Title: Chocolat
Author: Joanne Harris
Genre: Magic realism
Publication: 1999
Location: Lansquenet, France
Vianne moves to Lansquenet and opens a chocolate shop. The shop becomes a popular gathering place for the locals and Vianne becomes enmeshed in their complicated lives. The village priest is angry that Vianne is corrupting his parishioners with her sweet indulgences and that she is planning a pagan Chocolate Festival to take place on Easter Sunday.
This book is far more profound than is implied by the plot. Questions of religion and morality. The willingness to look beneath the masks that people effect to hide their pain. Bigotry and hatred. Secrets and mysteries. Mortality, loneliness, fear. I couldn’t read this book quickly. I often had to set it aside to reflect and ponder.
The writing is beautiful, filled with lyrical descriptions and poetic storytelling. The imagery is so rich in detail that I was there in Lansquenet. The characters are vivid and complex - Vianne, Joséphine, Roux, Armande – they became real people whom I cared about.
When I read the last sentence, I was sad that my time in Lansquenet was done.
This book is far more profound than is implied by the plot. Questions of religion and morality. The willingness to look beneath the masks that people effect to hide their pain. Bigotry and hatred. Secrets and mysteries. Mortality, loneliness, fear. I couldn’t read this book quickly. I often had to set it aside to reflect and ponder.
The writing is beautiful, filled with lyrical descriptions and poetic storytelling. The imagery is so rich in detail that I was there in Lansquenet. The characters are vivid and complex - Vianne, Joséphine, Roux, Armande – they became real people whom I cared about.
When I read the last sentence, I was sad that my time in Lansquenet was done.
RATING
"The Lollipop Shoes" is the sequel to "Chocolat."
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, fellow bookworm!