A PROVENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY

Travel Guides
History and Art
Travel Writing and Memoirs
Literature

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Travel Writing

Provence Byways
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Travel Writing and Memoirs

A Year in Provence, by Peter Mayle, 1990

First published in 1989, Peter Mayle's bestseller has been a hot item ever since and has no doubt increased tourism in Provence. The area that he writes about--the Luberon--is often referred to now as "Peter Mayle" country and when people call us to inquire about renting our apartment in the village of Lourmarin they often ask if it's near where Peter Mayle lives. His book is entertaining and easy to read, and it gives you a flavor of the area. It will definitely make you want to go to the places he describes. Buy now at Amazon.com.

Toujours Provence, by Peter Mayle, 1991

A sequel to A Year in Provence, with more of the same but lacking the structure of the first book, which was based on the author's year-long efforts to oversee the remodeling of an old farmhouse. In 1999 he published Encore Provence, the third in this series. If you are a Peter Mayle fan you might also enjoy his novel called Hotel Pastis, which is also set in the Luberon and is peopled with the Provencal characters he likes to describe. Except for the hotel, all of the places he describes in the novel are real, including L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, where some of the action takes place. Buy now at Amazon.com.

Two Towns in Provence, by M.F.K. Fisher, 1983

This is actually two books: Map of Another Town about Aix-en-Provence and A Considerable Town about Marseilles, the first written in 1964 and the second in 1977. Both are memoirs, based on a number of long visits M.F.K. Fisher made to those cities with her daughters and later her sister. We have to confess that neither of us has ever gotten through this book, even though Aix-en-Provence is one of our favorite places in Provence and many people admire Fisher's writing. There is obviously a lot of interesting material here, worth another try for us. Buy now at Amazon.com.

Travels with Alice, by Calvin Trillin, 1989. Out of print.

New Yorker writer and essayist Calvin Trillin has spent several summers in Provence with his wife Alice and his two teenage daughters. He advocates the "hanging out" method of travel, preferring to stay in one place for several months at a time, poking around, sitting in cafes, playing foosball, and looking into whatever strikes his or his family's fancy. His writing is witty and his love for this kind of travel is infectious, a good antidote to the urge to see and do too much.

Aspects of Provence, by James Pope-Hennessy, 1988. Out of print.

When Englishman Pope-Hennessy traveled to Provence in 1952 very few tourists ventured inland from the popular coastal region except perhaps to take a quick look at some of the Roman ruins. But Pope-Hennessy was drawn to the inland villages, and in this short but beautifully written book he evokes the Provence of that era--the villages, the people, the landscapes, the architecture. He seems to have read most of what had ever been written on Provence (in English and in French) and he gracefully weaves his knowledgeof its history, art, and literature through this account of his travels. An excellent book.

A Little Tour of France, by Henry James, 1983

One tourist who did go to inland Provence before Pope-Hennessy was American author Henry James, who made a six week tour of France in 1882, staying for a while in Nimes, Arles, and Avignon and making day trips to smaller villages. James traveled alone, making his way slowly by coach from town to town, studying major sites like cathedrals and ruins, but also observing the people with his novelist's eye. The result is a lively and personal account. The Provence section is about nine chapters. See now at Amazon.com.

Provence, by Lawrence Durrell, 1990. Out of print.

Durrell, who lived in Provence for thirty years, wrote this book toward the end of his life. It was first published in hardcover under the title Caesar's Vast Ghost: Aspects of Provence. It's a literary memoir, an evocation of the Provence of Durell's past combined with his version of its history, particularly of the Romans and the Courts of Love. It's not easy reading. It frequently strays off track or bogs down in the overly poetic musings of a couple of Durrell's eccentric Provencal friends. If you're a Durrell fan or if you are especially interested in history, it may be worth the trouble.

Provence, by Ford Maddox Ford, 1995

Long and written in a florid, rambling style, this book nonetheless contains such great lines as this: "Somewhere between Vienne and Valence, below Lyon on the Rhone, the sun is shining and . . . there is no more any evil, for there the apple will not flourish and the Brussels sprout will not grow at all." First published in 1935, Ford's book is similar to Durrell's book in that it explores Provence as he found it between the wars and aspects of its history. It's also eccentric and irritatingly hard to follow, but it will sometomes reward you with gems like the one above. Buy now at Amazon.com.

Portraits of France, by Robert Daly, 1991

Author Robert Daly has lived in both France and the United States since the early 1950's. His book is a series of portraits of places, people, and moments in history that have particularly interested him. The first chapter is about Nice, where he met his wife, the daughter of a cafe owner with an amazing story to tell. Three other chapters deal with Provence: one on the perfume industry in Grasse, one about a famous restaurant in Les Baux, and one about the Popes and the Papal Palace in Avignon. Buy now at Amazon.com.

Travelers’ Tales: France, edited by James O'Reilly, Larry Habeggeer, and Sean O’Reilly.
1995

Part of the Travelers' Tales series, this substantial anthology brings together stories, essays, and chapters from books to provide a kind of sampler of aspects of France. Although the selections are not arranged by geography, you can browse the table of contents to find pieces that relate to Provence or other corners of France to which you might be headed. At least seven or eight of the selections are set in Provence. Buy now at Amazon.com.