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The Vintner's Luck (Vintner's Luck #1)

by Elizabeth Knox (Goodreads Author)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 1,267 ratings · 196 reviews

"A week after midsummer, when the festival fires were cold, and decent people were in bed an hour after sunset, not lying dry-mouthed in dark rooms at midday, a young man named Sobran Jodeau stole two of the freshly bottled wines to baptize the first real sorrow of his life."

The year is 1808, the place Burgundy, France. Among the lush vines of his family's vineyard, Jode

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Paperback, 256 pages

Published June 11th 2009 by Vintage Books (first published 1998)

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Oct 18, 2012 Nessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I have but one word to describe this book: gorgeous.

Okay, okay, that's a fairly bold statement to make. But, The Vintner's Luck being as criminally unknown as it is, only readily available in its nation of origin (New Zealand), I feel I have to make a case for its beauty and sheer energy that kept me turning the pages.

Well, maybe not turning the pages as quickly as I could. I would read ten to twenty pages at a time and need some time to gather my feelings and think carefully upon what I had jus...more

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Mar 13, 2010 Mo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, speculativefiction, historical-fiction, angelsangelsangels, queer

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Deceptively simple story of the relationship between a fallen angel and a French vintner across a lifetime. Superficially, there are some aspects of the book I didn't like - the characterization is a bit weak and parts of it tend towards melodrama. However, there's so much going on under the surface: the way that Sobran's life is shown to parallel the making of a wine, the theme of symmetry/duplication, Xas' relationship with Christ, the way the divine interacts with the natural.

Xas' single ann...more Deceptively simple story of the relationship between a fallen angel and a French vintner across a lifetime. Superficially, there are some aspects of the book I didn't like - the characterization is a bit weak and parts of it tend towards melodrama. However, there's so much going on under the surface: the way that Sobran's life is shown to parallel the making of a wine, the theme of symmetry/duplication, Xas' relationship with Christ, the way the divine interacts with the natural.

Xas' single annual visit overshadows everything else that happens to Sobran during the year; when Xas nearly dies, he sucks the life out of nearby organisms to heal; copies of things and people end up in Heaven or Hell after they are destroyed. There's a pattern here - this book depicts God and the Devil as parasitic, poaching ideas and vitality from the human world. But this "fearful symmetry" of God's souls in Heaven lacks the true individuality that can only be gained by real experience. Niall's soul isn't Niall, it's a distillation - like wine is the distillation of the earth and sun and plants and labor that went into it, not the things themselves, only a reminder, a "backward glance." Xas, the preemptive copy of Christ, goes to Earth, where he experiences the reality of these things - sensuality, sin, death, life. Unlike Christ, he doesn't get to return to Heaven after his ordeal (the mutilation of his wings).

Note also the significance of their first meeting - Xas catches the falling Sobran, an event which then comes up in the closing narration. "It was the first time I'd supported a human. You had such heavy bones. I put myself between you and gravity. Impossible." It occurred to me that this might function as a reference to the Biblical Fall of Man, which Christ's sacrifice was supposed to redeem. In this version, there is no redemption (it's "impossible" to save a human from falling/gravity), and it's Xas who falls, sins, and lives.

Plus there's the hot-half-naked-angel-on-handsome-Frenchman action. You know you want to get on that. (less)

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Dec 16, 2010 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If a man falls in love with a male angel one summer night on a hilltop in a French vineyard in 1808, if for years he sees this angel only once a year on this same hilltop, if the angel seems both intimate and impersonal at once, how will this affect the man’s ability to live his life as his family has lived for generations—raising children with his wife, making wine, interacting with the local nobility? What connection, if any, is there between the angel’s annual appearance and the success of ea...more

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Jul 27, 2012 the scarecrow rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having read a vast quantity of worthless YA (and often angel) fiction lately, I think it's high time I wrote a review for my favorite book of all time. I've read this one so many times that my first copy fell apart completely at the seams and not even duct tape could hold it together. I'm re-reading it between the Hush, Hush series to give me some peace of mind, sort of like how some people eat slices of fennel between courses to cleanse the palette.

