Under the Tuscan Sun – A Bookish Movie Review

Like so many book-based movies, Under the Tuscan Sun stole the title and some of the basics from the book, then threw everything else out the window. The movie was nothing like the book. Being a movie, the plot had to be all about romance and drama. The book was more about a return to a simple life and Frances was already seeing someone – a fact which didn’t even play a large role in the book. In some movies, these drives me slowly insane as I see how well they could have done the book. In this case, I can find it in me to forgive them since the book arguably had no plot to begin with. Something had to happen for this to be a good movie and for something to happen, they had to make things up.

Bookends About Beautiful Ruins

Title: Beautiful Ruins
Author: Jess Walters
Source: from publisher for review
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Summary: I was completely blown away by the reality of this novel, with its intense emotion; believable characters; and insights into human nature.

To explain all the things this book is about would require a long summary, such as that on goodreads, but here is my best attempt at a shorter description. Beautiful Ruins  involves two main stories. One, set in 1962, describes a meeting between a young, Italian innkeeper named Pasquale and a beautiful American actress named Dee. The other story follows Pasquale as, fifty years later, he tries to find the actress he felt such a connection with. In between, we get to know the many people who become part of their story, including a young assistant producer becoming disenchanted with Hollywood and a young man struggling to find his place in life.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Title: Under the Tuscan Sun
Author: Frances Mayes
Source: library
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Summary: This is a wholesome, lovely, refreshing read with lyrical prose describing a beautiful location but it is a little undirected.

First let me tell you what this book isn’t. It’s nothing like the movie; it’s not a romance; and it isn’t even a book with much of a plot. Instead, it’s a beautiful collection of anecdotes loosely tied together by the progression of time. The primary focus is on the author’s experiences restoring a Tuscan villa, but her focus on food is a close second. Some of her experiences as a tourist remind me of a travel memoir, but I particularly enjoyed the other parts that describe the experience of actually living in Italy.