Under the Tuscan Sun
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Couldn't finish
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by
Kim
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rated it 2 stars
Jul 23, 2010 09:35PM
Seemed like a good book. Only read about a quarter of it by the time it was due and didn't want to renew.. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood...
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Maybe. I think mood has to do a lot with how you like or liked a book in your life. The movie was one of my friends favorite love movie of all time and I borrowed it. Not that good if you ask me. Kind of depressing. Have you seen the movie?
I couldn't finish this book either & it wasn't due to a time constraint. I found it too slow moving & pretty boring. Maybe I'll try it again someday... but probably not.
This was a good book for me, it was rather slow going, but I stuck with it. The movie version with Diane Lane is good, though.
It wasn't bad, just not a great love story in my opinion. But I think it was more because I expected it be a good love story movie because my friend said it was. I didn't really care for it, but it wasn't horrible. I don't think I will be reading the book though.
Robin wrote: "This was a good book for me, it was rather slow going, but I stuck with it. The movie version with Diane Lane is good, though."
I loved the movie much more than the book, just like Eat Pray Love same thing. Love Diane Lane and adore Julia Roberts. :)
I loved the movie much more than the book, just like Eat Pray Love same thing. Love Diane Lane and adore Julia Roberts. :)
Sonia wrote: "Robin wrote: "This was a good book for me, it was rather slow going, but I stuck with it. The movie version with Diane Lane is good, though."I loved the movie much more than the book, just like..."
Definately the same thing here for me for Under the Tuscan Sun... It's really not the same story as in the book.. :(
Isabelle, you should try Eat Pray Love, I wanted to add Kill...lol. Awful novel. She could not write to save her life but the movie was great.
Sonia, I agree I couldn't get into the novel. I thought what was she complaining about. Julia Roberts in that role, I am sure was good, have not seen the movie.
I will rent it on DVD at my library, thanks.
Lol, that is funny that you say that the movie is good. I almost watched it the ohter night on my netflix but wasn't sure if I should read the book or not first. I will definately watch the movie first now. However, I was wanting to know if the book was even worth reading at all?
Kerra wrote: "Lol, that is funny that you say that the movie is good. I almost watched it the ohter night on my netflix but wasn't sure if I should read the book or not first. I will definately watch the movie f..."
Are we talking about Tuscan or EatPray Love? Tuscan was a good movie but Eat Pray Love was a wonderful movie, crappy book. :)
Are we talking about Tuscan or EatPray Love? Tuscan was a good movie but Eat Pray Love was a wonderful movie, crappy book. :)
Sonia wrote: "Kerra wrote: "Lol, that is funny that you say that the movie is good. I almost watched it the ohter night on my netflix but wasn't sure if I should read the book or not first. I will definately wat..."Lol, I was talking about Eat Pray Love. I have been curious about it :) Thanks for letting me know that it is a good movie. I will watch it today. I didn't really care for The Tuscan Sun, but I think it was mainly because I was expecting more from it. It didn't really have an ending. I havn't read the book, but after the movie I am not sure that I will. Is the book better?
One of the few books I have started, and couldn't finish.
The book is good, funny in parts.
Susan wrote: "One of the few books I have started, and couldn't finish."I thought the movie was a little depressing, so I have not been tempted yet to read this book.
I read it...and although I remember I did like some things about it...I didn't understand what all the hype was about. And the movie was eh...If anything it was great for Italy tourism...made me want to move there.
I couldn't finish it either. It just wasn't engaging enough for me and although the author's descriptions were beautiful, it seemed like that's all it was. Maybe I should have given it a chance and continued...but my time to read is short and precious so wasting it on a book that isn't interesting for me seems out of the question.
Trish...I saw the movie years ago and only remember bits of it. That said, I remember really liking the movie. Probably why I was so disappointed in this. :S
I'm not sure whether it was because I'd watched the movie so many times before, but I just couldn't bring myself to finish the book... I'm usually a 'the book is so much better' person, but in this case, love the movie, not a fan of the book unfortunately.
Loved the movie. Thought the book would be good, but was sadly mistaken. I just couldn't get into the book.
I ended up stopping it to just rent the movie. Which is a horrible alternative but it was necessary to keep my sanity and allow me to see the pseudo ending :-)
If you have ever been/spent time in Italy, this book is the closest you can get to the Italian culture of a small town. I read it while I was over there for 3 months and I loved how close it was to Italian life.
Well, I'm definitely in the minority. I do like the movie, I own it. I think it's cause I love Diane Lane, however, I LOVE this book. I've read quite a few of her books and just love her descriptions of Italy and the Bramasole.
Now, that EPL book, ugh. I can't even bring myself to watch the movie because I ended up STOPPING that book because I hated it so much. I usually don't hate any book that strongly...but ugh...I just wanted to punch her. That's how strong a reaction I had to it.
I say, if you tried to read Under the Tuscan Sun once, try again. Maybe when you're longing for adventure or a new life. Just to escape to beautiful Italy if only in a book.
Now, that EPL book, ugh. I can't even bring myself to watch the movie because I ended up STOPPING that book because I hated it so much. I usually don't hate any book that strongly...but ugh...I just wanted to punch her. That's how strong a reaction I had to it.
I say, if you tried to read Under the Tuscan Sun once, try again. Maybe when you're longing for adventure or a new life. Just to escape to beautiful Italy if only in a book.
I found it boring as well and way too pretentious.
I've not seen the movie, but I suspect it would set you up to expect the wrong thing in the book. I enjoyed the book greatly, but I wouldn't characterize it as a love story at all. It's a prose poem celebrating Italy and exploring how our outer journeys mirror our inner ones. With a dash of fixer-upper humor thrown in.