While that review gets written up, however, I...more

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Jul 03, 2008 Res rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Res by: schemingreader

Shelves: slash-interest, sff

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 29, 2008 Trin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historicalfiction, newzealand-lit, queerlit, angels

In the early part of the 19th century, a young winemaker sees an angel out in the field behind his house. They talk for a while; eventually they agree to meet every year on the same night. I loved this premise; it reminded me of one of my favorite stories ever, Neil Gaiman’s “Men of Good Fortune.” The difference is that “Good Fortune” is about someone who will live forever, while Luck takes place over a single human lifetime. Also, in Luck, our human protagonist, Sobran, and his otherworldly vi...more

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Jul 03, 2007 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Deliciously metaphysical, this book charts the lifelong friendship between a man and an angel. Since one owns a vineyard and the other struggles with understanding desire, the book meditates about taste, time, and the role of the body in understanding the self. It's quirky, moving, beautiful -- one of those books I've given away several times...

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Aug 10, 2009 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbt, fantasy, angels

My flatmate recommended this to me with much high praise. And read my copy before I got my hands on it, and cried at it a lot. I have to confess, when I started reading it, I didn't really get into it. The story is about a man who agrees to meet an angel (or an angel who agrees to meet a man?) at the same time every year, for one night every year. The story focuses on these meetings, so what we get are glimpses into a life. It isn't just the meetings, but it focuses mostly on them, rather than t...more My flatmate recommended this to me with much high praise. And read my copy before I got my hands on it, and cried at it a lot. I have to confess, when I started reading it, I didn't really get into it. The story is about a man who agrees to meet an angel (or an angel who agrees to meet a man?) at the same time every year, for one night every year. The story focuses on these meetings, so what we get are glimpses into a life. It isn't just the meetings, but it focuses mostly on them, rather than the minutiae of daily life. As a consequence, it takes time to get to know the characters. I think it was that that kept me from getting too deeply into the story.

It actually reminds me of a line from the first page: He took a swig of the friand, tasted fruit and freshness, a flavour that turned briefly and looked back over its shoulder at the summer before last, but didn't pause even to shade its eyes. And then: Again he tasted the wine's quick backward look, its spice -- flirtation and not love.

Not only is that a lovely thought, and it tastes nice to synaesthetic little me, but it kind of describes how I felt about the book at first.

I didn't really know what to expect from the story. There's a little mystery in it, about some murders that happen in the area, and then there's the love story between the man and the angel. I found both of them compelling. There are also glimpses into heaven and hell, provided by Xas, the angel, and the intervention of Lucifer -- things that really point at a greater plot, I suppose, but we see it framed in the same way as Sobran, the human, does.

The writing is also nice. It probably wouldn't surprise you to know that this book tasted, as a whole, like wine, but it wasn't always the same kind of wine. I didn't read that much of the book aloud, actually, but it was still strongly synaesthetic for me. (I can't imagine books without synaesthesia. You'll have to pardon me always explaining books in synaesthetic terms: sometimes, there are no others.)

The love story is the part that really captured me, I have to say. It isn't easy, Xas holding back from it, and then Sobran becoming angry and not wanting to see Xas, and then Xas' disappearance... There's enough of it to catch hold of your heart, though, and when you're reaching the end of the book, it really, really begins to hurt.

I didn't actually cry, although it was a close thing: I was desperate to read the last twenty pages, so had to read them under my grandparents' eagle eyes, and that wasn't conducive to a full-on sob fest...

I really do love the last lines:

You fainted and I caught you. It was the first time I'd supported a human. You had such heavy bones. I put myself between you and gravity.
Impossible.(less)

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Aug 25, 2010 Katie M. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, queer, fantasy-scifi, reread

Update: That settles it, this is officially getting classified as a reread, even though I only ever reread the scenes between Sobran and Xas and skip the rest. But still - 4 stars for a book that's two-thirds filler? Yeah, for some reason I like this one a lot. Knox plays a bit fast and loose with Christianity but as someone who's played a bit fast and loose with it myself, that doesn't bother me. And the whole Sobran-Xas story is so hopelessly romantic that I turn into a gooey-eyed teenage girl...more

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Aug 03, 2007 Cat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I originally picked it up (from half.com, as apparently it's out of print now) when I heard that there was a film adaptation in production. I hope that I enjoy the movie as much as I enjoyed the book!

