Chocolat

This is the perfect fantasy for anyone who's not afraid to be different. Instantly drawn to this story, I found myself getting further and further into the plot while relating more and more with Vianne Rocher and her delightful daughter Anouk.
Filled with vivid depictions of a small-town attitude contradicting a world traveler's broadened horizons, one is instantly drawn to Vianne's witty, intelligent, exotic, and ecclectic personality. She is intuitive to the extent of being a witch, yet uses her supernatural gifts for the good of the town (whom for the most part wishes her away at once). Those villagers (whom I just want to hug!) who had the courage to befriend Vianne, find they are not disappointed. On the contrary, they find a show more beautiful friendship which they all needed more than anything.
Not only does Vianne inspire in her friends and customers of the Chocolaterie a yearning to be different, she gives them the courage to indulge, enjoy life, live a little.
Although I expected a romance to develop in this story, it's not what one expects. However, that is by far not its importance. For that, one can go to Blockbuster and watch Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp's romance in the film.
A very moving story with an exotic mysticism that will leave you entranced...A must-read! show less

This little gem has been around for awhile, so I’m glad I finally picked it up. Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk have spent their lives on the move. They flit from town to town, never staying in one place for too long. When they stumble upon a festival in a small French town and decide to stay for awhile. They open a Chocolate shop in the middle of Lent season, which makes them the focus of the local priest’s ire.

The novel is so charming that you can’t help being swept away by the magic in it. There are some amazing characters each of whom made the book worth reading. There’s Roux, the local gypsy who is hardworking, but can’t let go of his pride. Lovely Josephine Muscat whose spirit has been broken by her cruel husband; show more her transformation is one of the most beautiful aspects of the story. The strange, cruel priest Reynaud makes an interesting villain for the story. A sweet elderly man Guillaume and his dog Charly are regulars at the shop. Then there is my favorite, Armande, a strong-willed woman with a sharp wit and a soft spot for her grandson Luc.

In addition to wonderful characters there’s some meat to the story. It touches on the relationship between religion and community. It looks at spousal abuse, care for the elderly, prejudice between different groups of people and more. It held just the right balance of these elements and great storytelling for me.

BOTTOM LINE: I really loved the story and I felt so connected to the characters. Plus the descriptions of the small provincial village and the chocolate treats were mouth-watering. It made me want to hope in a plane to France and visit a chocolate shop. I liked the pieces from the priest’s POV the least, but overall I was a big fan.

p.s. This is a rare case where I think I enjoyed the movie as much as the book. I actually saw it first, but even when I compared the two I still think it holds up well.

“Politics, music, chess, religion, rugby, poetry – they swoop and segue from one topic to another like gourmets at a buffet who cannot bear to leave any dish untasted.”

“Josephine looked doubtful, ‘I don’t see how anyone can celebrate dying,’ she said at last.
‘You don’t,’ I told her. ‘Life is what you celebrate. All of it. Even it’s end.’”

“…she put her face against the counter, and cried silently. I let her. I didn’t say it would be okay. I made no effort to comfort her. Sometimes it’s better to leave things as they are, to let grief take its course.” show less

Huzzah! I had to go back in time (1999) to find a novel I somehow have never read in order to recover from a three star slump. Joanne Harris' writing is as delicious as the confection she describes, and the recipe of strong women and magic, whether mystical or culinary, is what I am always seeking in books about witches! Bonus points for not turning Vianne's story into a romance, like most modern novels would do.

I would have to debate the author's claim that there are no villains in the story, however. Yes, both Vianne and Reynaud are hiding dark secrets, but the priest - who becomes the mayor in the film adaptation (cowards) - is not a victim. So what if he saw his predecessor shagging his mother and turned arsonist, killing two show more people - he doesn't learn anything from his adolescent mistakes, but turns in on himself and becomes a psychopath. A fascinating antagonist and flip side to Vianne's generous nature, but only a romance novelist would turn him into a brooding hero. He's a dick.

