Provence and the French Riviera: More Recommended Reading and Viewing
Non-Fiction
For a good introduction to French culture and people, read French or Foe (Polly Platt) and Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong (Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow). The latter is a must-read for anyone serious about understanding French culture, contemporary politics, and what makes the French tick.
In A Distant Mirror, respected historian Barbara Tuchman takes readers back to medieval France. The Course of French History (Pierre Goubert) is a concise and readable summary. Ina Caro's The Road from the Past is filled with enjoyable essays on her travels through France, with an accent on history. And The Yellow House (Martin Gayford) vividly recounts van Gogh and Gauguin's tumultuous stay in Arles.
Peter Mayle's bestselling memoirs, A Year in Provence and Toujours Provence, offer an evocative view of life in southern France. The travelogue Portraits of France (Robert Daley)includes chapters on Provence. In At Home in France (Ann Barry), an American author describes her visits to her country house. Postcards from France (Megan McNeill Libby) was written by an observant foreign exchange student. A mix of writers explore French culture in Travelers Tales: Provence (edited by Tara Austen Weaver and James O'Reilly).
A Goose in Toulouse (Mort Rosenblum) provides keen insights on rural France through its focus on cuisine. Foodies may also enjoy From Here, You Can't See Paris (Michael S. Sanders), about a local restaurant where foie gras is always on the menu.
Da Vinci Code fans will enjoy reading that book's inspiration, Holy Blood, Holy Grail (Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln), which takes place mostly in southern France.
If you'll be staying in France for a while, consider picking up Adapter Kit France: A Traveler's Tools for Living Like a Local (Terry Link) and/or Culture Shock: France (Sally Adamson Taylor).
Fiction
Written in the 1930s, Joy of Man's Desiring captures the charm of rural France. (The author, Jean Giono, also wrote the Johnny-Appleseed eco-fable set in Provence, The Man Who Planted Trees.) The Fly-Truffler (Gustaf Sobin) features a character who studies the Provençal dialect. Peter Mayle, whose non-fiction books are recommended above, also writes fiction set in Provence, including Hotel Pastis and A Good Year.
Films
To Catch a Thief (1955) features both the French Riviera and crackling performances by Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. In La Grande Vadrouille (1966), set during World War II, two French civilians aid the crew of a downed Allied bomber in crossing the demarcation line into southern France. The Return of Martin Guerre (1982) takes place during the Middle Ages.
Jean de Florette (1986), a marvelous tale of greed and intolerance, is about a city hunchback who inherits a valuable piece of property in rural France, only to have his efforts thwarted by his villainous neighbor. Its sequel, Manon des Sources (1986), continues the story, focusing on the hunchback's beautiful daughter.
Two films, based on the memoirs of writer/filmmaker Marcel Pagnol, show his early life in Provence: My Father's Glory (1991) and My Mother's Castle (1991).
Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), about a romantic poet with a large nose, has scenes filmed at the Abbaye de Fontenay. French Kiss (1995) includes scenes in the French countryside and Cannes, as well as Paris. Chocolat (2000), which was filmed in the Dordogne region, shows Juliette Binoche opening a chocolate shop and stirring up a tiny town. (The Horseman on the Roof, from 1995, is also set in southern France and features the beautiful Binoche.) The Chorus (2004), filled with angelic choir music, tells the story of a schoolteacher and the boys he brings together.
For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Provence & the French Riviera guidebook — or join us on one of our free-spirited tours in Europe.