Knox's characters are rich, believable and human - especially her angels - and the story an especially moving romance that delves deep in its exploration of death, obsession, and family. She offers at the same time an alternate take on ang...more

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Sep 25, 2008 Ann M rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: readers of fantasy

Shelves: fiction-genre-ish

Spoilers, I guess: This is a very silly book about an angel who meets a completely uninteresting French vintner in the early nineteenth century and they fall in love. I never understand anyone's relationships, but this took the cake. Also, there are a lot of characters who are not more than names -- the author tries to hang a story on this silly premise by fleshing things out with the vintner's ever-increasing family, but, who cares? There aren't enough details to make it a historical fiction. I...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Dolphe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Author Knox presents God and Lucifer as master chessmen who use humans and angels alike in a game of strategy. Vintner Sobran is visited once a year by the fallen angel, Xas. Their annual visits turn from friendly amusement to much more as the years pass. The author's style seems to change, as well, as the chapters pass. Early on, the style reminds me of English translations of Moliere with obscure analogies and peculiar use of adjectives. A more modern tone takes hold as the story (and the year...more

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Feb 16, 2009 Carrie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I have mixed feelings about this one. I read it compulsively, practically in one day, couldn't put it down, etc.. But at the same time, I can't say that I really liked it, though I am having a hard time articulating exactly why. It tells the story of Sobran Jodeau, who on one day in 1808 meets a male angel, Xas and whose entire life is changed forever as a result. Xas takes an interest in Sobran, which turns into friendship, and then (much later) more. I hate to tell more of the plot, since the...more I have mixed feelings about this one. I read it compulsively, practically in one day, couldn't put it down, etc.. But at the same time, I can't say that I really liked it, though I am having a hard time articulating exactly why. It tells the story of Sobran Jodeau, who on one day in 1808 meets a male angel, Xas and whose entire life is changed forever as a result. Xas takes an interest in Sobran, which turns into friendship, and then (much later) more. I hate to tell more of the plot, since the interest in the book is the page turning aspect, but, generally, the book details Sobran's life and his relationship with Xas. Knox tells a good story, and excellently captures the characters living in small town Burgundy in the nineteenth century. She makes the characters, the historical setting, and the relationships seem real and interesting. Knox is obviously a skilled writer. The non-angel plots of the book - the parts detailing Sobran's experiences with his insane wife, his brother and sons, his growing friendship with the local baroness - were well done. They were compelling and detailed and human.

Ok, I changed my mind. I know why I didn't like it and I am giving the plot away. Read on at your peril. The problem I had with the book was that the angel parts were so damn goofy. I mean it was all dramatic and poignant and mysterious. Forbidden love! Fallen angels! Cutting off of wings! It was like (very skilled) melodramatic fan fiction written by Goths - a better written Anne Rice, if you will. Every angel cliché, every tormented angst-ridden angle. I am embarrassed for me, that I read it and for Knox, that she wrote it. Her writing is good - it deserves better than the kind of plots you can find on the internet written by teenagers. Oh, I don't know - maybe its just because I like my fantasy goofy, with the poignant parts snuck in under the radar. I am sure that if I was twelve I would have thought this was the Most! Romantic! Book! Ever!, but I wish I could have read the story about the family and the murder and the crazy wife and the friendship with the baroness in 1808 France, and left Lucifer out of it entirely. There was enough there - we didn't really need the angel.(less)

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Jan 11, 2009 Parul rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical, nz