Creepy priest aside, I loved all of the characters, especially Armande ('Whee!'), brave Josephine and Guillaume (glad he found a new friend). There's a real community feel that is like the dark side of Highbury in Emma for much of the book but finally comes together in the end, thanks to Vianne and Armande.

Beautiful story and delicious food - just what I needed! show less

This is a book of many layers. On the surface, it is the story of Vianne Rocher, who moves into a small French town of Lansquenet with her daughter Anouk and opens a chocolate shop. Perhaps because her arrival coincides with the beginning of Lent, Pere Reynaud, the local priest, sees the chocolates that she sells to the locals as an unnecessary indulgence. The story unfolds slowly, as Vianne befriends several people who are outcasts themselves - Armande, an older woman whose daughter disapproves of her new friendship; Josephine, who is in conflict with her husband; and Roux, a Gypsy who arrives by boat. But as Vianne displays an uncanny ability to help her customers, Pere Reynaud and many of his congregants feel challenged, and show more confrontation is inevitable.

The story itself is delightful, especially if you (like me) enjoy the interactions that occur in small towns. But as I was reading this story about Vianne coming to know the town's residents, I realized that Harris had put me in exactly the same position. Everyone in this story has secrets, especially Vianne and Pere Reynaud, our two narrators. And these are revealed at a deliberate pace, with momentum building throughout the book. And then there is the magical realism, which is sprinkled throughout with a light touch. I'm not always a fan of magical realism, but in this case, it is unclear whether Vianne truly has unexplainable powers or whether she simply utilizes the magic of listening, friendship, and, of course, chocolate.

I was mesmerized by this book and look forward to reading more of Harris's work. show less

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 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 show more 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 watched the movie, Chocolat, several years ago, so I recently decided it was time to read the book. Perhaps I wasn't paying close enough attention when I watched the movie, but I expected something very different when I sat down to read the book. I expected the book to be more... romantic, sensual... Instead I found it to be an exploration of the effects of intolerance. Harris takes the intolerance so rife in our world and concentrates it in one small community showing how limiting we can be when we refuse to see beyond that which we've always been taught. She deftly explores the effects of exclusionary behavior and the harm of not bothering to get to know other people. With the story set around a newcomer who opens a chocolate store show more during Lent and the priest who opposes not only the chocolate shop but her mere presence, the town seems divided down the middle with people willing to blind themselves to other people's pain in order to maintain the status quo of their lives. I'm not sure the book was intended to make me feel sad, but it often did because it so aptly displayed how divisive human beings can be toward one another while wrapping their judgment up in a warped version of religious righteousness or even concern. Chocolat is a thought-provoking, entertaining book with characters that touch the heart and take up residence in one's imagination. show less

Vianne and her daughter Anouk arrive in the small French town Lansquenet during the Mardi Gras parade, and open a chocolaterie under the disapproving eye of the village priest, Father Reynaud. As he encourages his parishioners to abstain from anything pleasurable during the Lenten season, Vianne makes friends with elderly Armande and a few others, including some travelers on riverboats. There is a strong bias against them, led by Father Reynaud, with an undercurrent of violence.

*Spoilers*

A majority of chapters are from Vianne's perspective, but some are from the priest's, as he visits the former priest, who has had a stroke; here, many dark secrets are revealed. For example, when Reynaud was young, he set fire to travelers' riverboats show more and killed two people, and let the suspicion fall elsewhere, though no one was ever charged. He also caught his mother having sex with the priest, which led to that priest's first stroke. At the end of Lent, on Easter morning, he breaks into Vianne's chocolaterie planning to destroy her stock and send her out of the neighborhood, but she catches him in time.

Quotes

"While I'm alive, they know there's someone who remembers everything." (Armande, 140)

The devil works not through evil but through weakness, pere. You of all people know that. Without the strength and purity of our convictions, where are we? How secure are we? (Reynaud, 151)

The habit of ritual, so long abandoned, returns with unexpected ease. (159)

We cannot stay here forever. But perhaps he has paved the way for us to stay elsewhere. (305) show less