Meh. I really enjoyed the memoirs that Mayle has written about restoring an old French farmhouse and discovering life in the south of France. But his novels and mysteries really drain a lot of the charm out of his writing. He skims over the amenities, barely mentioning the pleasures of the food or the landscape. Much of what remains comes across as culinary name dropping, just listing the vintages of the wines the narrator enjoys. I've heard that one of my other favorite food writers is turning from memoir to fiction later this year. Ruth Reichl's next book is going to be a novel, and I'm looking forward to seeing how she negotiates this transition. Che delusione!!!Dopo piccoli capolavori come Un anno in Provenza e Un'ottima annata mi aspettavo molto di più da questo libro, invece è un'accozzaglia di luoghi comuni e sparate "alla francese" su cibo e vino.In più la storia non è solo surreale, ma direi più che altro assurda e poco credibile. Il protagonista è un ex piccolo truffatore supponente e annegato di soldi che non fa che ostentare in giro per hotel e ristoranti. Davvero fastidioso. Una pessima lettura.
entertaining but not up to Mayle's standards. it does make me wish to hop on a plane..
—Katie
nice & easy summer read, but overall extremely unbelievable and naive
—findingnerno
Amusing but predictable! If you like wine this is fun.
—Nebojsa
A delightful amuse bouche of a book.
—Amanda32219