A chance encounter in 1808 on a midsummer night of a young French vintner with an angel begins a friendship that will continue through the years as it develops into lust, love, hatred, affection and back to love. The book is structured such that each chapter is a year in the vintner's life from the day he met Xas, the unforgettable 27th June. It can be said that each chapter is like an anticipation awaiting the mention of Xas and the union of the two friends sitting at first together under the s...more A chance encounter in 1808 on a midsummer night of a young French vintner with an angel begins a friendship that will continue through the years as it develops into lust, love, hatred, affection and back to love. The book is structured such that each chapter is a year in the vintner's life from the day he met Xas, the unforgettable 27th June. It can be said that each chapter is like an anticipation awaiting the mention of Xas and the union of the two friends sitting at first together under the stars tasting wine as Xas asks Sobran to relate how his life went in the past year, how his friends and family fare and advises him on his vineyard while Sobran cautiously questions him about heaven, hell, God and Lucifer and later as they share more intimate moments together.

The beauty in this story lies in its minimalism. It feels like one is reading afterthoughts, a summary of the year that went past, a series of mentions of Sobran’s ever growing family and how their lives proceed as the years go past but at the same time one ends up knowing these characters, loving them, worrying for them. And in those moments of a lot more disclosure than we are used to the scenes playing before our eyes are so gorgeous or heartbreaking that they leave you trying to grasp for more. It is so amazing the seemingly inconsequential details of the story – like the way Sobran and Xas sit together on various meetings, how they drink their wine through two glasses or sharing a bottle between them, the way Sobran anticipates and prepares for Xas’ meeting each year, all these small details form the core of the story. They have depths and meanings that you just have to reread to realize. Xas himself, who remembers everything, brings some of these details to our attention. Like when one year Sobran kissed his hand and called him “his beloved friend” while the next year Sobran calls Xas his “dear friend” Xas is compelled to comment “oh? A demotion?”. The observation leaves Sobran baffled but makes us appreciate how lovingly crafted each detail is, as though a hint to the reader of the inner workings of the characters' minds.

Something else I have to mention is the characterization of Xas and Sobran. I never quite realized the strength of Sobran’s character until we hear other character’s discussing him. This is because when he is yearning for Xas we can sympathise with him and in his intial talks with Xas he comes off as the one in need of counsel and guidance but this is because we are seeing Sobran in his most private moments. The other characters though tell us of his public life – of how he was one of the most influential and respected people in the village: it was because of him and his love for Baptiste that the Saint of Gunners was more prominent in the Church than the Saint of Wine, when he decides to stop coming to the Church so do the rest of the community, and so on. You can suddenly understand why Xas is as much drawn to Sobran as Sobran is to Xas. Similarly in the beginning to both us and Sobran Xas seems an enigma, a powerful being that we can only be in awe of but as their friendship deepens it feels like Xas is the more lost one – stuck as he is as a treaty between God and Lucifer, lonely as he is with very few friendships to sustain him, perplexed as he is by his desire to understand humanity and human emotions.

The love story that features in the book between the angel and the vintner is so evocative and romantic I hardly know what to say on the subject. But Xas and Sobran aren’t the only interesting characters in the book – there is Baptiste who is Sobran’s childhood friend and lover because of whom Sobran leaves his family and wife and his vineyard so he can follow him into the army. When he comes back after Baptiste’s death he cherishes the vineyard that Baptiste left him in his will more than his own and is often seen walking among his friend’s land reminiscing. Sobran’s employer – the Baroness Aurora grows to play an important part of Sobran’s life and their friendship is heart warming and sweet. I love that everyone thought the Baroness and Sobran were lovers, even both their children, long before they ever were and when they were it was almost as if by accident. Baptiste, Sobran’s son named after his long-gone friend, is another compelling character because he is obnoxious and rude to Niall Cayley not out of a dislike for him but out of love and jealousy. Jealousy because he thinks Niall is his father’s illegitimate son and that his father loves him more than any of his other sons and love because despite thinking Niall is his half brother (he isn’t since it is simply Xas under another name) he falls for him. Paul, Aurora’s son, his friendship with Sobran’s and his relationship with Sobran’s daughter is just as intriguing. There is even a wonderful scene where Lucifer appears and I must say it was one of the best scenes in book which is saying something filled as it is with richly imaginative words forming wonderful pictures in the mind’s eye.

