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75th out of 804 books
—
656 voters
Bella Tuscany
In this follow-up to her bestselling account of her love affair with Tuscany, Mayes carries forward the concerns and people of Under the Tuscan Sun, while exploring new themes: gardening, travel throughout Italy, deepening friendships with Italians, and primavera, a new season. Interweaving sections on language, art, food, and wine with her journeys in Italy, this audio ca...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
April 4th 2000
by Broadway
(first published April 6th 1999)
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Jun 18, 2007
Heidi
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who's wrapped up in the Tuscan craze
Shelves:
nonfiction-memoir
I loved Under the Tuscan Sun but was greatly disappointed by this follow-up. While the first book was beautifully crafted and each word seemed to be carefully chosen, this book seemed slapped together with little care. It's as though her editor said, "Hey, your first book is a hit! Give us more of that Tuscany stuff!" To which she promptly obliged, with this book and cookbooks and journals and a bad movie.
Frances Mayes’ Bella Tuscany was, in my opinion, a gem of travel writing. Her work is flowing and brilliant, with amazing pictures painted in easy and unpretentious words. If I could, I would write just like this.
The book gives a beautiful, honest picture of real life in Tuscany, and after reading it I know that someone, somewhere, shares my love of Italy at a basic level.
Mayes’ writing is wonderful and easy to follow. The book even shares some great sounding recipes from both her time in Italy...more
The book gives a beautiful, honest picture of real life in Tuscany, and after reading it I know that someone, somewhere, shares my love of Italy at a basic level.
Mayes’ writing is wonderful and easy to follow. The book even shares some great sounding recipes from both her time in Italy...more
I enjoyed Under a Tuscan Sun, but this second story about one couple's life and experiences in Tuscany is even better. Makes me want to eat good food and drink good wine and slow down a bit.
Well, I did really like this book, maybe more than 3 stars, but not quite as much as "Under the Tuscan Sun". It's more about her life in Tuscany but kind of episodic, here's when we went hither and yon and what we found/ate there, and then here's how to make some authentic Tuscan food. Which is not as good when you're buying the ingredients from an American grocery store as if you can get them freshly-grown (even Farmer's Market food makes a noticeable difference!). Anyway, I like the recipes, a...more
If you want to be transported and transformed this summer, read this book. Frances Mayes lulls you into the restorative cycle of Italian life. Perched in her idyllic villa, she journals sparsely with a writer’s mind and a food-lover’s heart. She effortlessly recreates the tastes, sights, sounds, and characters of Tuscany in this follow up to her successful novel-turned-film, “Under the Tuscan Sun.” Frances and her husband are restoring an ancient farmhouse in the countryside, and throw themselve...more
I heard Under The Tuscan Sun read on XM's BookRadio a few years ago, and enjoyed it, So I was inspired me to pick up this title when I spotted it among the piles of books my mother rescued from her job. I enjoyed the chapters focused on her observations of individual Italians she meets, and her sojourns to various local markets. I appreciated the recipes liberally sprinkled throughout, and found myself buying fennel this week at Trader Joe's, even though I really haven't the foggiest idea what t...more
Add two extra stars in you are sitting in Tuscany reading the book. I had the pleasure to encounter this book while staying in the medieval castle hilltop town of Vellano. I had previously avoided reading or seeing the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, thinking it was simple chick flick/lit territory, but I was impressed with Mayes writing style. She has a wonderful way of capturing the essence of a place in a few well-phrased sentences. I am in love with Italy now, and reading her book was like talki...more
Before picking up this book, I never realized that Under the Tuscan Sun was a non-fiction book, rather than a novel. Bella Tuscany is the author's follow-up to that book. Even though I never read the first one, I had no trouble in picking up this one; I never felt as though I missed out on anything.
Quite simply, Bella Tuscany is about Frances Mayes's life in her summer home in Italy. It is full of descriptions of her and her partner's home renovations, their travels around the Italian countrysid...more
Quite simply, Bella Tuscany is about Frances Mayes's life in her summer home in Italy. It is full of descriptions of her and her partner's home renovations, their travels around the Italian countrysid...more
Ennchanting though Italy may be, it's hard to keep caring about the endless details of exactly what the author ate or what broke in the house or was planted in the garden. This book is often alleged to be a "meditation," which seems to be a polite term for "has no plot or real character development," and no amount of description of a sun-soaked landscape or excellent red wine seems able to overcome that.
After reading about a third of this book, I perused some of the Goodreads reviews and I was somewhat surprised by the comments that this book had no plot. Quite simply, it isn't that kind of a book. I enjoyed this book very much. It floats from place to place, thought to thought. The flow of the book evinces time in a garden, with seasons, blooms, harvests, and inevitable feasts. The comparisons to her previous book, Under the Tuscan Sun, might be somewhat misleading, as that book followed a mor...more
I absolutely disliked "Under the Tuscan Sun" in movie form. Even though the idea of buying a broken down house in Italy and fixing it up is my idea of fun, the movie just didn't cut it for me. Then, a friend told me "The book is NOTHING like the movie." So while on the beaches of Mexico, I devoured it in just a few days.
