From Here, You Can't See Paris: Seasons of a French Village and Its Restaurant Review
I just now finished reading the celebrated "foie gras" section; as a Francophilic reseller checking prices for this title, I noticed some of the reviews and got curious.
For all I know the large-scale editing could be better (or the book might be intended to stand as chapter-independent), but the 5-6 pages I read were quite well crafted, with varied and sensitive sentence pacing and inclusion of many insightful details.
If you can't get from one end of a compound or (perish the thought) complex sentence to the other, like so many young video-game-deranged ADHD cases apparently have trouble doing, this lovely slice of a beautiful if hard way of life will probably be too taxing to enjoy.
But for seasoned readers, it's a delectable read as far as I've seen (and it's fun to handle a book with traditional, ragged page signature edges for a change).
Foie gras production is a pretty inhumane business, but non-vegetarians won't be learning anything totally new about how the other half lives. The people are wonderful and real. I wish I too could visit the area, as one reviewer said she did, before it becomes a part of a bygone age!
P.S. Anyone generally interested in the proud and warring nations of France and Paris are encouraged to read "Fragile Glory" by Bernstein, a former NY Times Paris Bureau Chief -- it's delightful and informative!....
From Here, You Can't See Paris: Seasons of a French Village and Its Restaurant Overview
From Here,You Can't See Paris is a sweet, leisurely exploration of the life of Les Arques (population 159), a hilltop village in a remote corner of France untouched by the modern era. It is a story of a dying village's struggle to survive, of a dead artist whose legacy began its rebirth, and of chef Jacques Ratier and his wife, Noëlle, whose bustling restaurant -- the village's sole business -- has helped ensure Les Arques's future.
Sanders set out to explore the inner workings of a French restaurant kitchen but ended up stumbling into a much richer world. Through the eyes of the Sanders family, one discovers the vibrant traditions of food, cooking, and rural living, and comes to know the village's history. Whether uncovering the darker secrets of making foie gras, hearing a chef confess his doubts about the Michelin star system, or absorbing the lore of the land around a farmhouse kitchen table after a boar hunt, life in Les Arques turns out to be anything but sleepy.
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Customer Reviews
Chock full of information! - Karoe - Atlanta, GA
I stumbled across this book in the library, and took it home. Loved it for all the detailed, really detailed information about life, food, cuisine etc. in a region of France to which I'd had no prior exposure. I was stymied at the outset by the poor editing, like others who have written here, but I found the content to be so riveting I tried to just ignore it as best I could. I was rewarded for my efforts...if you like this kind of thing (France, village life, food) this book is not to be missed. One week with a good editor would have made his story a masterpiece!!
Awesome - Dubitato -
Sanders has captured the life in a small French village and its wonderful restaurant. My wife, best friends and I organized a trip to France around Sanders' book. It did not disappoint. La Rec was unbelievable. My friend and I could not figure out how the restaurant makes money at 30 Euros a person for a wonderful meal (five courses, including some of the most elegant dishes we had in France -- the Lobster bisque and ravioli are beyond description, for example). We took many of Sanders' other suggestions, including a lunch at the cooking school in a nearby village, and found the experience to be wonderful. The only downside to Sanders' work is that Les Arques has been bought up by northern Europeans, with virtually no French people living there.
I Just Had to go After Reading the Book. - Collage Maven - KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA United States
I found a link to this book on the site of the B & B in Albas I was planning to visit during my trip to France last year. I bought & read the book and had to see for myself. Since my traveling companion & I were going to be in the area we e-mailed the owners of the B & B to make us a reservation.
It was the most marvelous meal I've ever had. Three hours long and there was no sense of time having passed. The owners were lovely and I have never seen a cleaner kitchen ever, anywhere. My only regret is that we didn't have time to see much of the village he writes about.
My dream is to go back & do it again. I'm so glad I read this book.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 18, 2010 12:56:30
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