The beauty in Elizabeth Knox's writing is that it is so unpredictable one hardly knows where to expect the narrative to take us. Not only that but the language is so lovingly crafted and so elegantly phrased that reading seems like savouring something delicious that lingers till long after it has been tasted.(less)

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May 21, 2013 Jessica Gaskin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

This is a strange book and one that I found really difficult to get into. The story is based around a man's meetings with an angel on the same night every year for his entire life. As you can imagine, this means that the story scans quite a large period of time, with only brief 'catch-ups' on what has been going on in-between this anniversary. This, coupled with the large quantity of characters, means that the only part of the story I really followed was the romance between the man and the angel...more

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May 10, 2013 Tricia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I stumbled on a comment about this book in response to a list of recommended reads on another site. A fan of supernatural stories, I ordered the novel. The first sixty pages were really difficult for me to accomplish, I am not sure why. The writing is very descriptive and wordy; I could not experience the story intuitively or easily. However, I am SO GLAD I continued. The story is hauntingly beautiful; a love story that is so beyond the two main protagonists, their relationship effects the entir...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Charly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interesting writing and an intriguing plot, but overall I don’t think I liked it

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 7/10

PROS:
- The writing is strange and different and vivid, stuffed to bursting with similes and metaphors, and so dense and circuitous in spots that I felt as though I was constantly half a second from comprehending it. Here’s an example: “the distances were gathering distance under clouds in curtain-raiser colors.” Maybe with the next se...more Interesting writing and an intriguing plot, but overall I don’t think I liked it

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 7/10

PROS:
- The writing is strange and different and vivid, stuffed to bursting with similes and metaphors, and so dense and circuitous in spots that I felt as though I was constantly half a second from comprehending it. Here’s an example: “the distances were gathering distance under clouds in curtain-raiser colors.” Maybe with the next sentence this will become clear, I would think…maybe with the NEXT… Overall, though, I found it to be dense in a wonderful, intoxicating sort of way.
- I was intrigued by Xas--by his (emotional) removal from earthly concerns, his fascination with Sobran’s life, the seemingly infinite number of ways he can manipulate his wings, his enigmatic speech, etc. (However, see cons below also.)
- The story contains numerous plotlines, some of which appear so seldom that when they appear again, after many chapters dealing with other matters, they seem doubly captivating. “There was another murder,” the book says at one point, right about the time I’d forgotten about the first one. (I couldn’t decide whether to list this as a pro or a con; while I found the frenetic nature of the writing intriguing at times, I also thought the various plotlines could have been woven together more seamlessly.)

CONS:
- This is a character-driven story. The characters, however, are not as relatable as I expected them to be, at least not until well over halfway through the book. I was INTRIGUED by Xas, for example, right from the start. But I didn’t LIKE him until perhaps 60 pages from the end. And I’m not sure I liked Sobran at all; I certainly wasn’t able to identify with many of his emotional struggles.
- The book is full--FULL--of details about presses and grapes and vintages and such which I found tedious. I’m not a wine drinker, though, so readers who are more interested in the wine-making process might love these details.

Overall comments: This book seems to me like a beautiful picture I could observe from afar--from behind the museum ropes--but I couldn’t really get INTO it. The characters were not terribly personable for me, and I was able to relate to very few of the story’s events. The primary draw of the book, I think, is its writing, which is baffling and unusual.(less)

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Oct 25, 2012 Athens rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all

Recommended to Athens by: the movie Heavenly Vintage

Rarely has a book absorbed me so much, making me go back to it many times, because I didn't want to miss anything.

Elizabeth Knox wrote it with an elegant, lyrical language, unique for transmitting to us the emotions of her characters-it's as if she actually "lived" the story. And yet, she doesn't exhaust those emotions with too much dialogue, leaving me to ponder on sentences over and over.

The Vintner's Luck is a book about a passionate life-long love story between Xas, a forever-young angel "as...more

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Aug 26, 2012 Natasha Legge rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pretentious

This book left me full with emotion. Unfortunately this emotion was anger.

The central idea to the book was brilliant, but it fell far from my expectations. Sobran is not someone who gather's my sympathies and the ideology of the author shows through far more than I am comfortable with.

