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Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy Paperback – September 2, 1997

by Frances Mayes (Author)

744 customer reviews

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20th Anniversary Edition with a New Afterword

Twenty years ago, Frances Mayes--widely published poet, gourmet cook, and travel writer--introduced readers to a wondrous new world when she bought and restored an abandoned villa called Bramasole in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. Under the Tuscan inspired generations to embark on their own journeys--whether that be flying to a foreign country in search of themselves, savoring one of the book's dozens of delicious seasonal recipes, or simply being transported by Mayes's signature evocative, sensory language. Now, with a new afterword from the Bard of Tuscany herself, the 20th anniversary edition of Under the Tuscan Sun brings us up-to-date with the book's most beloved characters.

Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com 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 color, 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. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Mayes's favorite guide to Northern Italy allots seven pages to the town of Cortona, where she owns a house. But here she finds considerably more to say about it than that, all of it so enchanting that an armchair traveler will find it hard to resist jumping out of the chair and following in her footsteps. The recently divorced author is euphoric about the old house in the Tuscan hills that she and her new lover renovated and now live in during summer vacations and on holidays. A poet, food-and-travel writer, Italophile and chair of the creative writing department at San Francisco State University, Mayes is a fine wordsmith and an exemplary companion whose delight in a brick floor she has just waxed is as contagious as her pleasure in the landscape, architecture and life of the village. Not the least of the charms of her book are the recipes for delicious meals she has made. Above all, her observations about being at home in two very different cultures are sharp and wise.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Broadway Books; Reprint edition (September 2, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0767900383
ISBN-13: 978-0767900386
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (744 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #27 in Books > History > Europe > Italy
- #60 in Books > Travel > Europe > Italy > General
- #71 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Travel

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Customer Reviews

744

3.8 out of 5 stars

5 star		37%
4 star		22%
3 star		14%
2 star		13%
1 star		14%

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Top Customer Reviews

Richly written - a great escape

ByA customeron September 3, 1999

Format: Paperback

As someone who is used to taking frequent Mediterranean vacations but was marooned stateside this past summer, I thanked my lucky stars for happening upon this book. It was just the escape I needed. As I got deeper into it, I felt myself becoming more and more enamored with Tuscany, Bramasole and its cast of characters. Mayes hits her stride with rich, textured detail of her environment after the first 50 pages or so. Before that, she gets a little too bogged down in renovation process. I really felt that I was there, right down to hearing the crickets singing in the hot summer sun. Unlike so many others who reviewed this book, I was not offended at all by her descriptions of the Tuscan locals or the lifestyle. She was very complimentary and respectful of everyone she wrote about. One thing that could have been left out - the references to Mayes childhood that screamed "I'm wealthy!" The recipe chapters were an added bonus and inspired me to get cooking. Try the mushroom lasagna with bechamel sauce in the later food chapter - it's divine. The bottom line - if you're looking for a wry, humorous account of life as an expatriate, a la Peter Mayle, this book won't do it for you. But if you want to immerse yourself in a richly written tribute to the rolling hills of a gorgeous, faraway land, Tuscan Sun is not to be missed.

0Comment 87 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Take the book for what it is, and it will return much more.

ByA customeron September 24, 1999

Format: Paperback

Although this book has appeal for a very broad audience (thus its success), she's not writing for anyone -- or any particular genre. If you are looking for a practical travel guide, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a renovation guide, ditto. If you are looking for a story about her love for Ed, you won't get it. If you want it as a cookbook, you will be bored by everything else.
However, if you pick up the book as none of those things above, simply as one woman's collection of memories -- a portrait of her summers with a focus on the land and its pleasures -- you will be enraptured. You will not regret this book if you expect it to be full of little gems of information. Instead of tedious details, look at her close description of everything she does as poetry. Immerse yourself in her unique and rich language, and the book will warm your soul.

0Comment 61 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A lovely book

ByValueMaryon January 1, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I bought this book on Kindle because I loved the movie. I was surprised and initially disappointed when I realized it wasn't the same story line as the movie. Then, I fell in love with the writer's beautiful use of words, descriptions and love of the land. I could imagine myself living in this country. I also loved the chapters with recipes. I ended up buying this copy of the book to send to a friend that loves the land the way this author does. 5 stars!

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Don't Bother...

