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Provence #2
Provence nyt ja aina
Elämäniloa pursuvaa pakinointia Etelä-Ranskasta
Vuosi Provencessa -menestysteoksen kirjoittaja on asunut jo muutaman vuoden Etelä-Ranskassa. Siellä hän viljelee viiniä ja nauttii maaseudun rauhasta. Moni asia on kuitenkin muuttunut: Lubéronista on tullut muotikohde, joka vetää puoleensa julkisuuden henkilöitä ja matkailijoita. Onko idyllisistä kylistä tulossa pelkkiä turistirysiä?
Peter Maylen mukana ajelemme kiemuraisia vuoristoteitä ja käymme pikkuravintoloissa, joiden omistajat arvostavat perinteistä ruokakulttuuria ja hemmottelevat vieraitaan suussasulavilla herkuilla. Ruokavihjeen voi Ranskassa saada vaikka raivaustraktorin kuljettajalta, sillä puhuipa kenen kanssa tahansa, keskustelu kääntyy ennen pitkää ruokaan. Ja juomaan: eräskin viinien tuntija tuo tusinan viinipulloja mukanaan lounaalle!
Seuraamme persoonallisten kyläläisten elämänmenoa, tutustumme tryffelinmetsästyksessä käytettäviin porsaisiin, laulaviin rupikonniin ja Boy-koiraan, joka valitsee Maylet isäntäväekseen. Ennen kaikkea opimme arvostamaan kiireettömyyttä ja nauramaan pikku vastoinkäymisille.
Vuosi Provencessa -menestysteoksen kirjoittaja on asunut jo muutaman vuoden Etelä-Ranskassa. Siellä hän viljelee viiniä ja nauttii maaseudun rauhasta. Moni asia on kuitenkin muuttunut: Lubéronista on tullut muotikohde, joka vetää puoleensa julkisuuden henkilöitä ja matkailijoita. Onko idyllisistä kylistä tulossa pelkkiä turistirysiä?
Peter Maylen mukana ajelemme kiemuraisia vuoristoteitä ja käymme pikkuravintoloissa, joiden omistajat arvostavat perinteistä ruokakulttuuria ja hemmottelevat vieraitaan suussasulavilla herkuilla. Ruokavihjeen voi Ranskassa saada vaikka raivaustraktorin kuljettajalta, sillä puhuipa kenen kanssa tahansa, keskustelu kääntyy ennen pitkää ruokaan. Ja juomaan: eräskin viinien tuntija tuo tusinan viinipulloja mukanaan lounaalle!
Seuraamme persoonallisten kyläläisten elämänmenoa, tutustumme tryffelinmetsästyksessä käytettäviin porsaisiin, laulaviin rupikonniin ja Boy-koiraan, joka valitsee Maylet isäntäväekseen. Ennen kaikkea opimme arvostamaan kiireettömyyttä ja nauramaan pikku vastoinkäymisille.
258 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
437 people are currently reading
9397 people want to read
About the author
Peter Mayle
135 books1,285 followersPeter Mayle was a British author famous for his series of books detailing life in Provence, France. He spent fifteen years in advertising before leaving the business in 1975 to write educational books, including a series on sex education for children and young people. In 1989, A Year in Provence was published and became an international bestseller. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages, and he was a contributing writer to magazines and newspapers. Indeed, his seventh book, A Year in Provence, chronicles a year in the life of a British expatriate who settled in the village of Ménerbes. His book A Good Year was the basis for the eponymous 2006 film directed by Ridley Scott and starring actor Russell Crowe. Peter Mayle died in Provence, France.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 717 reviews
February 3, 2020
I can go through phases of wanting to read book after book on travels to other countries, and then have a period of months where the idea displeases me immensely and makes me feel depressed because I can't go.
This year, I have again found my love for travel books, and ones that are hilariously told are at the top of my list.
I found 'Toujours Provence' in my favourite little bookshop in Cambridge - G David, pushed to the bottom of a book crate that was the result of an academic's house clearance (Sydney Brenner don'tcha know!)