Mayes' Book is SO much better than the movie because it celebrates Italy and the love of a place not a person and a searching for a new life which the movie tries to fathom. Have read all of Mayes'books and they all make me want to experience more- see life in different ways.Hard for me to understand the comments on this page.
Trish wrote: "The movie was sooooo much better....I don't think I've EVER said that I likeD the movie better than the book. EVER!"I felt just the opposite-the book was sooooo much better-much more real-made me want to move to Italy and experience real Italian life- not movie star-Diane Lane having affair with unbelievably good-looking Italian man type of fairy tale.
I got the book just before the movie but after watching the movie I couldn't finish this book. It moves too slow and I got bored after only reading the first chapter.
I really liked it. maybe you were not in the right mood. a book i liked better is God and Mr. Gomez about a man who is having Mr. Gomez build him a house in Mexcio.
A truly dreadful waste of paper.
I loved Under The Tuscan Sun and couldn't put it down. It was the first travel essay book that I ever read and it made me love reading travel essays. This book is not a waste of paper. It was a NY Times best seller for a long time so obviously it was worth something to millions of people. Different strokes for different folks...that is all it is.
Maybe I will try it again. Thanks, Xenia!
Remember! it's completely a different animal than the movie. The book and the screen play to the movie are 2 works.
read it as a travel essay.... it changes your perception of the book. That is how it was written anyway. I really liked it, but I knew not to mix it up with the movie.
Lark wrote: "Remember! it's completely a different animal than the movie. The book and the screen play to the movie are 2 works."Yes, the movie really does not bare a resemblance to the book so I was disappointed with it. I would have loved to see the focus on Bramasole.
I'm so glad this is a thread!! hahaha I was SO disappointed by this book. It took forever to get anything done, more than half of it was spent describing food and preparations for food. I couldn't finish it. It felt like such a waste :[
I read this book when it first came out, way before the movie, and just before I took my first trip to Italy. Loved it! Made my trip so much for enjoyable when I visited Tuscany. Hated the movie. It was nothing like the book. I think most people are in one camp or the other, but not both.
Alex wrote: "I'm so glad this is a thread!! hahaha I was SO disappointed by this book. It took forever to get anything done, more than half of it was spent describing food and preparations for food. I couldn't ..."I loved this book for the very reasons you did not. Travel essay books are usually very descriptive of everything.
Xenia wrote: "Alex wrote: "I'm so glad this is a thread!! hahaha I was SO disappointed by this book. It took forever to get anything done, more than half of it was spent describing food and preparations for food..."Unfortunately, I was not aware that this was a travel essay book...I was looking forward to reading the novel that was the basis for one of my all time favorite movies, and was gravely disappointed. I had been looking for a bit more of a story line. There was no plateau, no background info (aside from very stale 'I had gotten divorced, have a daughter, and now have a new lover'), and no emotional connection to the people in the book - just the places. That being said, it made me want to go to Tuscany very, very badly. But, aside from that I left the book feeling empty and with no feeling of desire to pick it up ever again.
Alex, the book Under The Tuscan Sun is about Frances Mayes' love for Italy and her decision to stay closer to the country by purchasing an old Italian villa named Bramasole in Tuscany. Italy and Bramasole and its restoration is the center of the book; not her relationships with other people. There is no real story per se. It is more of a diary of her experiences while restoring Bramasole.Unfortunately, the people involved with making the movie did not honor that and put their own personal spin on it which has nothing to do with the book. There is very little in the movie that has anything to do with the book and so to me, the movie should have had a different title.
I LOVED the book because, first of all, I enjoy reading travel essays, and number two I am passionate about historic preservation so for me, reading Under The Tuscan Sun was a complete joy. It must have been for millions of others as well since it was on the NY Times Best Seller List for two and a half years. Travel essay books are not for everyone though, and that is fine too. I read a number of travel essays books that I enjoyed and Under the Tuscan Sun will always remain one of my favorites.
As a person who read this book and loved it, for me, the movie was horrible. I was expecting the movie to focus on the restoration of a beautiful old Italian Villa peppered with some sub plots here and there. I understand that Hollywood has a tendency to take liberties with books but the movie is totally different. So if you saw the movie first and loved it; then you tried to read the book it is a surprise. And if travel essays are not usually your thing then boring is added to the mix. It is just unfortunate how things played out.
Read this book 5 times. Love Tuscany and Frances Mayes' poetic descriptions. Worked really well for me!
Nettie wrote: "Read this book 5 times. Love Tuscany and Frances Mayes' poetic descriptions. Worked really well for me!"I'm with you Nettie. I lOVED Under The Tuscan Sun.
After returning to the states following a week-long stay in Tuscany, this was the perfect book to transport me back to that beautiful area with its charming people. Reading this book was like having a second vacation.
I did not really look at this as a love story. I felt it was more a story about paying attention to "your" life. She wanted things to be part of her life but she kept looking for them to show up in one form and they actually showed up in another form. Message, you may already have what you are wishing for and you are just not recognizing it.
I traveled to Tuscany from my armchair while reading this book. It's a great summer read if you want to clear your mind and kick back.
Those who get near the end of the book are rewarded with the "fact" that alligators can move at 70MPH. :-)As she herself remarks about D.H. Lawrence...Under the Tuscan Sun is best when the author disappears from the page.
The DVD/movie is hands down one of my favorites. I adore the movie and I watch it anytime I need a pick me up.The book is one of the only ones I could not finish. I loved the descriptions of the food and some of the imagery, but the book just dragged. I couldn't get into it.
I think this is the first time for me that the movie was better than the book!
The recipe for Torta Di Nonna was good, I've made it several times. I didn't care for the author's attitude, however.
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