A YEAR IN PROVENCE

Mayle tells the story of his first year living in Provence, a time in which he and his wife come to know the place, the locals, and the wonderful food and wine, while having their house remodeled. With charm, skill, and amusement, Mayle narrates in a pleasant voice, calm and excited by turns. While he does speak some French herein, in the local accent, most of the French is rendered in accented English, a tactic that, for once, works. The production's sole annoying feature (besides making listeners hungry while listening to all the wonderful dining) is a lack of pauses to indicate changes in time frame, scene, or subject, an oversight that brings the listener up short again and again. This problem makes the slightly rushed abridgment seem jerkier than need be. W.M. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 05]