I never dreamed this book would make me laugh so much and make me crave so badly for the rolling hills and easy, gentle lifestyle of Provence. It sounds positively idyllic. And Peter Mayle has such a lovely way of writing. He's completely dedicated to 'fitting in' whether that means dealing truffles in the middle of the night, going for lunch with some friends which takes over 4 hours (food is taken very seriously here) adopting a manic dog that can't keep still and going wine tasting where he is expected to swallow everything he tastes...
I'm now on the look out for the first book in the series and cannot wait to hear more about Peter's adventures. A charming book.
This year, I have again found my love for travel books, and ones that are hilariously told are at the top of my list.
I found 'Toujours Provence' in my favourite little bookshop in Cambridge - G David, pushed to the bottom of a book crate that was the result of an academic's house clearance (Sydney Brenner don'tcha know!)
I never dreamed this book would make me laugh so much and make me crave so badly for the rolling hills and easy, gentle lifestyle of Provence. It sounds positively idyllic. And Peter Mayle has such a lovely way of writing. He's completely dedicated to 'fitting in' whether that means dealing truffles in the middle of the night, going for lunch with some friends which takes over 4 hours (food is taken very seriously here) adopting a manic dog that can't keep still and going wine tasting where he is expected to swallow everything he tastes...
I'm now on the look out for the first book in the series and cannot wait to hear more about Peter's adventures. A charming book.
May 21, 2011
After rereading A Year in Provence, my next logical book to read was Toujours Provence, Peter Mayle's follow-up to the wildly successful A Year in Provence. To be honest, while I could remember reading the first book, I had no recollection of reading Toujours Provence and now I remember why.
::: When a Sequel Isn't a Sequel :::
A Year in Provence dealt with Mayle and his wife's move to Provence, near the Lubéron, their struggles with the language, their interesting neighbors, and the renovations they were making to their house while they explored their new neighborhood. That book progressed logically a month at a time; relationships developed over periods of months; and renovations progress or don't progress as the year goes by.
Toujours Provence takes the familiar neighbors, workmen, and narrative structure and tosses them all right out the window. No longer is there any sort of continuity to Mayle's writing, but rather a collection of short vignettes, some of which might tie into an earlier story or theme, but most that just seem like a glimpse into lives we were given a front-row seat to in A Year in Provence.
Chapters in Toujours Provence are given actual titles, a departure from the month titles of the previous book, and it's very telling. The titles feel like titles to magazine articles, which each short section might very well be. We get short stories without much follow-through, and as the book progresses, the readers is left to feel almost as if they are being pushed back from an interesting scene by a police barricade. A first glimpse of the Mayles' life as Madame Mayle adopts a new dog (bringing their total to three) toward the beginning of the book gives way to fewer and fewer mentions of Madame Mayle, fewer interactions with the fascinating neighbors like Massot and Faustin we met in A Year in Provence, and more and more of a feeling that Mayle is saying the "nos" to his readers that he isn't able to say to the guests who invite themselves for vacations at his house.
::: Is It Horrible? :::
Toujours Provence is in no means a horrible book, and if expectations after A Year in Provence weren't so high, it would probably be a very decent read: witty and interesting. But I don't find it odd at all that there were several reviews of the first book, which won awards, and no reviews of Toujours Provence, because it just isn't that memorable a book. I think that Mayle kept the reader at too far a distance with this book for it to be the must-read that its predecessor was, and that's a great loss.
This review previously published at Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Toujou...
::: When a Sequel Isn't a Sequel :::
A Year in Provence dealt with Mayle and his wife's move to Provence, near the Lubéron, their struggles with the language, their interesting neighbors, and the renovations they were making to their house while they explored their new neighborhood. That book progressed logically a month at a time; relationships developed over periods of months; and renovations progress or don't progress as the year goes by.
Toujours Provence takes the familiar neighbors, workmen, and narrative structure and tosses them all right out the window. No longer is there any sort of continuity to Mayle's writing, but rather a collection of short vignettes, some of which might tie into an earlier story or theme, but most that just seem like a glimpse into lives we were given a front-row seat to in A Year in Provence.
