Blackberry Wine
by Joanne Harris
On This Page
Description
A cantankerous, mysterious man purchases a small cottage in the French countryside, trying to recapture the magic in his life from two decades earlier.Tags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
What a charming fairy tale for grown-ups! It comes complete with elements of fantasies... a house in the French countryside...potions and healers with the power to transform...love everlasting even if often is not entirely convincing. There were only a couple of things that were slightly annoying but not overwhelming. The narrator was a bottle of wine...you don't have to go back and reread that...it was indeed a bottle of blackberry wine...and the end of the book is a little unbelievable. The recluse harbors a dark secret which comes out of the blue. Overall it was certainly an intriguing way to present he story.
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, I can almost believe there is magic in food -- and the world.
A really warming and enjoyable light read, narrated in part, by a bottle of Fleurie, 1962. 'Wine talks. Everyone knows that.'
This is a tale of a man who finally learns to live his life. The story switches between the present (1999) and Jay’s memories of three summers spent in Kirby Monckton with his grandparents (1975 - 1977) where he meets Joe Cox, or Jackapple Joe. Joe teaches Jay about plants, herbs and the magic of nature. Despite going on to write a very successful novel based on Jackapple Joe, Jay loses faith and feels angry and abandoned by Joe. With this loss of faith comes a loss of muse and a sequel eludes him. Drinking one of Joe's Specials, he sees a brochure advertising a French chateau resembling one Joe had dreamed of show more owning. Impulsively Jay buys it and moves out to France, where he finally starts living his life.
Jay may not be a particularly likeable character, but old Joe is. He sounds like an absolute treasure trove for young and old, a spiritual guide for Jay, a simple and generous person.This is a book that pleasures the senses, as the writing of Joanne Harris does, you can smell and taste the wine, the food, the plants, the soil. The writing is evocative, conjuring images that are peaceful and magical. show less
This is a tale of a man who finally learns to live his life. The story switches between the present (1999) and Jay’s memories of three summers spent in Kirby Monckton with his grandparents (1975 - 1977) where he meets Joe Cox, or Jackapple Joe. Joe teaches Jay about plants, herbs and the magic of nature. Despite going on to write a very successful novel based on Jackapple Joe, Jay loses faith and feels angry and abandoned by Joe. With this loss of faith comes a loss of muse and a sequel eludes him. Drinking one of Joe's Specials, he sees a brochure advertising a French chateau resembling one Joe had dreamed of show more owning. Impulsively Jay buys it and moves out to France, where he finally starts living his life.
Jay may not be a particularly likeable character, but old Joe is. He sounds like an absolute treasure trove for young and old, a spiritual guide for Jay, a simple and generous person.This is a book that pleasures the senses, as the writing of Joanne Harris does, you can smell and taste the wine, the food, the plants, the soil. The writing is evocative, conjuring images that are peaceful and magical. show less
My first novel by the author of Chocolat and I have to say I enjoyed it far more than expected.
The story of Jay Mackintosh, a 37 years old writer, famous because of an only novel written fifteen years ago. Jay seems to have lost inspiration and faith in the magic of life, as if all these feelings had been spent in that successful novel.
The novel moves forward and backwards in time, and the reader is able to know young Jay, when he meets Joe, an eccentric old man who leaves a deep impression in lonely Jay, becoming his special friend and his secret hideaway.
Home brewed wine made by Joe takes unusual importance in the present time of the story, because it's only when Jay drinks it that he finds the courage to change what makes him show more unhappy. Guided by a kind of Joe's ghost, Jay leaves London and moves to a little rural village in France where he buys an abandoned farm and where he starts writing again, inspired by his mysterious neighbour, Marisa.
This is a book about haunted lives, unfinished stories and the chance to change your own life and atone for your past mistakes.
Magic, wine, faith or simply luck and coincidence. Choose your own explanation.
I'll stick to the magic and a bit of luck, as Jay says.
It's only a matter of not losing hope completely and let others surprise you, with one foot in the Earth and the other one suspended in the air, letting the wind blow where it has to.
