French Lessons Audiobook By Peter Mayle cover art

French Lessons

Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew

Preview
Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

French Lessons

By: Peter Mayle
Narrated by: Simon Jones
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.48

Buy for $13.48

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Ranging far from his adopted Provence, Peter Mayle now travels to every corner of France, armed with knife, fork, and corkscrew. He takes us to tiny, out-of-the-way restaurants, starred Michelin wonders, local village markets, annual festivals, and blessed vineyards.

We visit the Foire aux Escargots at Martigny-les-Bains - a whole weekend devoted to the lowly but revered snail. We observe the Marathon du Médoc, where runners passing through the great vineyards of Bordeaux refresh themselves en route with tastings of red wine (including ChĊteau Lafite-Rothschild!). There is a memorable bouillabaisse in a beachside restaurant on the Côte d'Azur. And we go on a search for the perfect chicken that takes us to a fair in Bourg-en-Bresse.

There is a Catholic mass in the village of Richerenches, a scared event at which thanks are given for the aromatic, mysterious, and breathtakingly expensive black truffle. We learn which is the most pungent cheese in France (it's in Normandy), witness a debate on the secret of the perfect omelette, and pick up a few luscious recipes along the way. There is even an appreciation and celebration of an essential tool for any serious food-lover in France - the Michelin Guide.

Here we have all the glory and pleasure of the French table in the most satisfying audiobook yet from the toujours delightfully entertaining Peter Mayle.

©2001 by Escargot Productions Ltd. (P)2001 Random House Inc., Random House AudioBooks, A Division of Random House Inc.
Europe Food & Wine Travel Writing & Commentary Funny Witty French Culture
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_T1_webcro805_stickypopup

Critic reviews

"Simon Jones performs Mayle's firsthand account with absolute assurance and skill." (AudioFile)

Humorous Storytelling • Engaging Descriptions • Vivid Cultural Portrayal • Delightful Culinary Experiences • Varied Pitch
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
A retired man enjoying food and wine and camaraderie in France amidst a mix of foibles: What could be more delicious to listen to on my way to and from work?

Additionally, Simon Jones narrates the whole romp with aplomb and panache.

Delightful.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This is one of the funniest books I have ever encountered. Peter Mayle writes with such humour, and Simon Jones brings it to life in his uniques animated fashion. Fabulous!

Hilarious!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Peter Mayle’s appreciation of France and French food is seductively conveyed in this book and Simon Jones’ narration delivers his wit effortlessly. Each chapter is a gourmand’s delight, yet leaves one hungering for more.

Aural gastronomy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What did you love best about French Lessons?

We love France - especially the food and the wine. This book highlights the unique food festivals in an entertaining, humorous and educational way.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

We were traveling in the car, so we listened to the book in one sitting. A perfect book for that.

Very enjoyable and entertaining

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What fun. This book sent be reaching for my travel planner and wishing I too could enjoy all the local festivals and food fairs deep in the French countryside. Peter Mayle writes with wit and joy as usual and lives the life I dream of. A great look into the little known side of the France I love and the food I crave. Mayle makes the simple life the French enjoy one to be craved. Tres Bon!!

Delightful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Unlike the Aix books, this one is about a series of festivals of food and wine. There were some long lunchs in the earlier books, but this is all long lunches and few stories or characters. Narrator Simon Jones thinks he is Bond - James Bond. A bit too arch. Not a great combination. It seems dated in 2018. It might be best to hear a chapter at a time, with some time between them. Maybe these were written as magazine articles, which would have been perfect -- with a month or two between each chapter. Listening to it straight through when commuting, it looses its luster pretty fast. Peter Mayle is still a great author and the narrator is clear and varies his pitch well. It's just that massive amounts of fine food and wine at one sitting after another is not an attractive subject in 2018 -- if it ever was.

French excess

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Highly recommended if you are a food or a Francophile! Peter Mayle transports you to the tables of France like no other.

Foodie Fun

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I do not enjoy travel and have a terribly untutored palate, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love listening to descriptions of people enjoying food and wine, and Peter Mayle conveys his enjoyment and manages to include me at the table. I, like Mr. Jenkins, never eat anything I can't pronounce, but Mr. Mayle broadens my horizons and allows me the second-hand experience of far-away things without leaving home. The narrator was excellent, surpassed only by Mayle himself. This is a wonderful listen for a slow day on the porch or in the garden.

Appetizing Read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Like all his other books exploration of French culture and customs with love and great appreciation. Magnificent.

Delicious

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It had very interesting facts on French culture. I like to know why we do certian things the way we do them.

What was one of the most memorable moments of French Lessons?

The stories of all the little fairs that he attended.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I could find the time to. It wasn't hard to be drawn right back into the story when I had a chance to listen again.

An interesting trip through France

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews