Customer Reviews

French Lessons: Adventures With Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew

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It's an assignment that would make even the most jaded writer pick up his pen: Travel around France and report back about the oddest, most unusual ways that it celebrates its cuisine. Frog legs, snails, truffles, poultry, and, of course, its wine. Sheer heaven!

Peter Mayle accepted the challenge and here's the perfect book for curling up on the porch alongside a glass of cool refreshment. "French Lessons" charts a year in Mayle's life as he travels across France, describing with a combination of droll wit and wine-soaked facts (many times, he couldn't read his notes the day after some festival) how a country blessed with not only a variety of climates and cuisines, but also a people willing to spend large amounts of money on their enjoyment thereof.

I am a longtime fan of Mayle's writing, back when he was writing about pastis and other subjects for "European Travel & Life" magazine, but I hope not an uncritical one. I was disappointed in his account of his return to France in "Encore Provence," and "Hotel Pastis" did not engage me at all. Sometimes, I wonder if, with skills learned in the advertising trade, where he was an executive, he doesn't succeed in giving the French a gloss it doesn't otherwise deserve. Certainly, when discussing chickens from Bresse, the only poultry to have its own label (called appellation contrôlée), he touches only in passing, how most chickens we eat are raised (if we may call it that) in horrible conditions. Not for nothing is it called factory farming.

But "French Lessons" went down like a lightly garlic-flavored escargot. This is a book which celebrates eating and drinking well, and is a balm to the soul as well as incentive for the appetite. Needless to say, it should only be taken in short dollops, after a good meal.

Not everything has to do with cooking. There's the Le Club 55, a restaurant in Saint-Tropez where the Beautiful and mostly undressed people meet to eat and be seen, where an expert on plastic surgery was able to tell which surgeon worked on which lift ("Cosmetic surgery has its Diors and Chanels, and when looking at a suspiciously taut and chiseled jawline or an artfully hoisted bust, the informed eye can identify who did what.")

Then there's the Marathon du Médoc, where, amid the serious runners, jog several thousand more in fancy dress amid the châteux of Bordeaux, where wine is offered at the refreshment stations, and the winner earns his weight in wine. Rounding out the book is celebration of frog's legs on the last Sunday in April in Vittel, where 30,000 people will eat five tons of the stuff. If you want to know what they taste like, Peter will inform you down to the last bite of the marrow.

And if you wish to attend these fetes, addresses and other notes are listed at the back of the book.

"French Lessons" represents a return to form for Mayle. So long as he is willing to go out and hunt up new stories to tell, he'll remain an entertaining and informative writer.

Last year I was lucky enough to take a month long holiday in the south of France. Naturally, "French Lessons" is one of the books I chose to take with me.

"French Lessons" is vintage Peter Mayle. While I enjoy Mayle's fiction as a light and fun change of pace, I really think he is at the top of his form when writing non-fiction. "French Lessons," like the classic, "A Year in Provence," is simply charming. There is just no other way to describe it. The book charms and beguiles you; you lose yourself in it and time just flies. No one seems better able to describe the "real" France than Peter Mayle. And it shows. Most definitely.

Just as with Mayle's previous non-fiction books, I found I could relate to just about everything he wrote in "French Lessons." I had had similar experiences in Provence, in Paris, in the Loire, in Burgundy. One can learn about more than food in this book; Mayle also details the social customs of the areas and the idiosyncrasies of the people. I learned there are people who attend Mass to give thanks for the truffle, a festival where snails are eaten by the dozen and washed down with Gewurztraminer, and an actual "cheese hall of fame" in the town of Livarot. The person honored with the award from this particular hall of fame is expected to eat as much livarot cheese as possible. In another such festival, frogs' legs are the celebrated foodstuff. The annual celebration of the bleu footed poulet in Bourg-en-Bresse and the Marathon du Medoc made for especially hilarious reading.

Mayle takes us from region to region and from town to town...all in the name of great food. We visit festivals, restaurants, chateaux and so many town squares, I lost count. Mayle's descriptions of the festivals and his historical notes are particularly interesting, especially to anyone who is planning to visit France. After reading this book, he or she will surely come away knowing what is, and what isn't, authentic French food.

Throughout this book, Mayle writes in his characteristically charming, witty and urbane manner. His is a style that suits the subject matter of this book perfectly.

I do think that those readers who have actually traveled to the south of France at least once, will find more to love in this book than those readers who are unfamiliar with the area. But familiar or not, Mayle and this book will certainly charm. "French Lessons" is a witty, and sometimes hilarious book that is guaranteed to ensure an enjoyable afternoon in the sun.

This is another wonderful book by Mr. Mayle. It is interesting, informative and very funny. I think some critics give Mr. Mayle the short end of the stick, as it is sometimes felt that his books are just "fluff". What's wrong with being entertaining, though? And if anyone bothers to take a careful look, Mr. Mayle is a very, very good writer. His sentences are polished gems, and I would put him right up there with the best novelists in terms of sheer writing ability.

If you like France and you like food, you will like this book. Mr. Mayle travels around going to various festivals that celebrate the eating of snails, or frogs legs, or cheese, etc. There are a couple of absolutely hilarious chapers, one dealing with the "beautiful people" being undressed for lunch in a seaside restaurant in St. Tropez, and the other dealing with going to a health spa, French style. (You have the choice between eating off of the low calorie menu or the gourmet menu. Caloric content is not given on the gourmet menu. After all, this is France!)