I wouldn't call it a love story. It is a story of devotion, loyalty and sex, but I would not call it love. Sobran can be quite emotionally abusive and their relationship, if in the real world, would be troubling.

I...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Judy Croome rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a difficult novel to review. ‘Strange’ is the word that springs to mind. The premise – a lifelong friendship between an angel and a vintner – interested me, because I like surreal and/or paranormal stories. When I started reading, I couldn’t put it down because the imagery was beautiful and the philosophical discussions on religious beliefs interesting although, at times, too obscure. So, what was the problem I had with this story? I couldn’t get emotionally attached to any of the charac...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The only book, I think, that I've read three times. The back cover tells it best.
"An irresistible story of love, wine and angels - the tale of a man, his vineyard and angelic husbandry in nineteenth-century France"
"This delectably unconventional novel, rooted in earthy reality and grippingly writen, engages grand and glorious themes on an intimate, human scale."
"Burgundy, 1808. One night Sobran Jodeau, a young vintner, meets an angel in his vineyard: a physically gorgeous creature with huge wing...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Judith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set in Burgundy and spanning the years 1808 to 1863, The Vintner's Luck tells the magical, spellbinding story of Sobran Jodeau, a vintner from the village of Aluze. On a midsummer's night, Sobran's life is forever changed when he is visited by an angel named Xas, a gorgeous creature with wings that smell of snow. The Vintner's Luck is definitely a character-driven novel and while each character certainly shines, it is the love and friendship shared by Sobran, the Baroness Aurora and the angel Xa...more

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Jan 30, 2010 Britt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone looking for an engrossing read

To begin, I'm going to write this with the barest minimum of spoilers- none of you need me to recap the book.

For those of us who have become comfortably used to novels where the passage of time is a nice, slow and steady progression, this book will take a little bit of time to get used to. The feel of it is different, small chapters focusing on little annual moments.

I admit, there was a few times near the beginning that I was questioning why I was reading it! But after you get used to the style...more

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Mar 29, 2009 Stan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to me by David L.

I found this to be a beautiful story of friendship and love, and how we humans tend to complicate it. It is about (obviously) a vintner and his friendship with a fallen angel (not so obviously). While this motif could very well be in the realm of sci-fi/fantasy, Knox turns it into a curious love story.

An element that I really enjoyed were the chapter titles, each one a wine terminology. I wished I were more versed in the wine culture to truly appreciate this touch, b...more

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May 25, 2011 Effie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

tl;dr SUMMARY VERSION: In The Vintner’s Luck, Book, I recommend an awesome concept, some interesting if distant characters, ~tragic gay angel love~, some thought-provoking religious mythology, some effective poetic language (infinite descriptions of wing movements, dead leaves, the Napoleonic Wars), a fast read, refreshing anti-agism (old people having sex! THE SCANDAL).
I caution against somewhat distant, unlikeable characters (and a massive cast), somewhat anticlimactic gay angel sex, some Twi...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Chloe Rattray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Vintner's Luck is, to this day, the book that's ruined me the most. I read it, I put it down, I thought about it, I went about my day. And then, the night after I'd finished it, I was brushing my teeth and the whole soul-crushing weight of it crashed down onto me and I choked on tears and toothpaste and couldn't for the life of me catch my breath. The relationship between Sobran and Xas is one of the greatest love stories ever told. A vintner and a celestial being with wings that smell like...more

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May 06, 2009 Tammy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, drama, europe, fiction

When I was about half-way through the book:
From another review regarding the protagonist: "the wonderfully flawed Sobran". I would agree. Sobran is an amazing character - and never behaves the way I want him to! I am constantly intrigued by the novel. I wondered for a long time why I was reading it since it's just sorta odd. I think it is probably because I find Sobran so offbeat. And then there's the rest of the novel! The way the author portrays heaven/hell and life in 1800s France are engross...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Viridian5 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

On an evening in 1808, a young man, Sobran, is outside drunk and preoccupied with his love troubles. As he comes close to passing out, a male angel appears out of nowhere and stops his fall. They share wine and conversation and pledge to meet again on the same night next year. Thus starts an unusual relationship and love story.

