Novel Travels: Peter Mayle

Somehow in the summer of 2006 I managed to plan a wedding, study for the GRE, train for a sprint triathlon, swim twice a week, play soccer every weekend and work full time. While doing all of the above, I also managed to read most of Peter Mayle's Provence books.

I read these books like I drink wine, slowly and without wasting a drop. My future husband was giving into my fantasy of taking a cycling tour through Provence, France, and I was determined to know everything about the area. Mayle's books had been in the media for years so they were the first ones I looked for at the library. First, I read A Year in Provence, followed by Toujours Provence. Then I discovered Mayle's fiction and that he had other non-fiction (but not autobiographical) books about Provence too. Below are my thoughts on his books.

Autobiographical Works
A Year in Provence: Easy and enjoyable to read. Mostly about Mayle and his wife renovating a house in Provence. It was made into a miniseries, which oddly, I was able to find. I don't remember much about it except the Peter character waving his arms around in every scene.

Side Note" In it, Mayle writes about Le Mistral (basically, the strong winds), which I should have taken as a warning that Provence has strong winds. Strong winds did not play into my fantasy about a fun bicycle ride through waving lavender.

Toujours Provence: Much of the same, though I had to wander why they left Provence in the first place (then returned in this book) after the large hassle in the previous book. Or was than Encore Provence? Here's the problem, all the books run together after a while.

Fiction Novels
Hotel Pastis: A formed advertising executive buys a hotel. Chaos ensues.

Anything Considered: A man with few options left puts out an ad that he will do anything. A rich man answers the ad. Chaos ensues.

Chasing Cézanne: I don't recall reading this. I'm sure art is involved and chaos ensues.

A Good Year: An English executive inherits his uncle's home and vineyard in Provence. There are secrets, sections about wine making, and chaos ensuing. Mayle's novel differs from the plot of the movie as I don't recall the memory of the uncle playing such a big part and know the wine plot was different.

Other works
French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew: I remember reading this, I remember reading about escargot. I don't remember much else.

Confessions of a French Baker: I tried to read this, but I got married and had to return it to the library.

Acquired Tastes: I've not read this.

Provence A-Z: I read this, but I felt I had read it all before in all of the above books.

Did reading Mayle's books help me learn about Provence? Well, yes, as an outsider. Almost all of them have an element of an outsider coming in and getting caught up in chaos in Provence. Did I learn about the people? Somewhat, mostly in his autobiographical works. Would I read them again? Yes, they were more fun than GRE vocabulary flashcards. Would I return to Provence? In a heartbeat, especially when the lavender blooms or the Tour de France is passing through.