Refreshing, heartening and uplifting reading. Great for dreamers and romantics. show less
The story of Jay Mackintosh, a 37 years old writer, famous because of an only novel written fifteen years ago. Jay seems to have lost inspiration and faith in the magic of life, as if all these feelings had been spent in that successful novel.
The novel moves forward and backwards in time, and the reader is able to know young Jay, when he meets Joe, an eccentric old man who leaves a deep impression in lonely Jay, becoming his special friend and his secret hideaway.
Home brewed wine made by Joe takes unusual importance in the present time of the story, because it's only when Jay drinks it that he finds the courage to change what makes him show more unhappy. Guided by a kind of Joe's ghost, Jay leaves London and moves to a little rural village in France where he buys an abandoned farm and where he starts writing again, inspired by his mysterious neighbour, Marisa.
This is a book about haunted lives, unfinished stories and the chance to change your own life and atone for your past mistakes.
Magic, wine, faith or simply luck and coincidence. Choose your own explanation.
I'll stick to the magic and a bit of luck, as Jay says.
It's only a matter of not losing hope completely and let others surprise you, with one foot in the Earth and the other one suspended in the air, letting the wind blow where it has to.
Refreshing, heartening and uplifting reading. Great for dreamers and romantics. show less
The plot revolves around Jay, a rather disillusioned writer. He's married to the ultra-smart and supercilious Kerry, but one day on impulse decides to buy an old farm in France - and then moves there, out of the blue. Most of the novel revolves around his re-finding his writing muse, getting the farm into some kind of shape, and getting to know the neighbours.
But that's only the current (1999) side of the book. Interwoven between the modern plot are Jay's memories of 1975, when he was a rather fed-up teenager who befriended an elderly eccentric called Joe. Wine is an important motif in the book - so much so that its narrator (in places) is a bottle of wine. Surprisingly this works well; the narrator is not intrusive, and most of the show more book is told from the third-person viewpoint of Jay.
There's magic too, in a low-key earthy sort of way. Talismans against bullies, incantations against attack, even some sequences (perhaps) of astral travel. But they all happen in such matter-of-fact surroundings that they don't jar with the rest of the plot at all.
All in all, a pleasant book, and ideal to read when there's a lot going on, since it was quite possible to read a couple of short chapters at night, and not feel the need to keep going until the early hours. show less
But that's only the current (1999) side of the book. Interwoven between the modern plot are Jay's memories of 1975, when he was a rather fed-up teenager who befriended an elderly eccentric called Joe. Wine is an important motif in the book - so much so that its narrator (in places) is a bottle of wine. Surprisingly this works well; the narrator is not intrusive, and most of the show more book is told from the third-person viewpoint of Jay.
There's magic too, in a low-key earthy sort of way. Talismans against bullies, incantations against attack, even some sequences (perhaps) of astral travel. But they all happen in such matter-of-fact surroundings that they don't jar with the rest of the plot at all.
All in all, a pleasant book, and ideal to read when there's a lot going on, since it was quite possible to read a couple of short chapters at night, and not feel the need to keep going until the early hours. show less
Another brilliant author who manages to write from the point of view of the food! Joanne Harris is known for Chocolat, but read (and you'll want to re-read) this book with absolute pleasure - it's about an author (with writer's block, poor dear) rediscovering his childhood and the wonderful codger what made homemade wine and grew all manner of esoteric root vegetables. Along the way to banishing his block, the author figures out a mystery from his past.
Oh my god! This book!
It has been years. I definitely need to read some Joanne Harris again.
Despite it being years since I read this book, I remember some of the passages quite vividly. Joanne Harris has a very sensual way of writing, in that she engages all your senses. I think Harris was my first introduction to magical realism and that sort of surreal, sentimental writing that has informed a lot of my reading life.
I struggled with reading during high school, I would borrow out 6 different books at a time and read 30 pages of each over the month, only to return them, but her writing saw me through.
