La Vie: A year in rural France

Always love JLS's writing

Good detail on the wildlife, farming and village life here in Charente but John's aim to live as a rural peasant is not supported by 100s of euros spent on exotic lillies, rare sheep and automatic oil pressing machines etc. etc. Reality is much more mundane and thrifty.

I am already a fan of John Lewis Stempel's books, and eagerly awaited this one. The book is in effect a year's journal of John and his family moving to rural France, (an area I have visited as I have friends who live an hour away from this place).The descriptive writing of his walks in the area, the local wildlife, the local people and customs (and the attitudes of the French rural resident!) - plus a few rather good recipes for local delicacies.What I have particularly enjoyed is re-learning French word and slang which I only remembered when reading the book, things I learned at school over 40 years ago came back to me (the fables by Jean De La Fontaine were learned by rote in "conversational French" back then.)I have enjoyed this so much, I have just finished it and gone back to start it again - and I've bought a copy for the friend who has a home in rural France :)Highly recommended. And then read The Wood, and Meadowland, by the same author.

Liked the concept of the book but the detail on the natural world or on the rural French setting was average and uninspiring.Felt like a quota book to meet contract requirements!

I loved his descriptive prose and his pragmatism about rural life. You could smell the marjoram and taste the noix he made himself. Wonderful.

Having parents who also live in France I could really identify with this book. JLS got me into reading about natural history with the excellent book, the running hare. So glad he did. Thank you.

I’m sorry but this is the most boring book I’ve ever read about life in France.

Highly descriptive, going round the year in the life of a newly arrived English peasant farmer's perspective who is hard working and accepted by his French neighbours because of who he is. Revives all my ideas of moving to France, just wish I were 20 years younger.

Unfortunately the book arrived demaged.

Alternately inspiring and exasperating, La Vie has all but forced me to build a potager and frustrated my dreams of evening strolls with a dog (due to lack of said canine) but is so beautifully, simply written, I missed it when I had to put it down ( to dig potager and commence papier mache dog).A terrific read for all of us would-be country folk. AHH, if only.......