365 days of boredom .... but I liked it!?! (A Year in Provence - Peter Mayle)

Member Name: idodoyou

Product:	A Year in Provence - Peter Mayle
Date:	16/10/01 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: - ), It was free!, I didn't matter that there was no funny bits and nothing happened

Disadvantages: - (, No funny bits, Nothing much really happened

The time of choosing was upon us again. Would I plump for a Francis? A Koontz? A Mansell? An author I was familiar with? Nah, went for a Mayle. A Peter Mayle. An author and book that I had only fleetingly heard about when John Thaws visual offering of 'A Year in Provence' had been a flop. I never saw the program. I had never read any of his work. I didn't know what to expect?

The only reason that this book was in my 'to read' pile was, because it was free. In fact, the only reason I bought the magazine was, because this book was free. It was a travel mag, and while there's nothing I like better than to spread my wings and leave my native country for worlds unknown, buying and reading travel mags only manage to fill me full of wander lust. Certainly not the ideal situation when you live in the UK, where it's cold, wet, windy and a million miles away from the sun. Oh, and broke!!

But anyway, buy the mag I did. Read the mag I did. And finally get round to reading the book I did.

With only a mere 207 pages, this optical offering came to us from the mind, the pen, and the life of Peter Mayle (and wife) and from the printing machines (I'm sure that there is a more technical term?) of Penquin Books. First being published way back in 1989, an illustrated copy was issued in the USA in 1990 by Alfred A. Knopf, and in my grubby little mitts I have a 1999 edition of the illustrated copy.
Well, I say illustrated cos the book calls it illustrated. Not sure I would. Basically, all the 'illustrated' part amounts to are pen drawings (and not very good ones at that, sorry Judith Clancy) at the start of each chapter. Which, incidentally are named after the months of the year. But, if the author, and the publisher wants to call this illustrated, who am I to argue hey? And how many pictures do you have to have before it's classed as an illustrated?
For a best selling novel, the cover really isn&
#39;t up to much. Just a picture of a tatty, and very much in need of repair, shuttered window. The jury is still out on whether the picture makes me think France or D.I.Y?? Or is that the reaction that is wanted. After all, the feelings are in keeping with the story line. France and D.I.Y are a plenty within the pages.
The blurb sharp, sweet, and straight to the point, accurately tells us what to expect. Filling us with expectation of, in literary terms, the year ahead. In reality, the hours ahead.

The author, Peter Mayle, is well known for his travel/autobiography offerings and has contributed to publications in the UK, the States and France, and his work has been translated into twenty-two languages. Most, if not all have the same idyllic backdrop of Provence, France. I suppose, that after reading his other novels, the reader feels as if he, or she, is coming home when they open the pages of the book? This is not a familiar feeling to me, for this is the first of Mayle's novels I have read.

There are a total of four reviews on the cover in total. All from reputable(?) sources, and all bar one, claiming to the novel to be funny. The one from the 'Sunday Express' is the one I'll go with ?

"Peter Mayle's idyllic portrait makes you almost taste the wonderful food and wine, feel the sun and the balmy breezes".

He does. Make you feel as if you are in Provence that is. That one's closest to my description of this book. He delivers all that the review says he does. What he fails to deliver for me is the laughter. If this book, his writing is as funny as the reviews claim, I wonder if they are talking of this book? The read was charming, vivid, enthusiastic, and slightly. ..... boring!!
Oh, don't get me wrong, not boring boring!. But more of a 'plods along with no such story line' boring. Nothing happened. There was no ending. It finished as it started.

Wheth
er or not it's me I dunno? I wouldn't have thought so though. I've got as much of a sense of humour as the next guy. More if the next guy is some moody old bugger that smiles twice a year, Christmas and New Year. I love to laugh. I love to have things to laugh at. I just didn't laugh at this. It doesn't, didn't matter though. As I said, having never read any of his work, I was expecting nothing. And plus, I don't usually go by the reviews anyway. They aren't the most accurate of statements in the world are they now?

Anyway, the story line is simple. The story line is very simple.
Just two people, man, wife, and a couple of dogs that had left the shores of Blighty for pastures new. Across the water, leaving behind the crap weather, the crumbling health service, the taxes, and the dirge of British life. Into a land of gastronomic delights, decent summers, and the unknown.
Through out the story we get to meet a cacophony of characters. Very French characters. And why not? We are in France you know?
We trundle along with them as they slowly but surely get to grips with the French way of life. Overcome the inevitable changes. And try to get their house repaired. The French, apparently, according to Mayle, and their time attendance management leave a lot to be desired. And from what I've read, it does. Not all the French you understand. Just his neighbours and the surrounding area tradesmen.
Yep, basically, we spent a year with them, in their life, in a new country. In a world different to our own.

