- Paperback: 1 pages
- Publisher: Little Brown; New title edition (Mar 4 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0316725439
- ISBN-13: 978-0316725439
- Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 12.8 x 1.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 259 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Mayle's breezy, uncomplicated fifth novel (Chasing Cezanne, etc.) and ninth book follows 30-something Max Skinner from a sabotaged financial career in London to his adoption of the Provençal lifestyle on an inherited vineyard in France. Max spent holidays at his Uncle Henry's vineyard as a child, so when he inherits the place, the prospect of returning is tempting; a generous "bridging loan" from ex-brother-in-law Charlie seals the deal. The estate, Le Griffon, is in a dire state of disrepair and the wine cellar is filled with bottles of a dreadful-tasting swill, but it's nothing that vineyard caretaker Claude Roussel and prim housekeeper Madame Passepartout can't resolve. Max settles into his new life easily thanks to the attentions of local notary Nathalie Auzet and busty cafe owner Fanny. The arrival of young Californian "wine brat" Christie Roberts, Uncle Henry's long-lost daughter, complicates matters for Max, but her surprise offer and Charlie's arrival lessen the impact of a vicious vineyard scandal involving a delicious, high-priced, discreetly produced wine called Le Coin Perdu. Mayle's simple story provides lighthearted if unadventurous reading and a fond endorsement of the pleasures of viniculture.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Uber-expatriate Mayle once again flings the doors wide open upon the sunny landscape and not-always-as-provincial-as-they-seem denizens of Provence in another of his wise, witty, and sophisticated novels that many equally sophisticated readers have developed quite an appetite for. In the simplest of terms, this one is about the wine trade. Max Skinner is a young player in the London financial world who hasn't been performing up to snuff on the job lately; one day he finds himself demoted and left with no option but to resign from the firm. As fate would have it--the hand of God, in other words--Max simultaneously receives a letter informing him that his recently deceased and much-loved uncle has willed his estate and vineyard in Provence to Max. With money borrowed from his former brother-in-law, Max relocates there, and his true adventures begin; he thought his life had collapsed into an absolute mess, but instead, he has been awarded a challenging and moral-fiber-strengthening new focus and outlet. Yes, indeed, complications arise--namely, what duplicity are the caretaker and the local femme-fatale lawyer practicing on Max? The entertaining threads in this absolutely embracing novel are woven into a vibrant design. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Mayle Triumph,
By Douglas P. Murphy "Author, The Griffon Trilog... (Charlottesville) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)
This review is from: A Good Year (Paperback)
This book certainly follows the pattern of a year in Provence with an up-close and in-depth look at the rural culture of a town in provence. The book, however, starts off in London where the life of the hero, Max has just fallen apart. His friend, Charlie, helps him travel to the warmer, more exotic environs of southern Provence where the weather is warmer and the people somewhat strange and mysterious. He takes up residence in the house of his uncle which sits on a vineyard that produces a wine of horrific qualities. The story takes off from there into a tangled but fascinating whirlwind of romance, crime, boutique wineries, local culinary customs and some rather unique, local personalities. Mayle peppers the story with witticisms that add extra life to the story...a good read.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Vintage Peter Mayle? Non!,
By Provencal "stremy" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Good Year (Hardcover)
For the most part, Peter Mayle's books have distinguished themselves because of their apt and charming descriptions of the cultural idiosyncrasies of small-town Provence. Mayle's primary and secondary characters were full-bodied -- people whom could easily visualize and with whom you could empathize. The Provencal countryside and markets were alive and stimulated your palate.In comparison with his earlier works, Mayle's latest endeavor falls flat! The characterizations are shallow, the plot simplistic, and the spirit of the Luberon is not much in evidence. In "A Year in Provence" and "Toujours Provence" you could feel the physical impact of the Mistral's battering winds. While breezy, "A Great Year" has none of the full-fledged richness of his earlier works.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Peter Mayles books,
This review is from: A Good Year (Paperback)
I read Peter Mayle's book "A Vintage Caper", and liked it so much I wanted to read all of his books starting with "A Year in Provence". I am on the second book now "Toujours Provence", and loving it. I have all his books now thanks to Amazon.com
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