Scoop this book up as quickly as you can and enjoy every bite. Bon Appetit!

I have read every Mayle book and thus eagerly bought French Lessons with the hope that the downward trend of Mayle's efforts would be turned around. It was not, and it is getting worse. Mayle has been coasting on the extraordinary A Year in Provence for many years. He seems to have lost a good deal of his wit and cleverness in French Lessons. One gets the impression that he was pressed for another volume (which would certainly be a best seller irrespective of its merits due to Mayle's prior successes), had neither inspiration nor energy to maintain his prior efforts, and figured he might as well arrange for and then write about a few potentially enjoyable--and tax-deductible--excursions in France. He may have had fun, but the reader really doesn't receive his or her proper share of it. For a much better book of this genre, try Pasquale's Nose, Extra Virgin, or Driving Over Lemons.

Since "A Year in Provence" is such a charming memoir I was prompted to read Mayle's subsequent works in the now Provence series. However, while amusing, the latter works pale in comparison with the jewel like quality of the original. Though entertaining "Tourjours Provence" was a disappointing "sequel." Last year after reading "Encore Provence" I felt that Mayle had squeezed out all the juice he could get from the "Provencial" rind. So, with trepidation and low expectations I bought "French Lessons" and was pleasantly surprised.

While not nearly as clever or heart warming as his initial work, "French Lessons" is fun, entertaining, and will heighten your appetite. It is an ideal work for the Francophile, or simply the reader who wishes to travel vicariously to France. It is a perfect summer beach, or long plane ride book.

French Lessons may sound like something that should come with a syllabus, but it is in fact the latest witty look at French culture from British advertising executive turned writer, Peter Mayle. Page after delicious page, this book is pure enjoyment!

Even if you haven't read Mayle's other wonderful books (which I highly recommend), this is a great read for anyone who loves French food, French wine and has a good-natured sense of humor about the people who both produce and consume it. It's like a trip to France without the inconvenience of transatlantic travel. If you're a Francophile like I am, you'll be laughing hysterically and pulling out your passport at the same time!

If you are planning a trip to France, get the book as reference material, and a great way to get excited about your trip. On our honeymoon, my husband and I used Mayle's books as a guide to Provence and had a great time on our pilgrimage. If you are going to Paris and not the countryside however, I recommend reading "Paris to the Moon" by Adam Gopnik. Mayle is in love with the real French, not the Parisians (and if you've ever traveled both places you know exactly what I mean) so he spends his time in Burgundy, Provence and other countryside areas.

One warning to the serious reader though, you'll be done in a couple of hours with this book. You'll fully enjoy those hours, but it is very much a quick read. I think of books like French Lessons as a vacation for the brain. It's great fun and not much thinking. So give that big brain a rest and pull up a fork for what I consider one of the best books about life in France published to date.

I have read and enjoyed most of Mr. Mayle's books on Provence and was eager to read this one, especially since I was traveling to Provence the following week.

Yes, at times the stories (a different event per chapter) may seem a bit "too cute", but in my limited experience from two trips to France, he is right on the money. The French have such a passion for food that it spills over into all parts of their lives. Food (and of course drink) is always a celebration - whether it's a simple lunch at a roadside cafe or a 5-course meal.

The final chapter is about the Guide Michelin and his visit to the restaurant at the Hotel D'Europe in Arles - which has been rated for more than a hundred years now. Days after reading this chapter, my wife and I were dining there. One of the best meals of our lives.

Read the book, laugh, shake your head and then plan a trip to France!

"French Lessons" is not Mayle's best book, but it is not one to be passed up, either. I recommend "A Year in Provence" and "Tojour Provence" for a better flavor of Mayle's love affair with France. For the art and fiction aficionado, "Chasing Cezanne" is quite a hoot. Peter Mayle has turned me into a Francophile with his wonderful books about everyday life in Provence. Mayle describes the French as wonderfully expressive people who are eager to share their knowledge and passion about food and everything else that may come up in conversation. I have a feeling that Mr. Mayle could find that positive reaction in people where ever he went in the world because his approach is curious, friendly, and whet with a tremendous appetite for life (as well as for alcohol, cheese, bread, etc.) Mr. Mayle gives me motivation to conquer my reclusive habits in order to better enjoy my stay in Provence some day on my way to Giverny.

Peter Mayle returns to France in his latest book, French Lessons, which focuses on French cuisine and culinary experiences. Here he travels from Provence to all corners of France, exploring small restaurants, village markets, food festivals and vineyards alike. Recommended for anyone with an interest in French culture and cuisine, French Lessons is a delightful armchair read of encounters with the French and their foods evolves.

First off, I hadn't read any reviews of this book when I picked it up in the store, but I had read a couple of Mayle's other books and been struck by the charm of both his writing and his subjects. Mayle has found a way to make a living out of everyone else's fantasy -- perhaps those who view him harshly were simply meant for colder climates... As for "French Lessons" itself, for god's sake, if you love food read it. As much of a francophile as I am, the French as a people take a backseat to the simple, overwhelming pleasures of their food. If anything, the culture emerges through the value it places on gustatory pleasures. I was hungry for 227 pages, and Mayle's obvious love for his subject changed my mind about a few "delicacies" that only the French seem to love by nature. (I never thought a description of frogs'legs would make me hungry...) Frogs, escargot, the chickens of Bresse, pungent cheese, and vast, vast quantities of wine. If you fantasize about chucking your computer, flipping off your boss, and running off to the French countryside to be a writer, this is your book.