WARNING: THIS BOOK IS THE MEANDERING INCOMPLETE THOUGHTS OF A MIDDLE-AGEd WOMAN THAT EATS LIKE A ITALIAN SUMO WRESTLER AND BOUGHT A DISASTER OF A HOUSE THAT NEEDED A HUGE AMOUNT OF REPAIR. THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO THIS BOOK. Perfect if you are practicing speed reading. You could skip every other sentence and still understand that she actually enjoys fixing up this crappy house in Italy. Absolutely nothing like the movie. Disappointing.

I have never said this before and I can't believe I'm saying it here. (Please don't run me out of the group on a rail, friends.) I liked the movie better.

*Audible gasps.*

I thought the movie showcased her friendships and personal growth more. I liked that she was alone in the movie, and grew her relationships around her like herbs. In the book, her friendships (and her relationship with her partner, who took on all this renovation with her) falls into the “Yada Yada Yada” category. (Seinfeld reference)

Elaine: Yeah. I met this lawyer, we went out to dinner, I had the lobster bisque, we went back to my place, yada yada yada, I never heard from him again.
Jerry: But you yada yada'd over the best part.
Elaine: No, I mentioned the bisque.

In the book, it's all about the food! That's when Mayes slows down her machine-gun fire text and describes each molecule in delicious detail. After which, she breezes through the rest of her experience to get to the next meal.

I should add I loved the movie. Loved. I can't tell you how many times I've watched it -- even with the director’s narration (!!). So, unjustly, I had unrealistically high hopes for the book. I hoped it would give me even more of the delightful Diane Lane narration. It did not.

But there were some exceptionally good descriptions. Perhaps my expectations were too high. I would love to know what you thought.

Three out of five stars.

A sumptuous meal. This book is full of food and working on the house.
The protagonist travels to Italy to untangle from her complicated life, and on an impulse, ends up spending her lifetime savings to buy a house there.
The journey to revamp the house is rejuvenating. She ends up discovering the finer aspects of Tuscan, and in effect, her own self.
Each and every chapter has details on the meals, recipes, guests, the sourcing of ingredients, and the aura of how they feast through the delicacies.

Highlight - the lovely narration!

Read it over a fortnight, savoring in the slow and detailed descriptions.

Recommended: For a leisurely travelogue diary, with recipes thrown around bits of life.
Not Recommended: For folks who like plot centric fast reads.