Provence, 1970

M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste

By: Luke Barr

Narrated by: John Rubinstein

Provence, 1970 is about a singular historic moment. In the winter of that year, more or less coincidentally, the iconic culinary figures James Beard, M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, Richard Olney, Simone Beck, and Judith Jones found themselves together in the South of France. They cooked and ate, talked and argued, about the future of food in America, the meaning of taste, and the limits of snobbery. Without quite realizing it, they were shaping today’s tastes and culture, the way we eat now. The conversations among this group were chronicled by M.F.K. Fisher in journals and letters—some of which were later discovered by Luke Barr, her great-nephew. In Provence, 1970, he captures this seminal season, set against a stunning backdrop in cinematic scope—complete with gossip, drama, and contemporary relevance.

Excellent diversion

I enjoyed this book tremendously - it was well read and well written and mostly well conceived although I think more importance was given to these individuals than their actual roles in a shift I believe was the result of much larger forces than this book suggests. However the stories were interesting and well told and I very much enjoyed the book as well as the performance.

Loved it.

The story of the convergence of these influential people is enjoyable and I really enjoyed the performance as well.

What a fabulous celebration!

This was a spectacularly enjoyable book. I especially loved Barr's masterful usage of diaries and private correspondence which made the characters come alive. Some of these characters could be catty and mean, downright nasty even. But somehow Barr manages to preserve their characteristics, rough edges and all, while giving them their due. If you're a lover of the works of MFK Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, or Richard Olney, you will appreciate this careful and delicate seance-like gathering together of these pioneering cooks and artists. it made me wish he could spend more time with each one of these innovators. You have to love a book that keeps you wanting more, never fully sated, but entranced all the way through.

You really gotta be a Chef head to like this one

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Only if they where seriously into the minut back story the way American cooking has developed

Would you listen to another book narrated by John Rubinstein?

Im not going to go looking for him

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Nope

Any additional comments?

You have got to seriously want to know the back story of these people and this topic to be interested in this book. I couldnt have read this book, if it haddent been on audio Id never have finished.

Superb Narration, Engrossing Tale

Would you consider the audio edition of Provence, 1970 to be better than the print version?

I'd consider them equal, depending on one's preference. The narrator is mostly quite good.

What other book might you compare Provence, 1970 to and why?

Reflexions by Richard Olney would be a good companion read to this.

What does John Rubinstein bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

A very good narrator, I just wish men would learn not to attempt women's voices, as Rubinstein does to a small degree when speaking M.F.K. Fisher. I never like this. It always reminds me of Norman Bates speaking as his mother to some degree. To Rubinstein's credit, it's a small degree of annoyance, nothing that matters much as some others do (listen to the narrator of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt released on the same day -- much worse [in that case I decided to forego the audiobook as a result]).

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, but it enriched my understanding, gave a different perspective somewhat, and showed these people such as Julia Child more humanly than their public personas allowed.

Any additional comments?

It's the first audiobook that makes me want to start all over after I've finished.