Want to wander around Italy during the Victorian Era? Read A Room With a View by E.M. Forster. It's an easy, amusing read about repression and finding your place in the world. Characters walk around Florence, witness a murder, propose, and kiss. When I read it, I didn't expect it to be so funny.
The movie is wonderful eye candy.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Novel Travels: Queen Margot
In 2007 my husband and I flew to Arizona to visit his family and to attend the Fiesta Bowl. This was the infamous game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Boise State Broncos. For three quarters I was bored and wishing I had brought my book, Queen Margot. It's the only time I recall wanting to read while attending a football game. In the fourth quarter, things got exciting, really exciting. Goes down in history exciting. A good game from the fourth quarter on with an unexpected finish. However, I digress.
Honestly, Queen Margot by Alexandre Dumas is not a good travel book. For one thing, it is huge and for another, it deviates from history and does not have special insight into the people or an area of France--things which I prefer to find in literature I read while traveling. What it did do was drive me to read about the real Margurite de Valois, queen of France and Navarre in the late 16th century, the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre of Huguenots in Paris after her marriage to Henry de Bourbon. Queen Margot had me googling Navarre and Huguenots making this book more educational for me, as if I were back in high school and preparing for an essay test. I would have failed that test though, because I found the conspiracies and plot twists of who was spying on who (whom?) impossible to keep up with, even after I saw the movie.
I'd like to read more by Dumas. Maybe I'll read The Three Musketeers when I return to France, someday.
Honestly, Queen Margot by Alexandre Dumas is not a good travel book. For one thing, it is huge and for another, it deviates from history and does not have special insight into the people or an area of France--things which I prefer to find in literature I read while traveling. What it did do was drive me to read about the real Margurite de Valois, queen of France and Navarre in the late 16th century, the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre of Huguenots in Paris after her marriage to Henry de Bourbon. Queen Margot had me googling Navarre and Huguenots making this book more educational for me, as if I were back in high school and preparing for an essay test. I would have failed that test though, because I found the conspiracies and plot twists of who was spying on who (whom?) impossible to keep up with, even after I saw the movie.
I'd like to read more by Dumas. Maybe I'll read The Three Musketeers when I return to France, someday.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
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.
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.
Novel Travels: Out of Africa
I've never been to Africa, but those who have been always end up visiting Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen's farm in Kenya. Admittedly, I only know a small number of people. Out of Africa has touched people for generations.
OK, I'm only using Out of Africa because I need something with an O, I have a hungry son, and I want to collect lists of books about all the continents. Although I own a copy of the book--which I bought after someone described visiting Karen Blixen's farm--it's buried in my to-be-read-pile, still waiting to be read. My pile is taller than my nightstand. I have read, cried, and read devotionals on Babette's Feast, but that novel has nothing to do with Kenya.
The only other novel/book taking place in Africa that I recall reading is Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. Since I read it in college (English 101 essentially), I only recall that Achebe is Nigerian and I liked the novel.
It's very sad that I only have two books for an entire continent and I'm too tired tonight to do research to discover more books. I know they are out there. When I actually go, I will do my homework.
OK, I'm only using Out of Africa because I need something with an O, I have a hungry son, and I want to collect lists of books about all the continents. Although I own a copy of the book--which I bought after someone described visiting Karen Blixen's farm--it's buried in my to-be-read-pile, still waiting to be read. My pile is taller than my nightstand. I have read, cried, and read devotionals on Babette's Feast, but that novel has nothing to do with Kenya.
The only other novel/book taking place in Africa that I recall reading is Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. Since I read it in college (English 101 essentially), I only recall that Achebe is Nigerian and I liked the novel.
It's very sad that I only have two books for an entire continent and I'm too tired tonight to do research to discover more books. I know they are out there. When I actually go, I will do my homework.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Novel Travels: New Orleans Legacy
New Orleans Legacy by Alexandra Ripley may seem like an odd book choice for ideas on what to see in a tour of the city, especially such an iconic city as New Orleans. It's on my list due the sheer amount of history packed into its pages.
Synopsis: After her father's death, Mary McAlister travels to New Orleans with littler more than a box of mementos from the mother she never knew. There, she will learn the secrets of her past, her family's past, and fall in love with New Orleans.
It's a romance novel, therefore, Mary encounters Valmont Saint-Brevin throughout the book. Other things she encounters: a brothel, a voodoo ceremony, slavery, yellow fever, Baroness Michaela Pontalba, and Mardi Gras. Mary also hears stories about the founding of New Orleans and the number of times it switched hands.
New Orleans Legacy is a good read for New Orleans' history. Ideally, I would have a list of books to read about New Orleans and it's music and it's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Sadly, I don't have that list. I will say two things: Alexandra Ripley's Charleston is a good read for the history of that city and I highly recommend Jazz Fest.
Synopsis: After her father's death, Mary McAlister travels to New Orleans with littler more than a box of mementos from the mother she never knew. There, she will learn the secrets of her past, her family's past, and fall in love with New Orleans.
It's a romance novel, therefore, Mary encounters Valmont Saint-Brevin throughout the book. Other things she encounters: a brothel, a voodoo ceremony, slavery, yellow fever, Baroness Michaela Pontalba, and Mardi Gras. Mary also hears stories about the founding of New Orleans and the number of times it switched hands.
New Orleans Legacy is a good read for New Orleans' history. Ideally, I would have a list of books to read about New Orleans and it's music and it's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Sadly, I don't have that list. I will say two things: Alexandra Ripley's Charleston is a good read for the history of that city and I highly recommend Jazz Fest.
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