- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Books (Transworld Publishers a division of the Random House Group); New edition edition (31 Jan 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 055381611X
- ISBN-13: 978-0553816112
- Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.7 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 397,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In this memoir of her buying, renovating and living in an abandoned villa in Tuscany, Frances Mayes reveals the sensual pleasure she found living in rural Italy and the generous spirit she brought with her. She revels in the sunlight and the colour, the long view of her valley, the warm homey architecture, the languor of the slow paced days, the vigor of working her garden and the intimacy of her dealings with the locals. Cooking, gardening, tiling and painting are never chores, but skills to be learned, arts to be practiced and above all to be enjoyed. At the same time Mayes brings a literary and intellectual mind to bear on the experience, adding depth to this account of her enticing rural idyll. --Amazon.com
--This text refers to an alternate
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Product Description
Frances Mayes - widely published poet, gourmet cook and travel writer - opens the door on a wondrous new world when she buys and restores an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. She finds faded frescoes beneath the whitewash in the dining room, a vineyard under wildly overgrown brambles - and even a wayward scorpion under her pillow. And from her traditional kitchen and simple garden she creates dozens of delicious seasonal recipes, all included in this book. In the vibrant local markets and neighbouring hill towns, the author explores the nuances of the Italian landscape, history and cuisine. Each adventure yields delightful surprises - the perfect panettone, an unforgettable wine, or painted Etruscan tombs. Doing for Tuscany what Peter Mayle did for Provence, Mayes writes about the tastes and pleasures of a foreign country with gusto and passion. A celebration of the extraordinary quality of life in Tuscany, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN is a feast for all the senses.
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First Sentence
I AM ABOUT TO BUY A HOUSE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
I AM ABOUT TO BUY A HOUSE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Escape with Frances Mayes,
By Kittycat (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Under The Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy (Paperback)
Frances Mayes, an American professor in her late 40's, buys a derelict house near the Tuscan village of Cortona. She is recently divorced, and having spent many happy holidays in Italy before, decides to take a big risk in buying this small estate with 5 acres of land that is half way across the world. This book is about "what happens next" as she and her partner Ed begin the long process of renovating an old house that has not been lived in for over 30 years.
Due to their teaching schedules, they are able to devote an entire summer every year, plus a Christmas break, to the renovations. In between removing eco-systems of spiders and scorpions, linseed oiling the cotto floors, cleaning windows, designing the new kitchen and bathrooms, clearing the terraces of weeds, they also make trips to other parts of Tuscany where Mayes describes the food, the architecture, the people, the landscape. As the renovations progress, you get to meet the local tradespeople, some of the villagers, as well as Mayes' guests who visit from America. I love this book and read it about once a year. Warning! By the end you will be longing to jump on the next plane to Italy, if only to find a good trattoria and sample some of the foods & recipes Mayes presents in her book. It is a quiet book, which may not appeal to those who saw the movie starring Diane Lane, but if you are looking to read something heartwarming on a cold winter's day, do read this one.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Start!,
This review is from: Under The Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy (Paperback)
I found this book quite funny at the beginning. As a foreigner living in Italy for these last 12 years I laughed out loud reading those everyday life incidents and lets call them diplomatic misunderstandings that different cultures bring with them.
I could just simply relive the bizarre situations that the authors describes and in a way feeling a bit relieved I wasn't the only one having problems. Somewhere in between the book became a bit boring and I had to plod my way through the pages. The author seems to love a lot Italian cuisine because she's always describing what she's eating in the various restaurants she's been at, in different places in Italy, especially Tuscany.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rustic Tuscany.,
By
This review is from: Under The Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy (Paperback)
My goodness - she does eat a lot! And she does go on a bit too long about the Etruscans in the middle of the book ... and (as others have commented) she is a little 'wordy'. But apart from that, she certainly conjures up the lifestyle, the countryside & the FEEL of Italy - sorry, the feel of TUSCANY - quite unlike other parts of Italy. At times I could almost smell the air filled with the scent of hay, peaches & herbs. We have relatives there with friends who renovated an old house - she could have been describing their place, on the same hillside! If you haven't been to Tuscany, this will make you wish to be there ... ***
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