French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew

Overview

Peter Mayle, francophile phenomenon and author of A Year in Provence, brings another delightful (and delicious) account of the good life, this time exploring the gustatory pleasures to be found throughout France. The French celebrate food and drink more than any other people, and Mayle shows us just how contagious their enthusiasm can be. We visit the Foire aux Escargots. We attend a truly French marathon, where the beverage of choice is Chteau Lafite-Rothschild rather than Gatorade. We search out the most pungent cheese in France, and eavesdrop on a heated debate on the perfect way to prepare an omelet. We even attend a Catholic mass in the village of Richerenches, a sacred event at which thanks are given for the aromatic, mysterious, and breathtakingly expensive black truffle. With Mayle as our inimitably charming guide, we come away with a satisfied smile (if a little hungry) and the compelling desire to book a flight to France at once. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

In this latest book, part travelogue, part guide to cuisine, Mayle leaves his beloved Provence behind and sets out to experience gastronomic pleasures available at food festivals and celebrations throughout France. The always curious and friendly Mayle befriends colorful locals at such events as a frog's-leg festival in Vitel, where "thigh tasting" is regarded as a reverent act. The best advice when eating escargots, he finds, is that one should eat them "through the nose, not through the eyes." By far the most fascinating and bizarre event is a Catholic mass in the village of Richerenches whose main purpose is giving thanks for the adored, rare and costly black truffle. Mayle's wry, colorful and playful prose effectively conveys just how seriously the French take their food. Simon Jones, who also gave a wonderful reading of Mayle's A Dog's Life, is a highly entertaining performer with a voice and energy reminiscent of John Cleese. Paired with Mayle's witty and unpretentious style, his reading makes listening to this book delicious and satisfying. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover. (May 8) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information. -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.

Author Information

Bio of Peter Mayle

Peter Mayle was born in 1939 in England. He began his career in advertising as a copywriter and rose to the executive ranks, but left advertising in 1975. A prolific writer and journalist, Mayle became famous in 1990 with his best selling book "A Year in Provence," which chronicles his adventures buying and restoring an old farmhouse in the south of France. The novel was awarded the British Book Awards' Best Travel Book of the Year. Mayle published a successful sequel in 1991, "Toujours Provence." Mayle's descriptions of his adventures in France are exuberant and entertaining. He writes with affection and humor about his experiences with workmen and the lengthy, oft-delayed renovation of the farmhouse. He describes meals, wines, markets, scenery, and people in lavish detail. His books, in fact, have led to an increase in the popularity of the little village of Menerbes, and it has become a popular tourist site. Buying and renovating a house in Southern France has become almost a fad, one Mayle notes with some chagrin in "Toujours Provence." Mayle has written two more bestsellers, "Acquired Tastes: A Beginner's Guide to Serious Pleasure" (1992) and "Hotel Pastis" (1993) a novel set in Provence. Prior to writing about his home in France, Mayle had written a number works, many for young adults, on themes of sexuality, divorce, and birth control. He contributed to the London Sunday Times, the Financial Times, Gentleman's Quarterly, and Esquire, among others. His work has been translated into seventeen languages. Since "Hotel Pastis," he has written three other novels, but none as successful. In 1995, tired of the constant stream of tourists and problems with the French government over taxes, Mayle quietly put his farmhouse in France up for sale and moved to the Hamptons.

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Additional Info

Imprint

Knopf Group

Filesize

933.40 KB

Number of Pages

240

eBook ISBN

9781400077724

Awards

• Listen Up Awards