After living in Europe for 2 years, I found Bella Tuscany and couldn't put it down. Maybe it's the whole expat thing. Living abroad. Separate from family. Figuring out a differen...more
After living in Europe for 2 years, I found Bella Tuscany and couldn't put it down. Maybe it's the whole expat thing. Living abroad. Separate from family. Figuring out a differen...more
This is the author who wrote 'Under the Tuscan Sun' – probably one of my favorite movies. I found it visually beautiful and the story light and clever.
Bella Tuscany is an Italian travel book of sorts. It also describes some local traditions and everyday life.
I really love the way Italians live. It is very home focused, close to the earth, and connected to the past. It appears (sans Mafia) to be a gentle, natural, sweet way of living.
The book was a little tough when the author was describing her...more
Bella Tuscany is an Italian travel book of sorts. It also describes some local traditions and everyday life.
I really love the way Italians live. It is very home focused, close to the earth, and connected to the past. It appears (sans Mafia) to be a gentle, natural, sweet way of living.
The book was a little tough when the author was describing her...more
A beautifully written book. Mrs Mayes has the gift of really transplanting the reader to a new place and time. I learned about the seasonality of Tuscany, (I didn't think they had 4 complete seasons), as well as how living in Tuscany, which fresh produce and close to production points, brings one closer to nature.
Like other of Mrs. Mayes books, however, she seems to condescend to other Americans, visitors, etc. E.g, she makes the remark about American tourists in Venice who are having a good tim...more
Like other of Mrs. Mayes books, however, she seems to condescend to other Americans, visitors, etc. E.g, she makes the remark about American tourists in Venice who are having a good tim...more
I had hoped to be transported by the beauty of Tuscany but found myself more often than not bored I had enjoyed A Yesr in Tuscany and though I found some enjoyable chapters in BT I thought the book bogged down in too much detail.
The metaphysical musings did not add the sense of Dolce Vita.Quotes from rather obscure authors and lists of unknown painters were just too much.
I know if I were there I would be fascinated by all this detail but finding out for oneself is part of the enjoyment.A chapte...more
The metaphysical musings did not add the sense of Dolce Vita.Quotes from rather obscure authors and lists of unknown painters were just too much.
I know if I were there I would be fascinated by all this detail but finding out for oneself is part of the enjoyment.A chapte...more
I love Italy! It's amazing that a memoir set in Italy can make it sound boring, but I have to give up on this one. Place names are thrown in one after another with no particular importance other than the author being able to say "I was there," and there is no depth. A fourth of the way in and I have no idea who this author really is or what she's about. She's bland. Maybe she isn't in real life, but when it came to the scene where she's watching other people have fun and moaning that they don't...more
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Ah, after the first book I was very excited to delve into this one. Only to receive some disappointment. There were some definite changes in style from the first book, but I don't think they were the good kind of changes that they could have been.
Frances Mayes returns to visiting her home Bramasole in Tuscany. For summers, some springs, and Christmas's this is her home away from home. They host friends, visits different villages, and cooks lots of different food while enjoying all that Tuscany h...more
Feb 03, 2013
Geoff
added it
You can’t help but love the way Frances Mayes writes her books. You can tell she has a background in literature, but truly loves writing. Her rich descriptions and colorful asides take her beautiful memoirs from just being books to being journeys. Having read Under the Tuscan Sun and A Year in the World, when I found out Ms. Mayes was speaking as part of the Lowell Lecture Series at the Boston Public Library I had to go and listen. I had a brief opportunity to speak with her after the lecture ab...more
I am confused by the people who review this on Goodreads and complain that nothing happens, that it's a terrible novel because there's no real story. Um, perhaps because it's not a novel at all? Bella Tuscany is Mayes' second book about the different rhythms and habits of her part-time life in Italy, and most of it is quite charming and lovely. There was one chapter that I didn't particularly enjoy, as it was clearly written as a 'stop in this town and see this, stop next in that town and do tha...more
"'Welcome back,' a Cortona woman greets me. Maybe I look dazed, having arrived last night from California, a twenty-hour ordeal, because she asks, 'What do you do for jet lag?'/'I usually just wait it out. I'm so happy to be here that I don't notice it very much--just get up at four in the morning for a few days. What do you do?'/'I stare at the sunset. Then the body knows.'/I merely smile, but mentally I make a little bow to her. Maybe it's a small, maybe we're in a global economy, and maybe we...more
It was lovely seeing and reaquainting myself with the Tuscan countryside and all the local characters/friends, the art and architecture, gardens and, of course, the food and her home there, Bramasole through the eyes of Mayes as she grows in her love of all of it. You get a glimpse of the different seasons there this time. It's refreshing to "see" a place where people eat what's in season, grow a lot of what they eat, work hard, but insist on their daily siesta (kids are supposed to take them, w...more
