M.F.K. Fisher celebrates Marseille.

Genres: Food, Travel, Nonfiction, France, Memoir, History

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher was a prolific and well-respected writer, writing more than 20 books during her lifetime and also publishing two volumes of journals and correspondence shortly before her death in 1992. Her first book, Serve it Forth, was published in 1937. Her books deal primarily with food, considering it from many aspects: preparation, natural history, culture, and philosophy. Fisher believed that eating well was just one of the "arts of life" and explored the art of living as a secondary theme in her writing. Her style and pacing are noted elements of her short stories and essays.

Reviews

[Lynne-marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Considerable Town is not so much a portrait of Marseille as a ramble through it. And not just a ramble through it's physical self, so that we indeed see its most important "ponts," darkly, as if through a glass, but as a ramble through time with Fisher who has known Marseille since 1932 and has many versions of the city to share with us. It is inescapable not to descibe this book as a broth of memory and sensory recognition of a city, not as a guidebook. What an enchanting view of an irrascable, but deeply elemental town.

[patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent escape to the old country, I couldn't put it down. I love MFKF's spirit. What fun it would have been to travel with her! This book is all about her experiences living in or near the Vieux Port area of Marseille on & off from years 1929-1973. Nearly every area she writes about I have visited, so it made for an extra special read and a deep longing to return to the land of bouillabaisse and the Med. Sea.

[Dvora Treisman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've visited Marseille twice, partly because of the Marcel Pagnol's Fanny Trilogy, and partly because of this book. It may be that I liked it 5 stars worth, but I read it some years ago and don't remember. So I guess I will have to read it again soon...

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2015 Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert explored the ancient port city of Marseille, extolling its beauty, varied culture, and long history. By then Marseille was finally (finally!) since its founding in 600 BC becoming a destination for tourists, not just global traders of everything legal and not. "Come to Marseille!" these two venerable chefs said. But they are not the first to say so. Decades prior to the "Part Unkown" Marseille episode, writer MFK Fisher repeatedly visited this storied city between 1929-1970s and wrote about her experiences in "A Considerable Town". Fisher, who traveled there as a young student, a young wife, and then a mother of two, encapsulates everything that Bourdain is noted for: fearlessness, curiosity, and an unflappable zest for experiences.

Her book is a curio of full of memories from her time in Marseille, and like one who is remembering a fond place, the narrative jumps around as one memory beckons another. It is not a travel guide, although you can Google the places she mentions and see that they are still there, like the Grand Hotel Beauvau, which looks like it has a received a much needed refurbishing since her time. Instead it is full of the best things about travel: chance meetings with a variety of people, attachments to places that you alone like and no one else gets, unexpected adventures that leave a greater mark than seeing "fill-in-the-blank" sight. It is a work that is reflective of someone who is open to having life happen to them. Fisher is a woman who likes what she likes and does not let others dissuade her (and many try) with their biases, xenophobia, and social class. I enjoyed reading it very much; it made me feel back out in the world.

[Summer24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What she did was amazing in her time for food and community. I just liked learning about her and how she fashioned her life. She loved good quality simple food. She had this love all of her life even when she couldn't travel anymore and she shared her passion with others. Real food and real conversations and experiences matter.

[CT · Rating 3 out of 5]

About two thirds of the way through A Considerable Town, MFK Fisher casually admits that most of the people she has ever spoken to in Marseille were cab drivers, waiters, and hotel staff. Which goes a long way to explaining why the book focuses on hotels, restaurants, and cabs, along with encounters featuring or including her daughters who generally travelled with her.

The newest reminiscence in the book is by now 50 years old; the oldest, nearly 100. But, if you believe that cities have some timeless characteristics, then there's a value in reading the book. Fisher is not attentive enough to facts and figures to make this a historical narrative - yes, it recounts some historical aspects of the city of Marseille, but they are neither well-documented nor particularly objective. The book is fifty years of vignettes that happen mainly in and around Marseille; like a whimsical sketch artist who sits down now and again to chalk a scene, Fisher offers impressions of particular aspects of the city as the mood suits her.

[Libraryassistant · Rating 3 out of 5]

To my surprise, I liked this one much better than the one about Aix en Provence. I always heard about the grittiness and probable danger of Marseille and so passed it by on my own “ grand tour “. But had I read this, I might have given it a chance.
I think I still prefer her food writing, but this was good — probably 3-1/2 stars.

[Jay Dewey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having very fond memories of visiting Marseilles just after college, I looked forward to reading this book -- what a disappointment. Its intended reader had to be already quite familiar with the city to understand the descriptions. There are few maps and no pictures to guide the reader. With a strong reference point i.e. thorough knowledge already of Marseilles or visuals, the book is useless.

[Victoria & David Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behold and see!
And smell, and touch, and hear, and most amazingly taste.
M.F.K Fisher writes of the 2500 year old town of Marseille which she has known for over fifty years as if of an old friend.
According to the jacket blurb W H Auden said of Fisher, " I do not know of anyone in the United States today who writes better prose."
And most amazingly.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book off the shelf at the library. It was very entertaining as our author tells various stories of her life. It was a warm storytelling and while it didn’t exactly orient me to the city I feel I have a vibe, at least from 1978.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

MFK Fisher at the top of her inimitable form! She lays Marseilles out for us like a perfectly filleted fresh fish and then lets us settle in to enjoy the simple meal at otter leisure.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars