Joanne Harris

This book falls somewhere between 5 stars and an eternal firmament of them. It is definitely the best book I've read this year, and I am only sorry that it has taken so many years to discover it. I saw the film a number of years ago and much as I liked it, I would have to say the book is better, if incredibly different. Don't expect quite the light hearted sense of the cinematic version, however, because you will be disappointed.

In the film, Vianne's antagonist is the mayor; in the book, he show more is the village priest -- which creates a much more complex and layered exploration of the nature of personal freedom and religious choice than is evident in the film. Having been born, washed and baked in the RC faith, I recognized Vianne's struggle for what it was: not a repudiation of the faith, but a wider acceptance of the world, within a personal realm of belief. Once we start discounting other faiths, other belief systems, other races, the world deteriorates into chaos. If we allow ourselves to embrace the "other", then suddenly the world opens an infinite realm of possibilities. Harris handles this topic with incredible perspicuity and lucidity -- so beautifully managed, in fact, that she quite takes my breath away at times with her insight and wisdom.

Quite apart from her sagacity on religion, the book is pure magic. It's a fairy tale, a fable, a morality play all in one. It delivers everything, including the (metaphorical) cherry on top. Harris's words are as delicious as all the mouth watering confections that she allows Vianne to create and I rolled each sentence around in my head with the same enjoyment as any of the villagers experienced her confections! show less

I fell in love with Harris's depiction of Joe and his down-to-earth whimsy. Her writing is enchanting and sucks you in, making you not want to leave the world she's creating and its characters. I loved that there were subtle glimpses into the lives of those who played a role in Chocolat, which I adored when I read it last year. Blackberry Wine is not a sequel to that book, though, but a totally separate story which just happens to take place in the same town as Chocolat. After reading this, show more I can almost believe there is magic in food -- and the world. show less

This cat-and-mouse thriller is atmospheric and darkly funny. The story takes place at St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys, an old, tradition-steeped elite private school that is imbued with so much personality and history that it could be considered a principal character. The suspenseful narrative is structured like a game of strategy, and alternates between Roy Straitley, the aging Classics teacher, and the vengeful child of the former school porter, now come back ostensibly as a new show more teacher, but actually to maliciously engineer the downfall of the entire institution. Straitley narrates staff room political manoeuvres, student "types," and pompous administrative machinations with rapier wit and sharp-tongued Latin invectives. He is the hilarious heart and soul of the book and the school, but is suffering not-so-subtle insults and indignities that are forcing him to consider retirement. The new teacher recounts a difficult childhood literally in the shadows of St. Oswald's, which was the focus of longing and awe, but absolutely inaccessible, and therefore, irresistible. This character's narrative itself alternates between flashbacks of youth -- stolen uniforms used for illicit exploration and infiltration of St. Oswald's and desperate hunger for acceptance and belonging, to the present day plot using computer viruses, hacking, and murder as tools to infiltrate the school and serve up cold revenge. I was guessing until the end, and thought the book was very well done. show less

I really enjoyed Harris’ Gospel of Loki. It was an excellent reimaging of the familiar Norse myths from Loki’s perspective. However, I’m willing to bet that this follow-up will split fans over the change in direction. Gospel was firmly set in mythology, and the characters and locations all fit with that. We met all the familiar and not so familiar gods in Asgard, all through the eyes of a less than trustworthy narrator. Testament is also told from Loki’s POV, but is still a radical show more departure from the first book. It is a direct sequel that reveals how Loki escaped his imprisonment by Chaos that came with Ragnarok – he escaped through Dream into a video game!

Jumps is a seventeen-year-old girl who suddenly finds herself host to the God of Mischief after playing a new video game, “Asgard!” At first, she thinks she is going crazy. But when she rushes to visit her friend Evan, she and Loki discover that he is hosting Odin! And Odin has a plan to return the gods (particularly himself) to their former glory, but he needs something from Loki. I was initially put off by the abrupt change from myth to modern setting, especially since Gospel read like a traditional adult novel, and this is definitely YA. I didn’t like so much focus on everything that was wrong in Jumps’ life. She’s an outsider/misfit in school, with extremely low self-esteem, an eating disorder and she cuts herself. That’s a lot to pack into an adventure story that is otherwise very lighthearted. And, it is all resolved much too easily for such weighty issues.

However, I really enjoyed Loki’s reactions to “our” modern world: Chocolate! Pizza! English Exams? Harris is still faithful to the character. And, his growing connection with Jumps was very good. They grew to respect and even care for each other and worked together to accomplish their goals. Loki swept into her life like Mary Poppins, leaving it for the better. The best part, though, is the plot involving Odin, Mimir’s daughter Gullveig-Heid, and Loki. There are lots of twists, betrayals and threads that extend from Gospel and tie into Runemarks (which was published first but comes after Loki’s books in the chronology).

Overall, I ended up liking the book much more by the end than I had when I started. I hope Harris does more books with Loki. show less