Chocolat

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Joanne Harris

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Pages: 320 (Paperback)

ISBN: 0552998486

Pub: Black Swan

Pub date: 2000-03-02

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2888

Editorial Review:

I hear our M'sieur le Curé already has it in for you ... Does he know you're a witch?
Lansquenet-sous-Tannes--"a blip on the fast road between Toulouse and Bourdeaux"--and new home to Vianne Rocher, her six-year-old daughter Anouk, and Anouk's "imaginary" rabbit, Pantoufle. They arrive "on the wind of the carnival", and, a couple of days later, Vianne opens a luxuriant chocolate shop. "La Céleste Praline" bubbles over with the most tempting of confections, topped with an irresistible selection of rich, smooth chocolate drinks. It's Lent, the shop is opposite the church (which Vianne and Anouk don't attend) it's open on Sundays and Francis Reynaud, the austere parish priest with the "measuring, feline look" is not exactly happy.
As one by one the villagers sidle into the shop to sample Vianne's concoctions, we learn of their characters and secrets, their loves and desires, their troubles and hopes. Sad, polite Guillame and his dying dog. Shoplifting, beaten Joséphine Muscat. And Armande Voizin, still vigorous and perceptive in her 80s, who can see Pantoufle, and recognises Vianne for who she really is.
But Reynaud has his power base. And when Vianne advertises a Grand Festival of Chocolate to start on Easter Sunday, it's all-out war. War between church and chocolate.

Read clearly and precisely by Samantha Bond--whose voice is almost choclatey enough for Vianne--and Gareth Armstrong -- who sounds marginally too rich for Reynaud--this is an elegant adaptation of an utterly delicious novel, the denouement of which brings a new, literal meaning to the phrase "a sticky end", and which proves, indisputably, that soft centres are best. --Lisa Gee

Reader Reviews:

Brimming with passion for life (28/29 people found this helpful)

Joanna Harris creates a rich and vibrant description of a rural French village with all its petty rivalries and traditional, narrow-minded boundaries on thought and behavior. Each of the main characters is hemmed in by these restrictions and must keep certain devils from their past or present lives secreted away so as not to become more of an outsider than they already are and in particular so as not to incite the condemnation of the local parish Priest. Into this scenario comes Mademoiselle Rocher who, despite having her own devils to deal with, brings the promise of freedom embodied in the delights of the chocolate she sells. The characters are inspiring, the descriptions full of life and vigour and the narrative sparkling. The way each of the characters deals with their respective devils makes this a total feel-good novel, but one which is not only enthralling, but also thought-provoking from start to finish.

Lacks Consistency (0/5 people found this helpful)

Having been so impressed with `Five Quarters Of The Orange' I was disappointed when reading this, Yet the film was okay and only slightly differed from the book though I did wonder how they chose to make a film from it. I felt the writer had struggled for much of the book to write anything of merit and it had therefore turned out very patchy. The story would have been better served by just the one narrator.

Lose yourself in this (2/2 people found this helpful)

Having seen the film first I started reading this mainly out of nostalgia as I love the film so much. The book has a very different (darker) feel to it but is still enormously enjoyable. JH is such a wonderfully evocative writer and is able to create such enchanting characters. I only wish the book ended on a more settled note rather than with the slightly unsatisfying `anything might happen' conclusion. However, I accept my view has probably been tainted by the Hollywood sweetened ending of the film. Wonderful story by a great writer; but be prepared for a marked difference to the film.

a tasty little tale (0/0 people found this helpful)

It is not often that a novel comes along that will stand the test of time. An original idea and unique style seem to me to be lacking in many modern authors today. Not so Joanne Harris, not so Chocolat.
This is a tasty little gem of a novel, the author's most well known, and in my opinion, her best.
Set in a peaceful little French village, where the most notable event is the sermons by the local priest, the people's tranquillity is abruptly disturbed by the arrival of Vianne, a woman set to challenge every convention the villagers know. She begins by opening a chocolate shop right in the middle of lent, and so a battle of wills ensues. There is no room for a priest and a witch in one village. One of them must go.
Packed with colourful characters, snappy dialogue and a wonderfully detailed depiction of village life, Chocolat lures the reader in from the opening page, as seductive as the chocolates for sale in Vianne's shop.
Joanne Harris does not fall in to the usual trap with her two antagonists, one good, one evil, but portrays two essentially human characters locked in a struggle that has gone on for centuries. How much should religion be allowed to impact on every day life?
Add to this the sub plots of a woman's liberation from her abusive husband, the prejudice encountered by a group of river gypsies, and an old woman determined to enjoy what is left of her life, whatever the cost, and you have a poignant tale that is a sheer delight and can be read and enjoyed over and over again.

Excellent stuff, very different feel to the film (1/1 people found this helpful)

Vivianne Rocher and her daughter Anock arrive in the French villiage Lansquenet (I like that it never really tells you quite where they are from) and are clearly marked as outsiders. They don't go to church and they open a chocolate chop opposite the church during Lent. Father Rayraud from the church takes this as open warfare and begins to undermine them and try to get them to leave the villiage.

A cast of excellent main and secondary characters, this novel really drew me in. The different chocolates made my mouth water and I loved the Pagan side to the novel that was missed out of the film (which I also enjoyed but for different reasons). I liked that you never quite knew where Vivianne was from origianlly and learning the shocking truth behind her upbringing was again something left out of the film. The war between them and "The Black Man" was done well and I liked that it wasn't specifically anti-christianity. The point was there are good and bad people, religion doesn't make you either neccessarily.

The ending was quite mixed. The new blessing to Vivianne's life was wonderful, but I was sad that the wind still called to them to move on again. It would be lovely if Harris wrote a sequel. To anyone who enjoyed the film, please read the book. It is very different whilst still retaining the charm of the film. I will dedinately be reading more from this author, although I have heard this is by far her best novel to date.

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