ByJames Holtjeon July 30, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Very disappointing. I'm not Italian, but I do speak the language and have been to Italy many times. Mayes can't seem to make up her mind what this book should be. I was expecting erudite and insightful observations about life in Tuscany, instead what the reader gets are: excruciating details about renovations and endless lists of things she's buying (strike one); constant and unnecessary reminders of her past and how she comes from a privileged upbringing (strike two); wooden characters that aren't developed and come off more as props than actual people (strike three). Let me say it in Italian: "Mi dispiace, ma questo libro é noiosissimo..." Boring. Don't bother.

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This makes me want to live in Italy

ByAmazon Customeron March 19, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Having visited Italy recently, helps to visualize some of the descriptions portrayed by the author. The countryside and the Italian way of life brings you back to the place of your youth, and that simpler way of life. The genuine spirit of the people grabs hold and encourages your participation. I can honestly say I am envious of this life style, and perhaps in my next life time I will be fortunate to spend my years in such a surrounding. Included in the author's story, were some of many recipes she prepared while there.

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Not like the movie except for elements

ByCraig Valentineon March 20, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Not like the movie except for elements. I liked it well enough. I'd have liked it better if I was a cook but I'm not. In many ways the movie was better as it had a more determinable plot. This is probably the first book I ever read where I could say I liked the movie better.

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Shallow and Pretentious

ByA customeron July 3, 1999

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is a horrid book, badly written, poorly edited, and tedious to read. There are endless descriptions of the things she buys, the food she eats, her boyfriend Ed's muscles, and the hardship she endures having to schlep back to her bayside house in boring old San Francisco. We only get Italy filtered through the self-absorbed eyes of Ms. Mayes, a thing she herself complains about of D.H. Lawrence: "I forgive him now and then when he totally disappears from the text and just writes what he sees." Hmmmm.
Particularly offensive were her observations about Roman Catholic saints: "Oh, here is where they put their awe", and "here is where they put there memories and wants" as if she is some 19th century anthropologist speaking of a primitive culture far beneath herself. What arrogance. Well, Ms.Mayes, I know where to put this book - in the recycling bin, in the hope that it will be reborn as blank paper in the typewriter of a real writer.

0Comment 15 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Not the movie, but better in many ways

ByKerry L Phillipson July 29, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Interesting read. As someone who has spent significant time in Cortona, I understand her love of the town, and have met a number of the characters in her story. If you are looking to read the screenplay, this is not it. The stories have similarities, but are not at all the same. The book is actually more interesting, because it is a true story.

The travelogue that occupies most of the second half of the book is not as interesting (to me) as the story of the purchase and remodeling of the home, but it is well written and to some might be a basis of some interesting day trips in Tuscany.

I am interested to try some of her recipes. The simplicity of Tuscan cooking is something that I have found fascinating.

11 comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Poor little rich girl

I've been to Italy many times. LOVE the food. LOVE the scenery. LOVE the ambiance. So naturally I was excited to read the book and immerse myself into this beautiful country,...Read more

Published 3 hours ago by Mya LouLou

Five Stars

Loved it

Published 22 hours ago by JoAnn Berryman

Let's Head to Bramasole

Over the Christmas break, I read the updated 20th Anniversary edition of Under the Tuscan Sun. Is it possible that it has been twenty years since this book came out?Read more

Published 1 month ago by Stephanie Cherry

Living in Italy as it is

Great story, read it years ago in language class.
In the meantime I moved to Italy myself and wrote my own book with stories about life in Italy:...Read more

Published 1 month ago by Stef Smulders

Sensuous, delicious, nearly edible memoir of a foreigner’s efforts to authentically fit in to life in a small Tuscan town

What I Liked

The writing. I didn’t know that Frances Mayes was a poet but it’s a reality that rings through in every line of Under The Tuscan Sun.Read more

Published 2 months ago by Novels And Nonfiction

Three Stars

Have not finished. Much too long

Published 2 months ago by Mary L Taylor

Totally Different From Movie

I loved the movie based on this book and never get tired of watching it. When I found the book I was excited to read it but when I did, I noticed that the book is nothing like...Read more

Published 2 months ago by Tish

Classic favorite

What can I say about Frances Mayes' classic cult favorite, Under The Tuscan Sun? Broadway Books have just released a special 20th anniversary edition of this #1 New York Times...Read more

Published 3 months ago by Denise McFarland

Good Read!

Title: Under the Tuscan Sun
Author: Frances Mayes
Publisher: Trade Paperback
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
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"Under The...Read more

Published 3 months ago by Arlena

A Delicious Rambling Tale of a Sweet Life in Italy

If you're in the mood for a lovely and rambling tale of travel, cooking, Italian countryside, and love - this book is for you. Oh, to have her life...Read more

Published 4 months ago by Linda

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