Product Description

Brian Viner and his family had enjoyed much about their nice little middle-class patch of north London, but gradually realised they were suffering from a severe case of 'metropause' - the desire to swap the hassles of London life for the serenity of the countryside. After a long search they found the house of their dreams in rural Herefordshire. But is the quiet life all it's cracked up to be? More importantly, where does one go to get a decent cappuccino? 'A Year in Provence' with less sunshine but more laughs, "Tales Of The Country" is a wonderfully entertaining and heart-warming account of the Viners' adjustment from town to country. Full of anecdote and character, it is a superbly beguiling book about what is really important in life, and the joys and trials encountered along the road towards it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26987 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

Hilarious
Last month, I spent two weeks in the south of France with my partner. I'm not really much of a reader and often spend a lot of my time on my computer, wasting my evenings away, or out socialising with friends. I would often buy books but I never get round to reading them. However my partner is very keen on reading so I thought these two weeks would be the perfect opportunity to read a book I bought two years earlier in Leicester train station, Tales of the Country.

As soon as I started reading this book I could not put it down. I was in stitches with Viner's witty jokes and hilarious tales and antics. I often relayed many of the book's jokes back to my partner who struggled to finish her book due to my constant interruptions.

If you like a book to make you laugh then this is a must.

Viner's onto a winner
This book will probably get lumped into the Peter Mayle genre but that is unfair. This is a delightfully funny book by a very funny writer that made me laugh out loud several times (which I don't do very often). Highly recommended.

Funny sure, but insightful too
I bought TOTC and The Pheasant's Revolt at the same time because I am considering such a move and needed to catch up with the subject quickly and, if possible, enjoyably. TOTC addressed the need very well and had some seriously amusing moments - not quite Bill Bryson standard - but still very witty. As mentioned by other reviewers though, by the time you plough through TOTC and then TPR you start to realise that Mr Viner is a little self indulgent and tries too hard to justify his move and over glorify his position. By the end of TPR you can't help but get the feeling he has taken on too much and is coming to realise it. No doubt he will eventually write a clever book about how to move from the country back to London! That said, its worth the read, but won't convince you of anything. Anyone recommend a more objective and less idealized read for someone not looking to be a Lord of the Manor?