Two Towns in Provence

I first read this book before my first trip to Provence. It is a fantastic evocation of time, place, and of course food. The book is actually two books. One covers the time Fisher lived in Aix en Provence (truly one of the prettier cities I have ever visited); the other chronicles the time she lived in Marseilles (harder to love than Aix, but then there is the boulabaisse sp?). When she writes about food alone, Fisher does not thrill me; however, here, where she weaves biography with travel, friends and food, she is unmatched. Go to Aix and on the Cours Mirabeau take an outdoor seat at the Deux Garcons. Order a salad nicoise and a bottle of Tempiers rose in a bucket of ice, watch the world go by and wonder why the heck Fisher ever left.

Even though parts were random and disconcerting, in general this book kept my attention with its stories of the author's wanderings with her children, encounters with French stereotypes, and musings on topics as diverse as history, sociology, and self-awareness. I especially liked how she compared the things she saw in Aix and Marseille at different times, since she visited them so often- 1929, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s. Very interesting, and made me want to go there even more!

Even though parts were random and disconcerting, in general this book kept my attention with its stories of the author's wanderings with her children, encounters with French stereotypes, and musings on topics as diverse as history, sociology, and self-awareness. I especially liked how she compared the things she saw in Aix and Marseille at different times, since she visited them so often- 1929, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s. Very interesting, and made me want to go there even more!

M.F.K.Fisher is a master of evocative description. When I read her prose I find it easy to conjure the exact place or moment in my mind. On every page there are glorious phrases to linger over and savour. Her books are the kind that you can read over and over and always find something new to enjoy, just like an opera or piece of music that you never tire of.