Mayle has captured the people, the countryside perfectly. Although, on this I can only surmise, for the only trips I've made to France is a school trip to 'gay Paree' and numerous 'boozercrusiers'. I THINK that he has captured them all perfectly. Of course, he might not have done, and I'm easily pleased. But I'm not, and he has. I think.

I wonder? Whe
n translated into French, is the spattering of French words that we have to endure in the English version translated into English?
I do hope so? It's annoying. And I hope it's as annoying for them as it is for me(well, I've suffered, why should the next reader : )) I expected a small amount of alien words to be littered amid the pages, but there is more than a small amount. There are loads. I hated French at school. I never paid attention. Perhaps I should have done? But how was I to know that 15 years down the line, the weekly lesson hosted by some hoary hectoring old French biddy, that who by rights should have been put out to pasture long before she took over my class, was going to come in handy? I didn't. Therefore, the constant input of French is annoying. It p****s me right orf!!
And I just know that you are all sitting there thinking to yourselves, ?Well, what the hell did she expect, it's a bloody set in France?? I know, I know, but if I was wanting a French translation book, I'd read one!!

I must admit, I went from chapter to chapter expecting something to happen. Something interesting. Something out of the ordinary. Something to pep this puppy up (Thanx Joey!) abit.
The months rolled by, and the thick half of the book gradually changed sides and .... nothing. No exciting bits. Nothing to make you sit up and get more comfortable in preparation for some serious reading. Noooooo none of that. Nada. Zilch. Where were the exciting bits? Oh where were they?

Out of 207 pages of which were supposedly filled with 'bitingly funny' (Sunday Times) 'witty' (Sunday Times again) and 'engaging and witty' (The New York Times Book Review) dialogue, this next little extract was the funniest I could find. And believe me, I use the term 'funny' very, very loosely.

"Massot was in a lyrical mood. He had just left his house to go into the forest and kill something
when I met him on the hill overlooking a long stretch of vineyards. With his gun under his arm and one of his yellow cigarettes screwed into the corner of his mouth, he stood contemplating the valley.
"Look at those vines," he said. "Nature is wearing her prettiest clothes."
The effect of this unexpectedly poetic observation was slightly spoiled when Massot cleared his throat noisily and spat ......."

As I said, not particularily funny, but it was the best I could come up with. Sorry.

Another thing that I was kinda looking out for, apart from the humour that is, although I only started my hunt half way through the book. It took me the first half to twig, that we haven't actually heard either Peter or his wife's name mentioned in the book. Strange I thought?

Funny thing this. Taking into consideration, the lack of excitement and the limitless 'Linguphone' entries of which really bugged me, I still enjoyed it!! I know, I can't believe it either. I did. I'm not lying. I really did like this book.

Looking back, I'm trying to think just what it is that this book has that I enjoyed so much? After all, I know what it didn't have, and why I shouldn't like it, but why did I like it?

Errrr, maybe because of the easiness of it all. And it was easy. The reading of it, and the slipping into French life. Ok, so I only actually did the slipping into the French life thing through my eyes and imagination but still, the read was so easy, the slipping in bit came naturally. And anyway, for me, a good book means losing myself in the plot, mingling with the characters!

It could have been that I wasn't looking for any excitement? I mean, I had just finished a Koontz book, maybe I'd had my fill of the excitement factor? Maybe I was happy enough to plod along in the world of mediocrity. In a world where there is neither excitement nor boredom?

Was the fact that I started the book without any expectations a reason? Maybe? After all, expect nothing ..... no disappointment when you nothing is delivered.

Would you like it? I dunno that either? OK, so I'm having a 'thick thirty minutes' and don't know a lot at the moment, but it's true. I don't know. I guess if you aren't looking for a hard read, yeah, you'll like it? If you are looking for some added tuition for your upcoming French exam, yeah, you'll like it. If you are thinking of doing the whole moving over there thing and want to get some sort of idea what to expect, yeah, you'll like it.
If you just like travel-come-autobiography novels, then, you will like it.
Other than those that fall into the categories above, I'm really not sure who else will be interested in this book? Sorry. But I'm just too gobsmacked at the fact that I liked this to even consider why, and who just might like this novel also.

There is no price on my copy, but if you are interested in buying this I suggest you head off to 'Book People On-Line' cos at the moment they have 3 Peter Mayle books for a mere £4.99, one of which is this one!! In fact, I'm probably gonna be heading off there myself, I mean, £4.99 for three books (well, two in my case considering I've already got this one) is brilliant, yeah?
If you don't want three books for the price of one (and yes, there are some of you out there that won't ..... it amazes me that there is but still, there are!!) head on off to Amazon, or any other good on-line bookshop, you'll find this there. After all, it is a best seller.


Publisher: Penquin
Price: £5.99 but can be bought cheaper
Pages 207
ISBN 0 140 29488 0

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