Chapters in Toujours Provence are given actual titles, a departure from the month titles of the previous book, and it's very telling. The titles feel like titles to magazine articles, which each short section might very well be. We get short stories without much follow-through, and as the book progresses, the readers is left to feel almost as if they are being pushed back from an interesting scene by a police barricade. A first glimpse of the Mayles' life as Madame Mayle adopts a new dog (bringing their total to three) toward the beginning of the book gives way to fewer and fewer mentions of Madame Mayle, fewer interactions with the fascinating neighbors like Massot and Faustin we met in A Year in Provence, and more and more of a feeling that Mayle is saying the "nos" to his readers that he isn't able to say to the guests who invite themselves for vacations at his house.
::: Is It Horrible? :::
Toujours Provence is in no means a horrible book, and if expectations after A Year in Provence weren't so high, it would probably be a very decent read: witty and interesting. But I don't find it odd at all that there were several reviews of the first book, which won awards, and no reviews of Toujours Provence, because it just isn't that memorable a book. I think that Mayle kept the reader at too far a distance with this book for it to be the must-read that its predecessor was, and that's a great loss.
This review previously published at Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Toujou...
August 2, 2023
RIP Peter Mayle, gentleman, writer and bon-viveur!
His literary skills are beyond any doubt: Jerome K. Jerome's naive humor, O Henry's abilities as a story-teller, Jeffrey Archer's nobility and detachment, Hasek's satirical talent. But, above all rises his
perpetual goodness in the air, which can be reached only by the finest characters.
Chapeau...
His literary skills are beyond any doubt: Jerome K. Jerome's naive humor, O Henry's abilities as a story-teller, Jeffrey Archer's nobility and detachment, Hasek's satirical talent. But, above all rises his
perpetual goodness in the air, which can be reached only by the finest characters.
Chapeau...
May 14, 2021
3,5 stars
Not quite as good as A Year in Provence, but still a very cosy, relaxing read about life in Provence as experienced by a British expatriate author who settled there.
Not quite as good as A Year in Provence, but still a very cosy, relaxing read about life in Provence as experienced by a British expatriate author who settled there.
December 14, 2022
Enjoyable, entertaining essays on life as a British expat in the south of France around 1990. I'm sure I'll go on to the next collection. Fine, light escapism. Your library will have a copy. Mayle had a distinctive and pleasing style.
April 15, 2019
More beautiful, humorous prose of the authors life in France. Quick read and great follow to A Year in Provence.
March 6, 2008
Peter Mayle writes about characters: Monsieur X, the truffle hunter; Massot with his metal detector; Boy, the dog, who ate the seat belt on his first car trip (and who apparently now has his own book, A Dog's Life). In Mayle's hands, the place of Provence and the French language become characters as well. From musing about Pavarotti's dinner to learning about the history of pastis, everything about this book is cheering. I've enjoyed all the other books by Mayle that I've read (A Year in Provence, Hotel Pastis, and A Good Year), for much the same reasons I enjoyed this book.
July 27, 2022
I liked this even better than the first one. It was so delightful.
I also laughed out loud so hard at a few parts that I got on my husband’s nerves - always a mark of a great book.
I also laughed out loud so hard at a few parts that I got on my husband’s nerves - always a mark of a great book.
October 23, 2024
This is a fun memoir about a British expat and his wife living in Provence. It is a follow-up to Mayle’s successful and popular book A Year in Provence, which I have not read. I did not find it necessary to have read the original, as I enjoyed this one very much. It contains a series of everyday episodes in the author’s life, such as eating at restaurants, attending the opera, adopting a dog, and interacting with other local residents. Other vignettes relate to different types of foods and wines, truffle hunting by dogs and pigs, British versus French palates, and dealing with the elements. It is not overly exciting, but it has a nice relaxing pace, is well written, and contains subtle humor.
May 4, 2022
3.5*
February 1, 2022
Ja no grāmatām jāaizņemas kādi izteicieni, tad no Meila es paņemtu apzīmējumu cilvēkam reibumā - piesūcies kā lapsene. Tās Provansā esot īpaši meistarīgas uz dzelšanu no slēpņa, bet ļoti kāras uz jebkādu alkoholu. Britu humors, ko balsta francūžu dīvainības, siltā un, šķietami vienmēr saules pielietā, vidē. Man patika Meils pirms 10 gadiem un patika arī šoreiz.
Plašāk blogā: https://lalksne.blogspot.com/2022/02/...
