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Provence, 1970
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- By: Luke Barr
- Narrated by: John Rubinstein
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Provence, 1970 is about a singular historic moment. In the winter of that year, more or less coincidentally, the iconic culinary figures James Beard, M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, Richard Olney, Simone Beck, and Judith Jones found themselves together in the South of France. They cooked and ate, talked and argued, about the future of food in America, the meaning of taste, and the limits of snobbery.
Summary
From the moment Peter Mayle and his wife, Jennie, uprooted their lives in England and crossed the Channel permanently, they never looked back. Here the beloved author of A Year in Provence pays tribute to the most endearing and enduring aspects of his life in France - the charming and indelible parade of village life, the sheer beauty, the ancient history. He celebrates the café and lists some of his favorites; identifies his favorite villages, restaurants, and open-air markets; and recounts his most memorable meals.
A celebration of 25 years of Provençal living - of lessons learned and changes observed - with his final book, Mayle has crafted a lasting love letter to his adopted home, marked by his signature warmth, wit, and humor.
Critic reviews
"Fans of Mayle (who died in January) will be delighted by this final book from Provence’s most impassioned booster.... Composed in a uniformly bright and jocular voice, this is a breezy valedictory note for a much admired writer." (Publishers Weekly)
"[Mayle’s] keen eye and wit are much on display in this all-new collection of writings on his times in the south of France.” (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
"A bittersweet pleasure... While Mayle can pen a mouthwatering description of bouillabaisse, what has always drawn his readers to his writing are his loving portraits of people, community and the Provencal way of life." (Carla Jean Whitley, BookPage)
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What listeners say about My Twenty-Five Years in Provence
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lyn D
- 29-12-19
narration
really didn't like the narrator's intonation and the book felt like repetition from other books
2 people found this helpful
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- Helen SJ
- 25-02-20
A breath of French air.
I have always loved Peter Mayle's books. He wrote so eloquently and bought France alive for many of us. This Audible version likewise bought Peter's book alive. Wonderful narration.
1 person found this helpful
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- Dawn
- 21-05-19
love the book
I loved the book but the narrator will be avoided in future almost mechanical or computerised.
1 person found this helpful
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- Leticia Lee
- 12-04-22
Charming
This is another charming evocation of life in Provence. It acts as a reminder of the atmosphere but lacks the cast of colourful characters that make one want to read a book a second time. The narration was good because it had the intonation of lively French speech.
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- IoW Sparky
- 25-04-21
Peter Mayor's Last Book
Loved it (apart from the big relating to Ridley Scott).
RIP Peter. I'll miss your writing
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- Kevin S.
- 28-03-21
My twenty-five years in Provence
I loved the book , really well told , and a worthy recipient of the Légion d'honneur .
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- Flossiesmommy
- 05-07-18
The narrator ruins it for me.
As with all of Peter Mayle’s Provence-centric books, I loved reading/hearing about his take on life in that lovely area of the world..& always find myself hungry & thirsty while in the process. 😄 These books have all entered into my “comfort read” category, & I can - & do - read them over & over, without any loss of enjoyment. I believe this one, though not quite reaching the level of perfection that “A Year In Provence” did, will still be a book I will enjoy reading again. Reading. NOT listening to. His almost South-Scottish accent (doubly bizarre since he was born in Birmingham from Irish ancestry) is decidedly not the one I would choose to read an autobiographical book by a man born in the south of England, raised partly in Barbados, & who then spent a lot of time in London. Even getting beyond the very wrong accent, the strange tempo/pattern of speech spoken in a very forceful manner (as if he’s a lecturer who believes every sentence he speaks is equally as important as the ones that came before - You. Must. Pay. Attention. Here.) is...boring! I would have to switch to other books every 45 min. or so while trying to plow through this one, as my ears needed a rest and my brain just couldn’t take the same level of portentousness for each sentence. The narrator sounds portentous and pretentious, at the same time.
11 people found this helpful
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- Abel
- 18-07-18
Delightful as always
Peter Mayle’s way of spinning a tale brings the reader into his world in a delightful entertaining manner. I’ve enjoyed all the books he has written about his life in Provence. I was extremely saddened to hear of his passing.
3 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 03-07-18
Classic Mayle
So sad to know that this will be Peter Mayle's final love letter to Provence. Godspeed Mr. Mayle.
3 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 24-11-19
Enchanting!
This is my first experience with this Author, now I am eager to catch up with the rest of his imaginative writings. So sorry to learn of his passing, my condolences to His dear wife. Someday, if she feels up to it, it would be a delight to see some of her photos. and hear her perspective of that lovely place...the place they brought to life for the rest of us.
I have heard wonderful things about the narrator, and they all were true...he made the story rich and oh so French!
Overall, a delight for anyone!
2 people found this helpful
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- disudds
- 20-10-18
Like taking a trip myself
Reading Peter Mayle is like walking through Provence (at least I hope it is...I've actually never been). Parts of "My Twenty-Five Years" were like revisiting a familiar friend, stories from other books and memories. Other parts were refreshingly new. Mayle is so easy to read and his stories always bring a smile.
1 person found this helpful
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- Gregory B Kellis
- 20-12-21
A Slice of Life
An easy listen that invites you into the day to day life in Provence. From the people to the food to the local view of the world, you will feel a fondness and nostalgia for a place you have never been.
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- Cw
- 12-05-21
meh
Only because it was a short book did I continue listening. Not very interesting. meh
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- Crisitna Tunon
- 26-02-21
I couldn’t finish it
The narrator is rough. The story was probably good, but I just couldn’t get through his weird intonations.
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- Judith St. Leger
- 20-02-21
Too short
A fabulous trip to and through France. I wish the book ( and the author) could have gone on and on
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- Orange Girl
- 05-03-20
An enjoyable read...
...for a sunny afternoon. His impressions of life in France are charming. A light read during heavy times.