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Chocolat

(Chocolat #1)

Joanne Harris (Goodreads Author)

3.95 · Rating details · 119,075 ratings · 4,501 reviews

A timeless novel of a straitlaced village's awakening to joy and sensuality - every page offers a description of chocolate to melt in the mouths of chocoholics, francophiles, armchair gourmets, cookbook readers, and lovers of passion everywhere.

Illuminating Peter Mayle's South of France with a touch of Laura Esquivel's magic realism, Chocolat is a timeless novel of a strai ...more

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Paperback, 306 pages

Published November 1st 2000 by Penguin Books (first published March 4th 1999)

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Sep 27, 2015 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it

Shelves: literature, mystery, british, 20th-century, adult, novels

Chocolat (Chocolat, #1), Joanne Harris

Chocolat is a 1999 novel by Joanne Harris. It tells the story of Vianne Rocher, a young single mother, who arrives in the French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes at the beginning of Lent with her six-year-old daughter, Anouk.

Vianne has arrived to open a chocolaterie—La Céleste Praline, which is on the square opposite the church. During the traditional season of fasting and self-denial; she gently changes the lives of the villagers who visit her with a comb Chocolat (Chocolat, #1), Joanne Harris

Chocolat is a 1999 novel by Joanne Harris. It tells the story of Vianne Rocher, a young single mother, who arrives in the French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes at the beginning of Lent with her six-year-old daughter, Anouk.

Vianne has arrived to open a chocolaterie—La Céleste Praline, which is on the square opposite the church. During the traditional season of fasting and self-denial; she gently changes the lives of the villagers who visit her with a combination of sympathy, subversion and a little magic.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیستم ماه سپتامبر سال 2009میلادی

عنوان: شکلات؛ نویسنده: جوآن (ژوان) هریس؛ مترجم: طاهره صدیقیان؛ تهران، کتابسرای تندیس، 1380، در 406ص؛ شابک 9645757207؛ موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان انگلیسی سده 20م

عنوان: شکلات؛ نویسنده: جوآن (ژوان) هریس؛ مترجم: گیسو ناصری؛ تهران، واژگان، 1381، در 368ص؛ شابک 9646664016؛ چاپ دیگر در سال 1381 نشر گیلونه؛

نقل از متن کتاب شکلات: «کار اتاق زیر شیروانی، تقریبا تمام شده، بعضی جاهایش، گچ هنوز خشک نشده؛ اما پنجره ی جدید، مثل پنجره ی کشتی، گرد و دور برنجی، تکمیل شده‌ است؛ «رُو» فراتخته‌ های کف را می‌چیند، و وقتی آن‌ها، نهایتا ساب و جلا بخورد، می‌توانیم تخت‌خواب «انوک» را، به اتاق جدید منتقل کنیم؛ دری وجود ندارد؛ یک دریچه ی کف با دوازده پله از پایین، تنها ورودی اتاق است؛ «انوک»، کاملا هیجان‌ زده شده؛ سرش را از دریچه، به داخل اتاق می‌برد؛ و بیشتر وقتش را، به تماشای آن، و دادن دستورات دقیق، درباره ی آنچه که باید انجام شود، می‌گذراند؛ بقیه ی وقتش با من، توی آشپزخانه است، و تدارکات عید پاک را تماشا می‌کند؛ «ژانو»، اغلب با اوست؛ آن‌ها با هم، کنار در ِ آشپزخانه می‌نشینند، و هر دو هم‌زمان صحبت می‌کنند؛ مجبورم به آن‌ها رشوه بدهم، تا بروند».؛ پایان نقل از متن

بانو «هریس»، نویسنده ی کتاب «شکلات»، در مورد اثر خویش می‌گویند: «این سوژه، در عید پاک به فکرم رسید؛ وقتی که اطرافم پر بود از انواع شکلات‌ها، و آنچه که به عید پاک، مربوط می‌شد؛ به نظر می‌رسید، که راه آسانی برای شروع داستانم یافته‌ ام؛ علاوه بر این در نظر نداشتم، که داستانی جدی بنویسم؛ نمی‌خواستم قصه‌ ام، داستانی تکراری باشد، بلکه در نظر داشتم، سرگرم‌ کننده، و جالب، باشد؛ بنابراین واژه ی «شکلات» را، به‌ کار بردم. به عنوان بهانه‌ ای برای پیش کشیدن همه ی این موضوعات جدی، که در سر داشتم، به نظرم جالب آمد»؛ پایان نقل

کتاب سرشار از طراوت است

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 01/10/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

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Jun 18, 2016 Amalia Gkavea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, women-s-literature, 20th-century, france, british-literature

“Places do not lose their identity, however far one travels. It is the heart that begins to erode over time. The face in the hotel mirror seems blurred some mornings, as if by too many casual looks. By ten the sheets will be laundered, the carpet swept. The names on the hotel registers change as we pass. We leave no trace as we pass on. Ghostlike, we cast no shadow.”

