Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes
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Book Reviews of Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy
Book Review: What She Did on Her Summer Vacations
Summary: 3 Stars
The subtitle "At Home In Italy" is a teeny bit misleading, as this "yuppie lifestyle" memoir is about a woman renovating a dilapidated Italian villa for use as a summer home. She uses mostly labor from other parts of the European Union and rifts off on the usual to-die-for meals in this kind of escape nonfiction.
The author has a lyrical style that elevates trivia into philosophy. I fall in and out of love with the way she expresses herself. She's at her best detailing the trials and tribulations of renovating a very old house and discovering the Roman and Etruscan features of the site. There are laugh-out-loud passages that anyone who's ever done the renovation gig will identify with. She's at her most annoying out and about in Italy (see how many obscure place names you can drop with no map) or yammering on about her real life in San Francisco (whatever). The last chapter comparing the quirkiness of her roots in the American South with the attractions of Italy and its approach to religion rings true and is almost worth the whole price of the book. In some ways I feel it should have been the first chapter.
I tend to like the books of Peter Mayle (A YEAR IN PROVENCE, TOUJOURS PROVENCE) because he goes to his foreign country to live as opposed to just going over for the "second home". If you get something out of this book, I think you would also enjoy his.
Mayes, in this outing, doesn't have the authentic feel of someone really adopting and adapting to a foreign culture. UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN looked a better in 1997 when first out than it does in post-boom 2009. I think folks who still have the aspiration for a similar lifestyle will love it, and those of us who have reservations about the emphasis on material things in "la dolce vita" will admire the style but cringe at some of the content here. This review is based on that original edition. Try it with wine and ignore the whine. Compai!
Book Review: Beautiful writing, but BORING...
Summary: 3 Stars
Yes, I am one of those culprits who loved the movie so much that I just HAD to read the book. I had heard that there were a lot of differences but let's just say that there really aren't any similarities. Yet I kept forcing myself through this book. I will admit that Ms. Mayes has a beautiful, poetic way of writing. Her descriptions of Tuscany--the land and the food especially--are amazing and I did enjoy hearing about all of the work that went into restoring her home. I'm sure for her it was worth it but after reading this, it's not something I will ever think about doing!
I will also agree with previous reviewers who said that Ms. Mayes didn't seem to take the time to know the Italian people. Although I'm not one to talk, having only been to Italy once, I feel as if Ms. Mayes treats Italy and particularly its people as merely characters in her own story. It feels to me that she doesn't have the proper respect for Italy and Italians as they are NOW (although she has plenty of respect for ancient Italy and the Etruscans), and that did get fairly frustrating.
Book Review: It's not the movie
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this book because I simply adore the movie. This book is not the movie. The movie took a few lines from it here and there, but it is not the same story. There is no Katherine, no Marcello, no Pawel, no Patti, etc. The entire plot of the movie doesn't exist at all in the book. If you loved the movie and you're wanting to dig deeper into that story by buying the book you'll be disappointed. But if you've never seen the movie, and you just want a snap shot of an American's life in Italy it's not bad.
Book Review: seriously boring
Summary: 2 Stars
this has got to be among the most boring books I have ever read. I had heard such great things, that I suggested we read it for our book club. 50 more pages and I seriously do not think I can finish it... YAWN