To coincide with the publication of his lighthearted thriller The Marseille Caper, Peter Mayle just did a fun little interview with the New York Times. In it, he's asked about the proliferation of mediocre travel memoirs, Japanese tour buses in his driveway in the Luberon and whether or not he ''ruined the South of France.'' (I'm here to attest he did not. In fact, I just returned from a day out in the Luberon and was struck, as always, at how gorgeous and unspoiled it is.) The new 224-page book--a follow up to The Vintage Caper--features an iffy real-estate scheme, shady characters, all sorts of local landmarks (including Cassis and the Camargue), a healthy dose of distrust when it comes to Parisians...and meal after meal of delicious Marseillaise cooking. Publishers Weekly calls it ''a breezy excursion to southern France’s least appreciated city.'' The Irish Independentcalls it ''a thoroughly enjoyable romp that happily doubles as a tourist guide to the best bars, restaurants and bouillabaisse in Provence.'' And while the Denver Post allows that this ''is not a novel of great depth or gravitas...'' the reviewer also says: ''But like an excellent meal at a beloved restaurant, you'll savor every morsel, and you'll be sorry to see it end.'' The book is on Amazon in hardcover, Kindle and audio editions; a paperback version comes out in July 2013. And if you missed my recent Q&A with Peter, you can read that here.
PS. I agree Luberon is unspoiled. Visiting Lourmarin annually (for Albert Camus related events) leaves me consitently with the impression nothing has been ruined in the Luberon park and the villages there:-)
I enjoy Peter Mayle's writing style and sense of humor, so thanks for the info. Here's to the unspoiled Luberon and other charming places all around France!
Thanks for the head's up about the new Peter Mayle book. I loved his other books, especially, "Anything Considered" about a shifty Monaco resident. I'll download it tonight!
Of course I'm going to have to read this. It is probably because of his first book, read so many years ago, that I ended up here in the first place!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the article! I'm looking forward to this new romp in the South of France.
ReplyDeleteJulie, thank you. I'll read it for sure.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Cannes, Maya
PS. I agree Luberon is unspoiled. Visiting Lourmarin annually (for Albert Camus related events) leaves me consitently with the impression nothing has been ruined in the Luberon park and the villages there:-)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy Peter Mayle's writing style and sense of humor, so thanks for the info. Here's to the unspoiled Luberon and other charming places all around France!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the head's up about the new Peter Mayle book. I loved his other books, especially, "Anything Considered" about a shifty Monaco resident. I'll download it tonight!
ReplyDelete