“I could do with a bit more excess. From now on I'm going to be immoderate--and volatile--I shall enjoy loud music and lurid ...more

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Jun 17, 2020 Charlotte May rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: magical-realism, contemporary-recent

This wasn’t really my cup of tea. Think I’ll stick to Joanne Harris’ thrillers in future.

It was ok. That pretty much sums up my feelings toward this book. There were parts I liked - mainly the side characters like Armande, and her grandson Luc. I liked Josephine and her storyline.

I didn’t particularly like either of the main characters and there was so much pettiness that is just wasn’t enjoyable and i found myself rushing just to finish.

Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk have just moved to ...more

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Oct 19, 2015 Candi rated it really liked it

Shelves: magical-realism, chick-lit, winter-mini-challenge-2015-2016, book-i-own

"Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, two hundred souls at most, no more than a blip on the fast road between Toulouse and Bordeaux. Blink once, and it's gone. One main street, a double row of dun-colored half-timbered houses leaning secretively together, a few laterals running parallel like the tines of a bent fork. A church, aggressively whitewashed, in a square of little shops. Farms scattered across the watchful land."

Magical and scrumptious, Chocolat is a thrilling delight for the senses. When Vianne R "Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, two hundred souls at most, no more than a blip on the fast road between Toulouse and Bordeaux. Blink once, and it's gone. One main street, a double row of dun-colored half-timbered houses leaning secretively together, a few laterals running parallel like the tines of a bent fork. A church, aggressively whitewashed, in a square of little shops. Farms scattered across the watchful land."

Magical and scrumptious, Chocolat is a thrilling delight for the senses. When Vianne Rocher and her imaginative daughter, Anouk, establish themselves and their chocolaterie in the small, French-Catholic town of Lansquenet, they are met with guarded curiosity and veiled hostility. As Vianne slowly begins to attract the townspeople with her winning combination of tantalizing chocolate creations and her warm friendship and unprejudiced acceptance, she sparks the wrath of the self-righteous and judgmental priest, Père Reynaud. Determined to rid the town of both the river gypsies as well as the influence of Vianne Rocher, Père Reynaud readies himself and his church for the battle between what he considers good versus evil. But, there is something quite incongruous and disturbing in his convictions. He loathes the members of his congregation: "Sheep are not the docile, pleasant creatures of the pastoral idyll. Any countryman will tell you that. They are sly, occasionally vicious, pathologically stupid." He is arrogant and overly confident: "When Vianne Rocher sees the power of the church - my influence over every single soul in the community - then she will know she has lost." Can Vianne and Père Reynaud exist side by side in this small community?

The story alternates between the first person narration of Vianne and Père Reynaud, allowing the reader to become quite intimate with the innermost thoughts of these complex characters. With vivid imagery, an entertaining and eccentric cast of secondary characters, and an engaging storyline, author Joanne Harris has created a novel which satisfies not only your senses, but also your intellect. Don't let the backdrop of exquisite chocolates and other heavenly concoctions fool you into thinking there is nothing more to this novel. With its underlying themes of moral perplexities, Chocolat contains more than meets the eye.

Note to potential reader: Prior to opening the pages of this book, I highly recommend that you indulge and stock up on a plentiful supply of superior chocolates to be consumed while reading. A last minute search for a leftover Hershey bar or chocolate kiss will leave you a bit disappointed.
...more

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Apr 17, 2008 Madeline rated it really liked it

Chocolate, crazy-fun old ladies, Bible thumpers learning to lighten up, French people, witchcraft, and sexy gypsies.

Come on, say no to any of those things. I dare you.

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Oct 07, 2008 Will Byrnes rated it really liked it

When Vianne Roche blows into Lansquenet-Sous-Tannes, a sleepy French town, on the tail of carnival she brings with her a touch of witchcraft and huge gobs of humanity. Accompanied by her daughter, Anouk, her imaginary pet rabbit, and a wealth of knowledge not only of how to make the finest confections, but how to see into people’s souls, she is destined to stir things up. The darkness to her light is the local priest, Francis Reynaud, who makes it his business to try to rid the town of this impu ...more

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Sep 30, 2017 Resh (The Book Satchel) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I loved the read. I had read the book as a child from the local library and now picking it up after many many years was a pure joy. I loved Lansquenet, the characters, the lovely prose; everything! Basically the story looms around chocolates being an indulgence and a sin and the local priest seeing Vianne and her chocolate shop as the evil that has come to break the lent and prayers of the townsfolk. The descriptions will make you yearn for chocolates and hot chocolate drinks. That’s a guarantee ...more

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Aug 01, 2015 Dem rated it did not like it

Having read and loved Five Quarters of the Orange

Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris

by Joanne Harris, I was really looking forward to reading Chocolat. Unfortunalty this particular book just didnt suit me.

