A Good Year
by Peter Mayle
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 539)
Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
People who haven't seen the movie
Here's something you don't often hear said by readers: The movie was much better than the book.
I'm afraid in this case it's absolutely true. And the movie - which received lukewarm reviews - wasn't just more entertaining; it was more complicated, more sophisticated, and dare I say, more literary than the book.
About the only thing the screenplay kept from the book were the characters' names and the French vineyard. Sure, there were a number of other bit players who remained the s...more
I'm afraid in this case it's absolutely true. And the movie - which received lukewarm reviews - wasn't just more entertaining; it was more complicated, more sophisticated, and dare I say, more literary than the book.
About the only thing the screenplay kept from the book were the characters' names and the French vineyard. Sure, there were a number of other bit players who remained the s...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
Peter Mayle fans and Francophiles
More great writing by Peter Mayle! This is the first novel of his that I have read, and I liked it just as much as I like his "nonfiction" stuff. I saw the movie before I realized it was based on one of Mayle's books, and I really liked it too, but I like the book for different reasons. It is about a young(ish) man that inherits a small vineyard in Provence. He couldn't have inherited it at a better time, and he soon starts to think that living quietly and making wine is exactly what h...more
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Read in February, 2007
recommends it for:
lovers of Mayle, Provence, wine, romance, or the French
Started: Feb 2/07
Finished: Feb 4/07
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I loved Mayle's "A Year in Provence" and its follow-ups, but this is the first of his novels that I've read. As People magazine says, "Mayle makes Provence sound like the most enticing place this side of paradise." - "A Year in Provence" made me want to visit, and this novel made me want to go back.
A good story, that is being made into a film by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe. Might have to see that one, when ...more
Finished: Feb 4/07
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I loved Mayle's "A Year in Provence" and its follow-ups, but this is the first of his novels that I've read. As People magazine says, "Mayle makes Provence sound like the most enticing place this side of paradise." - "A Year in Provence" made me want to visit, and this novel made me want to go back.
A good story, that is being made into a film by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe. Might have to see that one, when ...more
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Read in March, 2008
Ok, well i should probably state that I only began to read this book because I saw the movie and I really liked it. I haven't gotten very far and it's in it's descriptive beginning stage still, so it's kind of slow, but overall still good.
It is about a man named Max who inherits his uncle's vineyard in Provence, France. What will happen? You're guess is as good as mine... except I've watched the movie so I might have just an little bit more of an idea than you do...
Ok, so I finished the b...more
It is about a man named Max who inherits his uncle's vineyard in Provence, France. What will happen? You're guess is as good as mine... except I've watched the movie so I might have just an little bit more of an idea than you do...
Ok, so I finished the b...more
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7 comments
recommends it for:
Michelle
Admitedly, I only recognized this book from the cover, with the movie version's Russel Crowe on the front. I started reading this during a week of warm, sunny weather, and even read a chapter outside on my balcony with a glass of red wine...it was my desperate attempt feel like I was in the south of France with Max. It was more than just a simple story about a man who inherits a seemingly run-down vineyard; i'm inspired to revive my love of French culture and language. Not to mention my goal ...more
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i'm embarassed to say that i read this book. i've been a fan of peter mayle for a while - he's a guilty pleasure of mine. i finished this book in about 3 hours. this is not my way of boasting at my insanely fast reading skills, but rather a commentary on the book itself: it was so incredibly easy to read that i breezed through it in a single afternoon. that being said, it was a very pleasant three hours, greatly enhanced by the margarita and blazing sunlight. the movie is another guilty pleasure...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
a 7th grader
disappointing after all the good things i'd heard. the positive reviews printed on the jacket are inexplicable to me. the story and characters are simplistic, predictable, and shallow. even the setting (which i think did the main sell of this novel) wasn't fleshed out - merely suggested, and even for the heft of the book i expected more.