From memory, I didn't like this book as much as some of her others purely because of the narrative voice, but it still evokes a lot of show more really positive memories for me. c:
3.5 stars show less
It has been years. I definitely need to read some Joanne Harris again.
Despite it being years since I read this book, I remember some of the passages quite vividly. Joanne Harris has a very sensual way of writing, in that she engages all your senses. I think Harris was my first introduction to magical realism and that sort of surreal, sentimental writing that has informed a lot of my reading life.
I struggled with reading during high school, I would borrow out 6 different books at a time and read 30 pages of each over the month, only to return them, but her writing saw me through.
From memory, I didn't like this book as much as some of her others purely because of the narrative voice, but it still evokes a lot of show more really positive memories for me. c:
3.5 stars show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Books tagged "feel good"
129 works; 19 members
Books to Reread Someday
53 works; 7 members
For the Senses (Fiction)
13 works; 7 members
Makes Me Want to Eat (or Drink)
39 works; 12 members
Author Information
61+ Works 32,092 Members
Joanne Harris was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England on July 3, 1964. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. While working as a teacher for fifteen years, she published three novels: The Evil Seed (1989), Sleep, Pale Sister (1993) and Chocolat (1999), which was made into a film starring Juliette Binoche show more and Johnny Depp. Her other works include Blackberry Wine, Five Quarters of the Orange, Coastliners, Holy Fools, The Lollipop Shoes and Runemarks. She also co-wrote two cookbooks with cookery writer Fran Warde: The French Kitchen and The French Market. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Gallimard, Folio (3751)
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Blackberry Wine
- Original title
- Blackberry Wine
- Original publication date
- 2000
- People/Characters
- Jay Mackintosh; Jackapple Joe
- Important places
- Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, France; France
- Dedication
- To my grandfather, Edwin Short: gardener, winemaker and poet at heart.
Mano seneliui, Edvinui Šortui: sodininkui vyndariui, sielos poetui. - First words
- Wine talks. Everyone knows that. Vynas šneka, tai žino visi.
- Quotations
- „Jis atkimšdavo kiekvieną butelį, kiekvieną istoriją pradėdavo slapčia įsitikinęs, kad štai šis ir bus tas magiškas gurkšnis, kuris atgaivins. Tačiau kad magija veiktų, kaip ir vynas, reikia tinkamų aplinkyb... (show all)ių.“; „Pasaulietiška alchemija, sakydavo apie tai Džou. Mažmožių pasaulio magija.“; „Šiame gėrime jauti aitrumą, tarsi dūmus ir degančią gumą, tačiau jis žadina, griebia tau už gerklės, rausiasi po atmintį, kelia ir kviečia iš ten vaizdus, kuriuos manei užmiršęs visiems laikams.“;
„ - viskas švyti bauginančiu švytėjimu, kokiu švyti nostalgija.“; „Butelyje kažkas liuoktelėjo, tarsi pasišokėjo. Rūsyje likę vynai sutarškėjo, sutartinai jam atsiliepdami. Kartais tai vyksta atsitiktinai. Išlaukus metų metus, teisingo planetų išsidėstymo, atsitiktinio susitikimo, staigaus įkvėpimo - ūmai it visiškai savaime susiklosto tinkamos aplinkybės, klastingai, be fanfarų, be įspėjimo. Džei tikėjo, kad tai lemtis. Džou vadindavo tai magija. Tačiau kartais tai tik paprasta chemija. Kažin kas ore, gal poelgis, kuris iki šiol inertiškai glūdėjo, staiga pažadina keistis.“ - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Evaporating blithely into the bright air, my own mystery approaches, and I see no phantoms, predict no futures, even the blissful present barely glimpsed - through a glass, darkly. Palaimingai garuoju į šviesų orą, prisiartina mano paties paslaptis, aš neberegiu vizijų, nebepranašauju ateičių, net idiliška dabartis man jau vos įžvelgiama - tik miglotai, tik per stiklą.
- Original language
- English
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 2,330
- Popularity
- 8,397
- Reviews
- 49
- Rating
- (3.61)
- Languages
- 16 — Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 60
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 12