Plašāk blogā: https://lalksne.blogspot.com/2022/02/...
August 27, 2024
Vana raamat ja kunagi vist ka juba loetud, aga flirtis seal praami raamaturiiulis minuga nii ahvatlevalt. Oli täpselt selline suve viimaste päevade lugemine, mida tarvis oligi. Hea toit, külm jook, lõbusad vahejuhtumid kohalikega... taevake, kui nüüd hakata tõsisemalt järele mõtlema, siis Hiiumaa või Provence, ega suuremat vahet ei olegi :) Värvikad karakterid, peidetud aarded, värava taga kimbutavad turistid (mõnikord elutoaski, jajah, meenutab mu üle-eelmise nädala Soonlepa vabaõhumuuseumi juhtumit), kinnisvarajutud - oleks kõike seda oma nahal juba nagu tundnud ja ühes teises raamatus lugenud. Erinev oli ehk vaid see, et hiiumaine jutt ei veere tundide kaupa söögi-joogi ümber nagu Provence´is.
Tõlge vist väheke lonkas, mõnes kohas võttis lausa kukalt kratsima, aga las ta jääda.
Tõlge vist väheke lonkas, mõnes kohas võttis lausa kukalt kratsima, aga las ta jääda.
January 24, 2013
Симпатична и приятна за четене книга, даваща прекрасна възможност на "книжните пътешественици" като мен да получат доза бягство от забързания ни начин на живот. С характерното си свежо чувство за хумор, познато ни от "Една година в Прованс", Питър Мейл продължава да обрисува живописно ежедневието си на англичанин, предпочел безвремието на френския юг пред вечно мрачната британска действителност. Прелиствайки страниците, почти можеш да усетиш аромата на лавандуловите храсти, да си представиш вкуса на прекрасните френски вина и изящните ястия, да се насладиш на дребните /и не толкова/ удоволствия на френския провинциален живот. Написана с много топлина и привързаност към Прованс и неговите хора, "Прованс завинаги" зарежда читателя с характерната за провансалеца любов към живота.
September 20, 2018
I thought this format worked much better than the monthly chapters of A Year in Provence. It was still pretty far from a page-turner, though. Maybe it's the kind of book I should have read in summer - possibly in France - instead of during a cold and grey fall. It did succeed in making me want to eat a lot of french food, though.
July 11, 2016
Еще одна душевная книга про Прованс. Очень понравились эти маленькие истории про людей, про традиции, про еду и вино. Эх, махну��ь бы сейчас туда на недельку, другую!
December 3, 2020
Безкрайна ваканция, това си е устроил автора.Без телевизия, без часовник и без обувки. Но с басейн, вкусна храна и интересни занимания. Определено ми харесва. Повечето неща бих правила с удоволствие и де да можех да пиша толкова добре .
June 24, 2023
Mazliet samests kopā no visa, tomēr pats vērtīgākais laikam tas, kāda bija Provansa 90.gadu sākumā. Pasaule ir mainījusies, ļoti mainījusies.
February 19, 2017
A random collection of vignettes about the casual life of a man and his wife. Visiting friends, eating, living without clocks and eating, going out and eating. In a sense a good life to experience, a horrendously boring traveling blog to read. And I think I also have a problem with the style how Peter Mayle writes, because I was literally nodding off between the chapters. When I came around again and read some more, I felt I really wanted to eat something nice. Maybe travel there, drink some wine and eat those weirdly named gourmet' dishes in a relaxing environment. But not to read about it. At least definitely not like Mayle writes.
And the last straw - constant interruption of the narrative with "teaching French" sections. Not a paragraph went by without requiring you to jump down to the underline translations.
Not my glass of wine.
And the last straw - constant interruption of the narrative with "teaching French" sections. Not a paragraph went by without requiring you to jump down to the underline translations.
Not my glass of wine.
August 12, 2018
I loved the book, so much so that I want to retire in Provence myself. The scenery, the villages, the people may not be same from Peter Mayle's time but still some parts of the old Provence lifestyle is bound to remain...
I'm also impressed by the author's wit and subtlety; the book was fun to read.
I'm also impressed by the author's wit and subtlety; the book was fun to read.
