Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I'm currently reading the novel Labyrinth by Kate Mosse which is set in and around Carcassonne (currently No 1 in the bestseller lists in the UK).

Someone mentioned to me that it had been featured strongly on Richard and Judy on C4 and that it was predicted that it would have a huge impact on the number of British people moving to that area of France.

Has anyone living in the area noticed that effect yet?

Just wondering.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 84
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

My husband has just finnished the book and said it was fantastic, now he is nagging me to read it.

He wants to go and explore Carcassone now, I saw Richard and Judy's show a few weeks ago when they recommended the book, they also mentioned it yesterday and said it was the best book in their book club this year.

Regards

Nina

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I liked the book too; I think there are already quite a lot of Brits living in that area already.  But it is a great place to go for a break, I went last year, Carcasonne is lovely, although obviously the cité is a tourist trap, it is a very pleasant one, and I really liked Toulouse too, and there are cheap flights to both.  I do think you get more out of it if you have read up on the history of the cathars before you go, though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read The Yellow Cross: The Story of the Last Cathars, 1290-1329 by Rene Weiss a few years ago. Unfortunately I found it pretty heavy going,  very dry but it was before I'd been to the area so it didn't have too much familiarity for me. I may go back and read it again now that I have a little knowledge of the area.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went to a local cafe for lunch last week in a town south of

Carcassonne, the place was literally crammed to the doors, we got the

last table whereas usually it is only 40% full this time of year.

There is also the impact of the Dan Brown book and movie this year too - though not explicit the whole story is somewhat derived the story of Rennes le Chateau (see current court case) as all the "Secret of the Da Vinci Code" books make clear.

Then the Tour de France has a stage end in Carcassonne on 14th July for the annual fireworks over the old cite, we tried to get a hotel room but within hours of the announcement everywhere was full!

If that wasn't enough the local wine has developed a really strong following in the last couple of years US following a deal between Ernst and Gallio and the local co-operatives (labelled as Red Bicyclette)

It's unfortunate that most people will just go stay in Carcassonne itself without going to see the surrounding towns, gorges, caves, countryside and "Cathar" castles which are just superb!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the tourist effect will wind down after a while. I used to live quite close to where Ballykissangel was filmed in Ireland and while the series was being broadcast and for a couple of years afterwards it was busy all summer with tour buses, etc., mainly from the UK but when the series was cancelled the tours also dwindled until nowadays it's pretty much back to 'normal'.

I suppose the difference with Carcassonne in terms of people permanently relocating to the area is that there already is a predeliction among British people to move to France and 'trends' like the Labyrinth book drives them to a specific area changing property acquisition and demographics in the longer term in the way that A Year in Provence did for that region.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We moved here about 20 months ago and have been in our own house for a year. It's just N/E of Carcassonne. It's a wonderful place to live as well as visit. We walk our chocolate labrador along the Canal du Midi almost every day and it's incerdible to see it in all it's phases through out the year. Incredible when it's empty in the winter for repairs to see the engineering from 400 years ago still in perfect order. The biggest problem with having our own house here is that we have seen some of the places, the Old Cité obviously, but we have been so busy that we are only now starting to look around us.

As has been said the Old Cité is wonderful with a very long and torturous history and, obviously, it is a tourist trap, but what a wonderful one. If you decide to go and have a look I would recomend that you go outside the main holiday times and plan to get there at about 9 'o' clock in the morning. That will give you at least an hour before the coaches start arriving and even in mid-winter the shops are open. There are some very nice shops with some good kit and they are not toooo expensive. The main windows in the cathederal (spelling?) are among the oldest original stained glass windows in France. When the Germans came into France and made it obvious that they wanted to stay and also take anything back to the father land that they thought was worth it, the French removed the windows and put them in hiding. They were re-fitted after the Germans went back home... (I should have been a diplomat pert etra mais pert etra par?) We went to 'The Burning of the Cité last 14th July. It was a firework spectical the like of which I have never seen. 25 minutes long with the last 6 seconds of thousands of fireworks all in a crescendo of light and noise. We were lucky enough to find a good spot to watch and I have the whole show on video. This year, with those blokes on the bikes arriving on the 14th, it has been promised that it will make last year's look shoddy? I can't understand why the French celebrate the 14th. I would have thought by now they would know my birthday is on the 13th!!!

We like the audio books and have The Da Vinci Code and The Labyrinth on audio CDs. I have read a number of the books based on or around the Cathars and I'm hungry for more info about them. At the moment I'm reading The Holy Blood & The Holy Grail, the book that the previously mentioned court case is about. That took a helll of a lot of research and is fascinating. With every page it seems that the mystery grows?

Wine was also mentioned. We live on the edgo of the Minervois area and with all the lovely wine that's produced around us I have decided to make it my life's goal to try them alllllllll, mind you it willl probably take a couple of weeks?

