A Year in Provence

Author: (English) Peter Mayle
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: In Peter Mayle's words, Provence is not just a geographical term but also a symbol of a lifestyle. Urban dwellers who have lived for years amidst crowds, busyness, noise, competition, and pressure have enjoyed many material comforts but have inadvertently lost their health and peaceful lives. Despite wealth and status, they lack the bright, clear sunshine above their heads and the freedom to live as they please in their hearts. Even when they travel with "time and money," they are likely to rush in and out, unable to relax. Peter Mayle's books are written for this seemingly fulfilled yet actually stressed urban group. They don't teach them how to cope but rather how to escape happily. A Year in Provence recounts the life of Peter Mayle and his wife, who worked as senior executives in a major international advertising company, as they lived in Provence for years. They lived in a remote village, working hard to repair the old house they finally bought, which had stood for two centuries. From January, when the northwest wind roared down the Rh?ne Valley and cracked their pipes, they began interacting with local plasterers and plumbers. Month after month, they grew tired of the craftsmen's delays. The various solutions they devised had us laughing out loud. Over the year, they made friends with the wild boar hunters, truffle gatherers, and other villagers, learning the secrets of goat racing and how to avoid the pursuit of snakes. They also grew increasingly distant from the tourists who disturbed their peaceful lives. Since its inception, Provence (Provence) has carefully guarded its secrets until the arrival of the Englishman Peter Mayle, when the long-standing veil of Provence's unique life began to be lifted. Years ago, as a senior executive at an advertising company on Madison Avenue, Peter Mayle grew tired of the hustle and bustle of the office and the superficiality of London. He left with his wife and beloved dog, bidding farewell to the foggy, long, and gray city and retreating to the sunny and blue-skied Provence in southern France. There, Mayle purchased an old house, studied French, said goodbye to everything in the past, and lived a leisurely life, beginning his writing career. A Year in Provence, Always Provence, Back to Provence, every book he wrote about Provence stayed at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Time magazine praised him, saying, "Peter Mayle's vivid and realistic descriptions make you taste the exquisite food and wine while reading, and feel the sunshine and breeze." In Peter Mayle's words, Provence is not just a geographical term but also a symbol of a lifestyle. Urban dwellers who have lived for years amidst crowds, busyness, noise, competition, and pressure have enjoyed many material comforts but have inadvertently lost their health and peaceful lives. Despite wealth and status, they lack the bright, clear sunshine above their heads and the freedom to live as they please in their hearts. Even when they travel with "time and money," they are likely to rush in and out, unable to relax. Peter Mayle's books are written for this seemingly fulfilled yet actually stressed urban group. They don't teach them how to cope but rather how to escape happily. A Year in Provence recounts the life of Peter Mayle and his wife, who worked as senior executives in a major international advertising company, as they lived in Provence for years. They lived in a remote village, working hard to repair the old house they finally bought, which had stood for two centuries. From January, when the northwest wind roared down the Rh?ne Valley and cracked their pipes, they began interacting with local plasterers and plumbers. Month after month, they grew tired of the craftsmen's delays. The various solutions they devised had us laughing out loud. Over the year, they made friends with the wild boar hunters, truffle gatherers, and other villagers, learning the secrets of goat racing and how to avoid the pursuit of snakes. They also grew increasingly distant from the tourists who disturbed their peaceful lives.