September 23, 2010
Fun, little stories from the man that brought us, A Year in Provence. I love books that immerse me in a different culture. Oh, how the French enjoy their food :)
March 29, 2023
3.5 stars
I listened to this on audiobook as I drove from London to the Gers
I don’t think I’ve ever actually read A Year in Provence, but it’s one of those books that I feel like I know. It’s your insider/outsider guide to Provence, albeit told through the rose-coloured glasses view of a more innocent time (ie, before the British/French Brexit break-up). I’m not sure it would appeal to those who already know France intimately, but it’s a helpful primer for those enthusiasts who are more ignorant of the culture. There are some great stories in it, for sure, and Mayle definitely knows how to turn a phrase and draw a paragraph to an elegant close. Although Provençal in flavour, I’m sure that much of the local knowledge and characters can be found in most regions of France. Mayle just about manages to steer clear of stereotyping and caricature, but I’m sure this book plays best to Brits and the English-speaking cohort (Americans, Australians, etc).
I listened to this on audiobook as I drove from London to the Gers
I don’t think I’ve ever actually read A Year in Provence, but it’s one of those books that I feel like I know. It’s your insider/outsider guide to Provence, albeit told through the rose-coloured glasses view of a more innocent time (ie, before the British/French Brexit break-up). I’m not sure it would appeal to those who already know France intimately, but it’s a helpful primer for those enthusiasts who are more ignorant of the culture. There are some great stories in it, for sure, and Mayle definitely knows how to turn a phrase and draw a paragraph to an elegant close. Although Provençal in flavour, I’m sure that much of the local knowledge and characters can be found in most regions of France. Mayle just about manages to steer clear of stereotyping and caricature, but I’m sure this book plays best to Brits and the English-speaking cohort (Americans, Australians, etc).
June 18, 2025
Scrumptious.
If I hadn’t had the audio book on loan, I would have saved it for listening to exclusively while supper making…because the few nights I was able to do that…it was just the perfect vibe.
If I hadn’t had the audio book on loan, I would have saved it for listening to exclusively while supper making…because the few nights I was able to do that…it was just the perfect vibe.
August 16, 2024
Probably a 2.5. Not as good as the first one, in my opinion. A lot of realtor bashing, and I'm loyal to a fault to my realtor husband, so I took offense. The Pavarotti concert part was hilarious, though. And I loved hearing about the truffle hunting.
September 16, 2024
Mayle is a writing icon.
Laughed out-loud multiple times.
The perfect thing to read on a Sunday afternoon.
(Since it's my second Mayle read, it was easier to see the stitches behind his writing. Also, the guy hides a lot of investigative journalism within his fun stories. He's not just a great writer—he's got a nose for stories and follows through on them).
Laughed out-loud multiple times.
The perfect thing to read on a Sunday afternoon.
(Since it's my second Mayle read, it was easier to see the stitches behind his writing. Also, the guy hides a lot of investigative journalism within his fun stories. He's not just a great writer—he's got a nose for stories and follows through on them).
March 2, 2020
This is a series of essays about the life of an expat in Provence, with the occasional mention of a friend introduced in A Year in Provence. Understated humour on a wide variety of topics made this a pleasure to read.
May 30, 2024
There really is nothing quite like these books. While not entirely a departure from the first books format it has an identity of its own and a beauty that allows it to shine. Bravo Peter, bravo
June 23, 2025
A Delightful vicarious visit to southern France where the food and wine budget for most individuals easily exceeds all other expenditures. Colorful characters, breathtaking scenery, quant villages, and humorous shenanigans are all beautifully described in book two of Mayle’s English-Francophile experience. Makes you wanna jump on a plane!
May 29, 2020
Delightful!
But, you are a fool to visit Provence in summer.
But, you are a fool to visit Provence in summer.
June 22, 2018
Just as entertaining as the first Provence book that I read about 10 years ago. Very similar format, lots of short stories about the people and Day to day life for a British couple now living in Provence. Since it was written 30 years ago I am sure the life described is no longer possible but wow the good old days!
July 3, 2018
Peter Mayle can probably do no wrong. This book is simply a continuation of the same from "A Year in Provence" and thusly, a delicious read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 717 reviews