A Year in Provence

By: Peter Mayle

Narrated by: Peter Mayle

Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Peter Mayle and his wife had been to Provence as tourists. They had dreamed of one day trading the long, grey winters and damp summers of England for the blue skies and sunshine of the coast of southern France. And then they made it happen. They moved into an old farmhouse at the foot of the Luberon mountains and embarked on a wonderful, if at times bewildering, new life.

Among their experiences that first year: being inundated with builders and visitors, grappling with the native accent, taking part in goat races and supervising the planting of a new vineyard.

Now, Peter Mayle personally recounts the pleasures and frustrations of Provençal life - sharing in a way no one else can, the unique and endearing culture that is Provence.

©1989 Peter Mayle (P)1991 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

" A Year in Provence is part memoir, part homeowner's manual, part travelogue, and all charming fun." (Amazon.com review)

Delightful

Terrific narrative of a long visit in France. I throughly enjoyed the authors sense of humor.

Earns 5/5 Smiles...Entertaining Redux (Abridged)!

It’s been quite awhile since I watched my favorite production of “A Year in Provence” with John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan or read the trilogy on which it is based, so it’s time for a quick revisit. Like an amuse bouche to whet one’s appetite, this abridged audio version includes delightful portions from both “A Year in Provence” and “Toujours Provence,” and the big perk? It is narrated by Peter himself. Mayle’s year in the picturesque Luberon Valley is filled with language faux pas, cultural misunderstandings, and some missteps in their efforts to fit in, but all through the changing of the seasons, Mayle and his wife make good friends and become infused with the aroma and taste of French culture. Mayle’s narrating was very pleasant, going beyond a traditional read with tone, emotions, and several entertaining accents. I know some prefer the full-length version and maybe “abridged” should be more prominent in the tags, but I enjoyed my revisit and recommend it to others.

Awful editing

Love the story. Love the writing. Love the narration.

Horrid, awful, sudden, jerking editing. There is no pause between stories or chapters. It's disconcerting. Like whiplash.

so i can hear peter mayle telling his story

so i can hear peter mayle telling his story. that is great. it is so funny.

Absolutely delightful!

I did not know what to expect out of this book, but I am so glad that I gave it a shot. I loved everything about it, most especially the characters in it. I found myself wishing that I could meet them and just enjoy everything. It has sad bits but they are told with such a wonderful hint of humor that you just smile. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with everyone that reads this or listens to it I should say. I can only imagine how wonderful your own personal spot of France please

Warning: may lead to a house purchase in Provence

I’m walking the Camino de Santiago right now. A friend I just made on the CAMINO mentioned this book. He’s an American but it’s why he bought a home in Provence. It sparked my interest. The book by Audible is phenomenal, very funny and wonderful to listen to while walking the Camino! Highly recommended! Now I need a house in Provence too, But I can dream….

Version très écourtée

Il n’y a que trois chapitres pour ces deux livres ?!

Voilà qui est tres frustrant.

copy abridged

very choppy cut up of original book. first time I knew story was a cassette tape and since then have read complete book many times.

Perfect

Precisely the kind of story you want to hear about living in Provence. Mayle does an incredible job reading his own story and as much as I want to listen to the twenty year account, I just can’t imagine anyone else narrating the story! I can see myself listening to this book over and over throughout my life just for sheer pleasure.

Wonderful, fun and relaxing

I love a good book, especially one that you can relax and enjoy. Beyond the simple fun of the story, the amazing detail, and how hungry I became as I listened to the descriptions... this is the kind of book that reminds one of how fun casual reading can be!