HOWEVER, i'm going to try another Mayle just to make sure. besides which, it's a quick, easy read, and perfect for a distracting place you need diversi...more
HOWEVER, i'm going to try another Mayle just to make sure. besides which, it's a quick, easy read, and perfect for a distracting place you need diversi...more
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Read in August, 2006
I read this because I found out there was a Russell Crowe/Ridley Scott movie based on it coming this fall. I had not read any Peter Mayle before and I don't think I'll read him again. He's fine and somewhat entertaining but not my cup of tea. The translation was good, the characters interesting in a fluffy kinda way. I have no idea how Crowe will play Max. Book!Max is nice even if he had a shark's job and is somewhat laid back. Not a book I would read again or an author I would read again but I ...more
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Read in November, 2006
"I enjoyed this book but I have to confess I enjoyed the movie more. Why? Hmmm... I'm not sure but I think because I could actually see the French countryside. I do admit that after seeing the movie I expected the book to be a little more intricate and maybe that's why I give it only 3 stars. But I feel most people would enjoy it if they aren't expecting anything that has a lot of depth-just a cute story. It is a nice easy, fun read and I would not have any problems recommending it to the r...more
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Read in September, 2007
This book was the first that I have read by this author. I found it a little light, but enjoyable. As I didn't get a vacation this summer the sumptuous descriptions of southern France really appealed to me. It has a plot that mingles a little mystery with some innocent romance and a healthy portion of "change your life for the better" stuff. Overall, it was an uplifting, easy read that I would recommend to anyone that is looking for something to fill some time.
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
Huge wine enthusiasts who don't care if a book has a good plot.
This started out very promising when the main character lost his job and found out he'd inherited a wine chateau in Provence. Once he got to the chateau, everything ground to a halt amidst too many descriptions of food and so many semi-important characters that there was no way to develop any of them enough so that I could actually care about one of them. I was glad to finish it. I may not even rent the DVD now.
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Read in May, 2007
I really like Peter Mayle's books, which are about Provence, France. This one was made into a movie with Russell Crow. It's about a man who is fed up with life in the city. He inherits a chateau and vineyard from his uncle in France, and goes to set up there. He discovers that his wine is being sold for outrageous price, illegally. I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to see the movie.
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Read in February, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone looking for a quick fun travel read
This book was fun if you like a little mystery, a little Provence, a little French food, a little male chauvenism and want something fun and quick to read. It's not entirely like the movie, though--I saw the movie after I read the book and was disappointed. I have read a few of his other fictions also, and they're all similar but a little bit different, but as I say, fun.
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
a foodie or a Francophile.
Not one of my favorite books by Peter Mayle. I found the plot to be a bit simplistic and the ending to be a bit too abrupt and uneventful.
I definitely enjoyed Peter Mayle's memoirs much more than A Good Year.
I haven't seen the movie adaption of this book, but it's on my Netflix que. I'm not sure whether or not to leave the movie on my que after reading the book.
I definitely enjoyed Peter Mayle's memoirs much more than A Good Year.
I haven't seen the movie adaption of this book, but it's on my Netflix que. I'm not sure whether or not to leave the movie on my que after reading the book.
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Read in June, 2008
This book was unexpectedly enjoyable. I tend to shy away from contemporary fiction, but I enjoyed the old world setting and the truly relatable characters. Also, I find a genuine appreciation for any author who can give you a complete picture of a personality just by describing a wristwatch: " a bulky watch designed for deep-sea divers obsessed with punctuality..."
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I don't know that this book even warrants a review, but here we go anyway. Distraught main character tells "the man" to shove it, right about then old uncle something-or-other just happens to leave him his chateau in the French countryside, it happens to have a vineyard, etc. Blech. No real tension, no real drama, not interesting...don't waste your time.
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Read in November, 2007
A novel about a British man who inherits a house and vineyards in France. I liked it! I'd also like to share that I read the book before the I saw the movie, and now I hate the movie. I think it's worse than most films based on books. For once, I would just like to see something on the screen the way it was in the book! O.k., off my soapbox, now.
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The book is better than the film and is the story of a businessman who has inherited his uncle's vineyard. Returning to France brings back memories of the times he spent with his late uncle and forces him to rethink his values and life. As always Mayles' characters are uniquely French and humorous. A fun read, not as good as his previous memoirs.
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I read A Good Year a good couple years before I knew it was going to made into a movie starring Russel Crowe.
This is essentially a story of an unhappy english fellow who leaves his executive job to move to his inherited wine estate in the South of France. There, he finds happiness and love amidst a scandal. Yep, thats it. I gave it away...
This is essentially a story of an unhappy english fellow who leaves his executive job to move to his inherited wine estate in the South of France. There, he finds happiness and love amidst a scandal. Yep, thats it. I gave it away...
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Keri by:
Andrea B. - bookclub
I kept waiting for something to happen and it never did. I tried watching the movie after reading it because I heard so many good reviews about it but I turned it off with about 1/2 hour to go. I couldn't watch any more. The book was better than the movie. In the book you at least liked the characters and wanted to see them succeed.
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