this book is not what i expected - nothing like the movie!! but i didnt hate it. it felt like i was reading someones diary. the descriptions were so well written that when i sat down with the book i was completely entranced and felt like i was there with her. however, it did drag a fair amount, and not much actually happened in the book!!! last 100 pages were tough to finish as i got a bit sick of it.

also all the food descriptions made me hungry… dont read on an empty stomach

First of all it's not a novel, it's a memoir by American author Frances Mayes
about getting into new life in a foreign country when she decided to buy and restore an old villa in the beautiful Tuscan countryside in Italy
Mayes writes passionately about the vibrant Tuscan.. pleasures, people, landscape, culture and delicious recipes
all the challenges of renovating a dilapidated villa and the new acquaintances make her feel at home even it was a place to spent only the summers

I'd read a lot of reviews of this book, ranging from lukewarm to downright cold, but I read it anyway, having been such an ardent fan of the film.

First off, the film and the book share a name and that's about it. The real Frances Mayes writes about her experiences in traveling to Tuscany, experiencing the culture and subsequently buying and renovating a villa in Cortona, Tuscany, but by all accounts her decision to travel there had nothing to do with heartache. Now, while the story in the book isn't as lustrous as the screenplay, I still found it to be rather enjoyable. What you have in this book is a bonafide experience, a woman who dares to explore a life that is completely unknown to her. She talks about the food, the people, the joy/stress of building a home in a foreign country, and while this may not seem like such a feat to some, I believe that those of us who have the benefit of age and experience might more readily understand and appreciate the audaciousness of Ms.Mayes' undertaking. People just don't do these things ordinarily, but she shows us that it is absolutely attainable, this life of food and leisure.

Some of us fantasize about living in a land of magic and beauty, but she actually did it. Reading about it probably isn't as satisfying as living it, but I'll take it, anyway.

Ever wondered about the kind of life led by the descendants of Southern white masters… at least some of them? This book is the answer: Sweet, self-righteous, and devoid of reflection. “Our family cook Willie Bell”, “my family’s cotton mill” (or whatever kind of mill it was)… then, in a bewildered distaste: “today, we had to shop at a low-end supermarket”.

If only it weren’t so boring!

“You have to churn somewhat when the roof covering your head is at stake, since to sell is to walk away from a cluster of memories and to buy is to choose where the future takes place.” page 3

Set in romantic Italy, Under the Tuscan Sun is a beautiful memoir written by Frances Mayes. The memoir begins with Francis and her husband, Ed, searching for a home to buy in Tuscany. They buy a villa called Bramasole. It is a complete renovation project! Bramasole is almost 3oo years old! Mayes describes in detail their summer and winter breaks flying to Italy to oversee the renovations. They encounter scorpions, vipers, plumbing issues but also uncover beautiful frescos on their wall. Even though renovations come with setbacks. Frances and her husband Ed always find it difficult to leave and find that is where their heart truly lies.

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Από τις σπάνιες περιπτώσεις που η ταινία είναι ανώτερη του βιβλίου. Τέλος πάντων δεν είναι και κανένα αριστούργημα, είναι ένα χαλαρό ανάγνωσμα για τις ώρες που δεν θες να βασανίσεις πολύ το μυαλό σου και τον σκοπό αυτό τον εξυπηρετεί και με το παραπάνω. Για το είδος του καλό.

This is an inspirational book written by a woman who is going through a transition in her life. While visiting Tuscany, she decides to take a leap of faith and to begin a brand new life. Even though she can't afford the home which she wants to buy, the owner realizes that how much the author values the home and that it should be hers. Consequently the owner accepts the author's modest offer. That was spiritual! I especially appreciated this aspect since I am the author of a spiritually-themed book.

I have never visited Tuscany though Italy has remained one of the favorite countries which I have visited. After reading this book, I wanted to move to Tuscany. The writer has a gift for describing the countryside, the people, and the culture. She also has a wonderful gift for describing mouth-watering food. At points, the book reads as if it was a cookbook.

While it was interesting, the author's description of renovating her new home was a bit tedious. Even so, the book is a marvelous read. It was a delightful escape for me and the writing is very good. You will not be disappointed.

Davis Aujourd'hui, author of "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

I so rarely stop reading mid-book, but I found this one to be so rambling and uninteresting and I'm at a point in life where I feel no obligation to push through such an experience, even (or especially) to please someone who thought for sure they knew what I'd like.

The prospect of buying a shambles of a house, no matter where, and restoring it, is a subject that is of tremendous interest to me. Although I'm not "traveled," I can well image that the effort of obtaining a passport, packing, and flying to the other side of the globe would be well worth it if one could buy and restore a home in the hills of Tuscany. I can even appreciate the detailed imagery a good author can summon with romantic descriptions of local flora, cuisine, and ancillary characters. Unfortunately, Mayes was unable or unwilling to craft such an exciting, titillating, adventurous memoir, and instead presents the minutiae of her adventure with over-descriptive drudgery. I found her writing to be less interesting than the plant descriptions on my Sunset Garden Book.

Šī grāmata ir kādas amerikānietes atzīšanās mīlestībā Itālijai, konkrēti Toskānas reģionam. Viņas sajūsma pielīp arī lasītājam. Viņa ar tādu baudu apraksta reģiona ēdienus, sajūsminās par cilvēkiem un vēstures mantojumu. Entuziasms plūst no katras lappuses.
Atceros, ka kaut kad jau stipri pasen esmu redzējusi arī filmu, kura uzņemta balstoties uz šo grāmatu.
Patika un arī sagribējās sev mājiņu ar senatnes elpu.

Ако търсите наръчник за строежа на къща с всичките му подробности,даже има таблици с мерни единици....ако търсите готварска книга има и рецепти и пътеводител за местата ,които да посетите има всякакви подробности....то това е вашата книга .Но ако търсите романтична лека книжка с приключения в Тоскана голяма любов...ТО ТОВА НЕ Е КНИГА ЗА ВАС!!! Силно се подведох от филма ,който беше страхотен,но тази книга ме отегчи много много изобщо не мисля да се пъна с другите две :(

If you eagerly await your friend’s vacation pictures, are absorbed in every detail of their adventures, than you may find this book a sheer delight. But, if your eyes glaze over and your mind wanders after the tenth picture and the tenth story, then you may be less engrossed by this book. Frances and her husband who both teach at California colleges, purchase an old Tuscan farm house and small olive grove. Every summer and Christmas semester break they spend remodeling the house, restoring the 5 acre farm and exploring the local sights and culture. This book is filled with menus, renovation adventures, wine sampling and sight-seeing.

I think I'm being a little harsh by giving this only 4 stars...it certainly has the qualities of a 5 star book; great writing, interesting events, a plot that works. But it really was too disjointed with recipes and philosophy and personal reflections and building/buying anecdotes. Mayes style works well with the bulk of the book but there are too many wandering offs to make it a true 5 star book. It just did not hang together. I really enjoyed it, though. I just had to pick it up and put it down when she kept shifting styles and goals. And ok it was marketed as a memoir and I generally need to avoid them. But there is much to be greatly enjoyed in this book. Just don't expect it to be anything like the 2003 movie--the movie is very, very loosely based on the book. This is a terrific read for the arm chair traveler or anyone who has wanderlust and needs a little motivation to go and do.