The Lollipop Shoes

I enjoyed this book but was slightly disappointed with it. At times I felt that Vianne Rocher was acting in a manner that was out of character. I wasn't as gripped by this sequel as I'd hoped to be and found it was slightly tiresome during the middle section. However, the last quarter was gripping reading and I enjoyed the final showdown immensely. I also loved that Harris has gone back to her more dark style of writing, and I enjoyed hearing the Grimm style fairy tales that Vianne's mum had told her when she was small.

Not her best. (1/1 people found this helpful)

Joanne Harris's books either capture my imagination or don't - this one did not and I do have to agree with another reviewer that she appears to be recycling the villain from Gentlemen and Players with a view to a movie sequel to Chocolat. Whereas the original Chocolat was full of wonderful characters from the beginning to the end, this is populated by a more disappointing ensemble of characters, not all playing themselves.

I grabbed it when it first came out (2/2 people found this helpful)

Unfortunately, this isn't the best example of that. The beginning and end are fine (though the end is rather cliched) but the middle is rather flabby and needed some good sharp editing. I think it could probably have been cut by about a quarter of its length.

I also found difficulty telling the 3 women's voices apart - I kept having to go back (and I wasn't skipping either, at that point ...) and try to reassess whose section it was, which didn't really help.

No doubt this will do well, but Harris can do much better than this. I recommend Tino Georgiou's--The Fates--for a more satisfing read.

Beware red shoes! (8/9 people found this helpful)

This is the sequel to Chocolat, and re-introduces the author's much loved characters, Vianne and her daughter Anuke, the gypsy Rue, and two new characters; Zozie, a woman who is nothing at all like she seems, and Rosette, Vianne's daughter by Rue.
The story is told from the differing view points of Zozie, Vianne and Anuke, and Joanne Harris captures their three distinct voices perfectly.
On the run after the down fall of her nemesis the priest, Vianne and Anuke settle in Paris, where Vianne opens a chocolate shop and struggles to create a sense of normality for herself and her daughters. However, she is barely breaking even, and she has the added worry of Rosette, who refuses to speak or eat with a spoon, though she hears and understands everything, and what is more, she shows signs of the gift that Anuke longs to explore and Vianne tries her best to ignore.
Their fortunes change when Zozie breezes in to town. Soon the shop is thriving and Vianne and Anuke wonder how they ever managed without her. But the price for this newfound happiness is far beyond anything either of them expect.
This is a deeply atmospheric novel. The sinister nature of the story builds towards the inevitable climax and the suspense literally keeps the reader glued to the page.
It's very refreshing to have at least some of the story told by the villain and Joanne Harris does it beautifully.
Lollypop shoes has the same sharp-tongued wit and charm as Chocolat, though it is a somewhat darker tale in which magic features much more prominently. In spite of that, the book feels firmly grounded in reality and in no way resembles a fantasy novel. This book and its predecessor far in a way surpass the author's other works.

A real magical treat (3/3 people found this helpful)

This is another Harris classic in the making. The usual potent mix of mouth-watering descriptions of food, magical characters and a page-turning plot. This is the sequel to Chocolate and is a worthy follow-up to what has become Harris' most well known novel. Where magic is often an under-laying theme in her work, in this novel it is at the forefront. The great thing about Harris is that she talks about witchcraft and spells as if they are everyday - her power is in making the fabulous seem normal so amazing things can happen to ordinary people without the story becoming far-fetched. This is an old-fashioned story of good versus evil - and although you are pretty sure you will triumph it is a rollercoaster adventure to get to the end.

Joanne Harris

Reader Reviews:

Out of Character? (4/4 people found this helpful)

Not her best. (1/1 people found this helpful)

I grabbed it when it first came out (2/2 people found this helpful)

Beware red shoes! (8/9 people found this helpful)

A real magical treat (3/3 people found this helpful)

Similar Products

Categories