John (oh but I suppose that we all have our cross to bear, mine just happpens to swing about a corkscrew[8-)])

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've just started reading it too on the back of it being featured on R&J and thoroughly enjoying it so far.

I'm sure that the book will increase tourism in the area - hundreds of thousands of copies have been sold - and no doubt a few house sales will also be made.

My mum has always wanted to visit the area and this weekend she'll get her wish as they're stopping off there en route to us from Spain. So John, if you see a sixty-something year old couple in a right hand drive, Spanish plated Toyota Corolla - that's my folks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read this book a few weeks ago.  I thought it was Ok-ish and wonder if it would have achieved so many sales without being featured on the R & J show.  The author obviously benefits from having a second home in the area, as her descriptions are excellent. 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm still ploughing through it and to be honest it could've done with a stronger editorial hand. I'm over 500 pages in and she could have told the story, as effectively, in half the words. Her descriptions of the area are good but her desire to be micro-descriptive about seemingly every object and person gets the better of her. So much of the prose is flowery blather I'm now 'skimming'. She's not a great writer in my opinion but a very marketable one in a priviliged position in terms of her PR options.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dotty

I have read lots of books about Cathars, both fiction and non-fiction.  The Labyrinth has a reasonably interesting story-line but it does go on a bit!   It started well.  However, by the time I got to the end, on balance,  I thought it promised more than it delivered.

I will be interested to see what you think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gay

I had no idea it even existed.  My hubby works in the UK and the kids and I are here in France full time.  He often picks up books for me at my request but this one was off his own back.  I have to say I was really excited when he gave it to me, I love the whole Cathar thing.  But since hearing the other posters opinions, I'm a bit reluctant to start reading it.

Have you read it?

Dotty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, I haven't read it and to be honest I may not for a while....I have a rather perverse side to my nature that means that when these books are hyped up I avoid them. Several people have recommended 'Star of the Sea (including Tresco) and some one has actually lent it to me, but it sits on the book shelf waiting to be opened because I have heard such good things about it that I am almost bound to be dissapointed. Bit like the film Titanic - I have never seen that either !

I am in a Philippa Gregory historical novel stage at present, while of course they are somewhat romanticized there is quite a lot of fact in them, I think Ms Gregory is rather keen on research. The ones I have read have dealt with Katherine of Aaragon & Henry V111,  Robert Dudley and his relationship with Elizabeth 1, Mary 1 and Elizabeth 1 and the one I am reading at present is to do with Robert Cecil and John Tradescant, history and gardening ........bliss! I loved that period of history at school, and the books also illustrate the relationship between England, France and Spain.

I did start Frank Skinners autobiography (which was a 'Book of the Year' of some description too) but so far I am very unimpressed. See what I mean - I'm just perverse !

Have you read 'Small Island' ? That WAS a prizewinner, and I loved it !!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Philippa Gregory may be good at facts, but it is her interpretation of them I quarrel with!  They may be good "reads" but history they are not.  As long as the difference is apparent, there is no problem but as soon as a reader begins to accept the interpretation as fact, then understanding of historical events is compromised.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rosie girl, I think she has taken a few 'bones' and put the flesh on them she wanted to make a story, but I'd be interested to know where you disagree with her twist on things? I actually thought she was a lot more generous to Anne Boleyn than my history teacher ! One theory is as good as the next regarding Amy Dudley - will we ever know?

I went to Tesco's yesterday and bought 'March' also a Richard and Judy book - it takes up the story of the father in 'Little Women', what is happening to him.  It was £3.75 !.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now there's a coincidence, Gay. I'm currently reading "The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn" by Eric Ives. It's certainly changed my opinion of Anne and, even though I sort of knew it, I am stunned by the speed and callousness of her despatch.

I have The Labyrinth on the shelf and I'm really looking forward to reading something less sad.

Hoddy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Russethouse"]

The Labyrinth won Richard & Judy's Book of the Year prize, so no doubt another boost for sales.

[/quote]

Oh dear God. That's truly shocking. I finished it the other day and I have to report it as one of the worst written, worst edited books I've ever read.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Exerpts from "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" are being read on R4 at 9.45 this week leading to a discussion on Thursday.

It will be interesting to hear what is said since the Priory of Sion was a hoax, and Henry Lincoln (one of HBHG's authors) was a Dr Who scriptwriter.

I know I'm sticking my neck out here, but I think that "The daVinci Code" is about the worst book I have ever read and constitutes a new form of experience I have called ChavLit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Clarkkent"] I know I'm sticking my neck out here, but I think that "The daVinci Code" is about the worst book I have ever read and constitutes a new form of experience I have called ChavLit.[/quote]

And I called it the literary equivalent of a shell suit, also known as Cloak of the Devil, so you are not alone.

Gay Russethouse. You Flipping Monkey.

Star of the Sea is excellent. It's a proper book, not one of these awful Sebastien Foulkes  Dan Brown made up type books.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...