When I read these books by Ms. Mayes, I am there. This book focuses less on the renovations to Bramasole and more on the people of Italy, the food, the relationships. The place seems magical because time is irrelevant. Time is not something hurried or taken for granted, time is cherished in the picking of the olives, the pressing of the oil, the platters of fresh ingredients passed to guests around a table set up in an orchard. Again, if you have loads of money, you too can have this life. For n...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was nice to read about Ed and Frances after the renovation of their house in Cortona, to see how they used it as a home base for their exploration of Italy and it's culture. This book follows Ed and Frances as they travel around Italy and plan the garden of Bramasole. They really get into the plants and the land, and it is clearly something that they enjoy. Having lived in Italy for a year I can relate to their love for the Italian style of living and il do...more
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Decent read...very poetic, and loved when she got more into studying languages rather than bragging about her house and the renovations. I wish she had focused more on the personal relationships with her Italian neighbors, her family, and her friends rather than just her house and garden and how much money she spent...would've been a little more engaging. Still, made me incredibly jealous and I now want to see everything she describes. Nothing compelling but worth a read if you love travel, beau...more
Enjoying this but not quite as much as Under the Tuscan Sun. I can't afford to travel to Italy so this is my vicarious living.
There were aspects of this book that I really liked: when Mayes talks about what makes someone who they are (why am I ME and you are YOU?) and the difference between time living in San Francisco, with no time to stop to think, and the time lived in Italy, when life really seemed lived - great observations as to what marks the distinctions between the two.
Reading Mayes al...more
There were aspects of this book that I really liked: when Mayes talks about what makes someone who they are (why am I ME and you are YOU?) and the difference between time living in San Francisco, with no time to stop to think, and the time lived in Italy, when life really seemed lived - great observations as to what marks the distinctions between the two.
Reading Mayes al...more
Found this BookCrossing book (BCID 592-6950467)at a little carryout food shop. It's fun to find a registered book and one whose subject matter is something that I'll enjoy. I did enjoy this book. The descriptions of food and the garden, the side trips, the people, all good. I laughed out loud when she described eating some squid dish that was like tenderized erasers. I left this book at a coffee shop in New Orleans where we went for a few days holiday.
Mayes reminded me why I became interested in this genre in the first place. Sequel to her ubiquitous Under the Tuscan Sun, she describes her travels as the guide we all wish we could have should we have the good fortune to visit these places ourselves. I particularly enjoyed the topical chapters on gardening and cooking, and noted several pages in my own journal for future reference.
Once again we visit Frances Mayes and her husband at their home in Cortona, Italy, a ancient hill town in Tuscany. She's a lovely writer, and her descriptions of the characters, the food, the gardens - and the work involved in making and keeping them so beautiful - draw the reader in until you feel like you're right there beside her. Especially entertaining is the chapter on her difficulties with the Italian language: "Now that I have more understanding of Italian, I have greater occasions to ma...more
Italy is a beautiful country with a rich history.
This story is largely frivolous. The description of a sunset as "old underwear pink" landed this book firmly in the giveaway pile.
If you want to read a book that glorifies everything Italian (deservedly or not) then you will probably like this book. If glorifying everything because it is Italian may make you gag, skip this book.
This story is largely frivolous. The description of a sunset as "old underwear pink" landed this book firmly in the giveaway pile.
If you want to read a book that glorifies everything Italian (deservedly or not) then you will probably like this book. If glorifying everything because it is Italian may make you gag, skip this book.
I really enjoyed Frances Mayes books on Tuscany. Envious? Just a little, but the descriptions of Tuscany and the food and the views make me really want to visit. Just as the descriptions of the renovations make me want to NOT own a house there! A beautiful book with lovely descriptions...great for armchair travel (or a fly on the wall type view of Tuscany--either are good!)
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Frances Mayes's book,
Every Day in Tuscany
, the third volumne in her bestselling Tuscany memoir series, was published March 9, 2010, from Broadway Books.
In addition to her Tuscany memoirs, Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany , Frances Mayes is the author of the travel memoir A Year in the World; the illustrated books In Tuscany and Bringing Tuscany Home; Swan, a novel; The Discovery of Poe...more
More about Frances Mayes...
In addition to her Tuscany memoirs, Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany , Frances Mayes is the author of the travel memoir A Year in the World; the illustrated books In Tuscany and Bringing Tuscany Home; Swan, a novel; The Discovery of Poe...more
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Feb 26, 2013 06:05am