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  • A Year in Provence

  • Written by: Peter Mayle
  • Narrated by: Peter Mayle
  • Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins
  • Abridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History, Europe
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (6 ratings)

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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
Biographies & Memoirs France Travel Writing & Commentary Europe
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What the critics say

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

What listeners say about A Year in Provence

Average Customer Ratings
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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Amazon Reviews
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

More like Half a Year In Provence

This is a very enjoyable book. Unfortunately this version is ridiculously abridged. Do yourself a favor and search out the book instead.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • marlowe
  • 2015-03-30

Ban abridged versions

I love this story in its full length. I was not paying attention when I got this version and am irritated when I listen to it. The edits are very abrupt and part of the enjoyment of this book is meandering through their year, not racing through like a fire sale.
It would be 5 star unabridged.

19 people found this helpful

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  • Amy
  • 2016-09-27

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.

11 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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  • scheye1
  • 2020-01-12

Only includes the first three chapters

Why didn’t I look closer before purchasing this audiobook? Who knows, but I didn’t expect it to only include one fourth of the book.

3 people found this helpful

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  • cathcathnz
  • 2022-07-15

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

1 person found this helpful

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  • Susan E
  • 2022-06-11

A perfect book

Even if you never go to Provence yu will enjoy this book. It is very entertaining.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Amazon Aficionado
  • 2022-05-24

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….

1 person found this helpful

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  • kaking
  • 2022-04-17

Delightful

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

1 person found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2018-08-09

A Year in Provence

Maybe this book would have been interesting, or at least better, if I had read it as opposed to listening to the audio-book. I couldn't get past 30 minutes because it is pretentious tripe, at least as read by the author.
I would not recommend this to anyone.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Julie
  • 2022-05-24

Version très écourtée

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

Voilà qui est tres frustrant.

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  • erin tate
  • 2022-04-06

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.