Planète Gascogne: Every Gîte Should Have a Copy

Combine a talented illustrator and a soupçon of British eccentricity. Add a dose of rural Gascony and soon you have a unique recipe – cartoons and drawings that make the French laugh at themselves.

That’s Anglo-Gascon Perry Taylor’s talent in a nutshell. Having lived in rural France I can vouch for his super-keen observations of French country life. The sacrosanct traditions of winemaking, hunting, fêtes, local markets and of course le répas, are the objects of Perry’s wry humour. And it being Gascony, the cast list includes numerous amusing farm animal portraits – especially geese and ducks – ably supported by the legendary musketeers, vignerons, chasseurs, housewives and other recognisable characters from the tableau of French country life.

All of this could go horribly wrong in clumsy hands – an Englishman making fun of French traditions! Oh la vache! But not in this case. There’s a delight in the gentle observational humour and an obvious charm to the work which simply puts a smile on your face. And not just on Anglo-Saxon faces – Perry’s books are enjoyed by the French as much as the English. In fact, many of the witty captions are in French with English translations and the humour genuinely crosses borders.

This new book, Planète Gascogne, is a generous helping of Perry’s art which is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Perfect holiday browsing with a glass of wine to hand – every gite should have one of these!

For more information visit www.perrytaylor.fr/en