Elizabeth Knox's The Vintner's Luck is a great, original read and never goes where I thought it would. I quickly learned to let it go, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Xas, t...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Charlotte rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-the-best

I loved this book. Completely adored it. At its best, it reminds me of Ondaatje, and no one reminds me of him. I loved Elizabeth Knox's Dreamhunter Duet, but this book is something different, although it retains what I can only describe as her somewhat distanced way of describing characters. That's unhelpful--this is a novel about a man's relationship, over some 70 years or so, with an angel named Xas. It sounds completely cracked. It is gorgeous. I will now read the remainder of Knox's catalog,...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

The Vintner's Luck is the story of the relationship between a human and an angel. In 1808, Sobran Jodeau is a young vintner who steals two bottles of the family wine and wanders off into the vineyard one night with the intention of drowning his first real sorrow in drunkenness. He literally stumbles into the angel Xas, who catches him as he falls. They spend the night discussing Sobran's rejection and agree to meet again at the same place the following year. Xas has an appetite for earthly pleas...more The Vintner's Luck is the story of the relationship between a human and an angel. In 1808, Sobran Jodeau is a young vintner who steals two bottles of the family wine and wanders off into the vineyard one night with the intention of drowning his first real sorrow in drunkenness. He literally stumbles into the angel Xas, who catches him as he falls. They spend the night discussing Sobran's rejection and agree to meet again at the same place the following year. Xas has an appetite for earthly pleasures and this meeting, between human and angel, becomes an annual event that develops into a relationship that intensifies causing much joy and sorrow.

I must say up front that I struggled during most of the book with what I considered a theological affront. The God that Knox presents is not inherently good and neither is Lucifer inherently evil; there is really very little to recommend one over the other. God and Lucifer are immortal beings focused on their own eternal battle. They maintain a remote existence from humanity while using the angel, Xas, as a pawn. This does create an empathy, especially for Xas. It is this empathy, and my own pursuit of the deeper questions underlying the story that kept me reading this book. Oh, and the writing. Gorgeous.

The writing is at once lush and succinct, and left me both dazzled and sometimes confused. I had to work hard to determine the meaning of some passages and even then they were sometimes elusive leaving a "cloudy" spot. I like the way Memory, in her review, describes Knox's writing as "rarely transparent."

The Vintner's Luck is much more than a moving story written beautifully. It is deeply spiritual and delves into the very nature of love and hatred, of good and evil ... with an intensity that made me cry at times. What does it mean to be fallen? To be redeemed? To be rejected? To be loved? How very painfully these things seem to intertwine sometimes.

So, did I like the book? I am aware that my thoughts might seem a bit conflicting without a clear answer to this question. I will say that I was both repulsed by and drawn to this story. The author was able to get under my skin and move me. I sat about thinking for hours after reading this book. These are good things. (less)

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About Elizabeth Knox

Elizabeth Knox was born in Wellington‚ New Zealand‚ and is the author of eleven novels and three novella and a book of essays.

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Quotes from The Vintner's Luck

“You fainted and I caught you. It was the first time I'd supported a human. You had such heavy bones. I put myself between you and gravity. Impossible.” — 28 people liked it

“Imagine a very long time passing - and I find my way out, following someone who already knows how to leave Hell. And God says to me on Earth for the first time, "Xas!" in a tone of discovery, as if I'm a misplaced pair of spectacles or a stray dog. And he puts it to me that he wants me in Heaven. But Lucifer has doubled back - it was him I followed - to find me, where I am, in a forest, smitten, because the Lord has noticed me, and I'm overcome, as hopeless as your dog Josie whom you got rid of because she loved me.' Xas glared at Sobran. Then he drew a breath - all had been said on only three. He went on: 'Lucifer says to God the He can't have me. And at this I sit up and tell Lucifer that I didn't even think he knew my name, then say to God no thank you - very insolent this - and that Hell is endurable so long as the books keep appearing.” — 7 people liked it

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The Vintner's Luck (Vintner's Luck #1)

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