I always hate to read the last page of a good book.

books:


	• Chocolat Joanne Harris Penguin (Non-Classics), 2000 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 213 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Fantastic, Mouth-Watering

Chocolat / 0-141-00018-X

Chocolat is easily one of my favorite novels - the escapism is fantastic, the food descriptions are mouth-watering, the plot and prose are beautiful. I can hardly believe that a novel so richly packed with meaning could be so relatively short. Harris' prose here is at its finest, as we follow the narratives of Vianne, the free-spirited chocolate-creating witch, and Reynaud, the guilt-stricken oppressive village priest.

Each narrative is uniquely told, with personality quirks inherent to each, and each narrative can be subtly imperfect - Reynaud slowly descends into madness, as does his precise narrative; Vianne's fear of weakness and displacement causes her to falsely claim that she never cries, causes her to state a yearning to move on which does not exist, and causes her to doubt her own importance to her lover Roux - creating a tantalizing problem for the reader: do we believe Vianne or do we believe Roux and his actions? The problem is - like Vianne's chocolates - delicate and bitter-sweet, with possibilities abounding on either side.

Although this is a novel featuring a single mother, and a non-Christian at that, I do not believe that this novel represents an attack on any particular way of life. Vianne states, early on, that the goal of life is "to be happy" (without, of course, hurting others in the process). Though the antagonist is a priest, it is clear that he has his own individual demons, and it is *not* his office within the church which makes him evil. Several villagers are held up as examples of genuine Christians who do not flaunt their belief purely for power or social standing. Nor is this some kind of screed against men - Vianne, Josephine, and Armande are aided time and again by kind, emotionally strong men who value these women for their strength of character. Indeed, if I were to call this style of writing anything, I would call it 'humanist' - it is clear that Vianne is no less a valuable person for being a female or for being a witch; no less is Guillaume a valuable person for being a male or for being a Christian. All these people, Harris seems to be saying, are people and thus deserve love and a little bit of kindness in their life and, she suggests, the right and privilege to decide when enough is enough. (Whether or not the reader agrees is left gently to the reader - Harris is not preachy or didactic.)

I highly recommend this book for anyone - this is a book that spans gender, religion, age, and country. (Note: Chocolat is best enjoyed with a tall glass of milk and dark chocolate truffles near at hand!)

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I always hate to read the last page of a good book.

I love the way she mixes the wonderful smells of chocolat and fresh food, which are gifts from God, with the nastiness of miserable people.

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Interesting, much different from the movie

Usually I like to read a book before I see the movie, but this time it was the other way around. I enjoyed both. The book was interesting, but in a darker way. The story is written in first person, alternating between Vianne Rocher and the priest of the village. It is much more in depth about Vianne's past and present. I missed the Count de Renoux character from the movie, for in the book that place is filled by the priest, who has a very dark side. Some of my other favorite characters from the movie are also missing. So all in all, it was a good book, but it made me want to see the movie again.

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Chocolate Devilish Good

I had seen the movie and loved it. Now that I have read the book, I am even more a fan of Joanne Harris. I cannot wait to get other books.

This read is not a quick one, if you take the time to get into all the detail of the people, and the lay of the town. It draws in at the first sentence. to the very end, you want to know more about the citizens of Lansquenet and Vianne and Anouk. We know from preview of Ms. Harris' book, that they move on, yet you want more of the inhabitents of the town.

Recommend it highly vs the movie, yet the movie ( bought the Penguin release with movie cover) will grab you also.

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Exquisite Language

Forget all the food metaphors beckoning; I'd spend months trying to not sound cliche. But this book, especially in its similes, has language -- I'm not kidding about this -- that rivals Shakespeare's in creativity, and in its ability to evoke clear, luscious images. I read much of it out loud, letting the feel of the words in my mouth, their sounds in my ears, enhance the richness.

Thank you Ms. Harris, for the lessons, for the compassion, and especially for the language.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Greeted as "an amazement of riches . . . few readers will be able to resist" by The New York Times, Chocolat is an enchanting novel about temptation, pleasure, and the ultimate folly of self-denial. The town of Lansquenet, solemnly preparing for Lent, is set astir when Vianne Rocher and her spirited daughter arrive on the heels of the carnival and open a chocolate shop across the square from the church. Vianne's uncanny ability to perceive her customers' private discontents and alleviate them with just the right chocolate treats quickly charms the villagers--and enrages Pere Reynaud, the conservative local priest. Certain that only a witch could create such magical cures, Reynaud vows to block the chocolate festival Vianne plans for Easter Sunday and to run her out of town forever. Witch or not (she'll never tell), Vianne soon sparks a dramatic confrontation between those who prefer the cold comforts of the church and those who revel in their newly discovered taste for pleasure.

"Delectable . . . delicious"-- (USA Today)

"Part fairy tale, part morality tale, laden with high farce and tongue-in-cheek humor . . . suffused with lush detail and finely drawn interesting characters."-- Philadelphia Inquirer

"Harris writes with verve and charm . . . if Colette and Hawthorne had collaborated, the result might have been this serious delight."-- The New Yorker

The perfect treat for Valentine's Day and Easter

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