I didn't enjoy the plot of the novel and the found the characters underdeveloped and no sense of time and place. I rarly rate a novel 1 star but I found nothing in this stroy to to keep me entertained and I felt like I was reading each chapter over and over. I did finish the book as I was waiting for something to happen tha ...more

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Sep 20, 2015 Julie rated it really liked it

Shelves: the-french-connection, death-by-chocolate, books-to-read-during-a-pandemic

Yes, you are stuck: Juliette Binoche is Vianne Rocher, and you can't work your way around it, unless you've spent the past two decades under a rock. But, let's face it, she was at least appropriately cast, and you'll get through it.

Beyond that, it turns out this novel is like a refreshing and delicious wind that blows in your direction right when you need it.

And, naturally, by the end of the novel, you're ransacking your kitchen for chocolate. ...more

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Oct 01, 2010 Bethany rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Let me start this review by saying I have never seen the film version of Chocolat. Therefore, I started reading this with no preconceived notions. (Well, no more than usual, anyway.)

I liked Chocolat but there were several glaring annoyances that ruined it for me.
I did not appreciate the "chocolate lovers vs. churchgoers" plot. Casting a priest in the role of the villain irritated me. (I echo the others who say this is overdone.) Even so, I think the priest could have been redeemed. If only he ha ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: women-writers, sfbc-owned-books-challenge, 20th-century, literary-wanderers-group, own, fantasy, 1990s, religion, free-copy, tbr-may-wyrd-wonder

Chocolat is a contemporary novel with a few fantasy elements. I really liked the setting, which is one of most beautiful and immersive settings I've read about lately. This is the second time I have read the book. It was worth rereading, but not amazing enough for me to read it a third time, most likely.

The beginning:
We came on the wind of the carnival. A warm wind for February, laden with the hot greasy scents of frying pancakes and sausages and powdery-sweet waffles cooked on the hot plate ri Chocolat is a contemporary novel with a few fantasy elements. I really liked the setting, which is one of most beautiful and immersive settings I've read about lately. This is the second time I have read the book. It was worth rereading, but not amazing enough for me to read it a third time, most likely.

The beginning:
We came on the wind of the carnival. A warm wind for February, laden with the hot greasy scents of frying pancakes and sausages and powdery-sweet waffles cooked on the hot plate right there by the roadside, with the confetti sleeting down collars and cuffs and rolling in the gutters like an idiot antidote to winter. There is a febrile excitement in the crowds that line the narrow main street, necks craning to catch sight of the crêpe-covered char with its trailing ribbons and paper rosettes. Anouk watches, eyes wide, a yellow ribbon in one hand and a toy trumpet in the other, from between a shopping basket and a sad brown dog. We have seen carnivals before, she and I; a procession of two hundred and fifty of the decorated chars in Paris last Mardi Gras, a hundred and eighty in New York, two dozen marching bands in Vienna, clowns on stilts, the Grosses Tetes with their lolling papier-mâché heads, drum majorettes with batons spinning and sparkling. But at six the world retains a special luster. A wooden cart, hastily decorated with gilt and crêpe and scenes from fairy tales. A dragon's head on a shield, Rapunzel in a woolen wig, a mermaid with a cellophane tail, a gingerbread house all icing and gilded cardboard, a witch in the doorway, waggling extravagant green fingernails at a group of silent children... At six it is possible to perceive subtleties that a year later are already out of reach.

The plot:
Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk move to the French village of Lansquenet, where Vianne sets up a chocolaterie called La Céleste Praline. When the book opens, it is Mardi Gras. They arrive in town during the carnival. The shop is on the square opposite the church and clashes with the old-fashioned town's strict observation of Lent.

Vianne is the main point-of-view character, but Pere Reynaud, the local priest, who has a vendetta against Vianne, gets some chapters from his point of view. I also enjoyed the secondary characters.

The magic:
The magic is understated, but it is a bigger deal in the book than the film. The main character knows what each character's favorite chocolates or sweets are as soon as she meets them, because she can read their thoughts. Tarot cards play a role, although they may or may not actually reveal the future.

The antagonist:
Reynaud is great, and I don't think he's a cartoon villain. This is a gray hats vs white hats type of conflict. The film made the mayor the antagonist instead, so if you have only seen the movie you might want to check out the book version.

The ending:
The ending is bittersweet, but not too sad, and it leaves a few loose ends. In contrast, the film comes closer to tying things up in a neat little bow. (Softening the impact of a bittersweet ending is not exactly new in film adaptations, so I really should have expected it. Stardust by Neil Gaiman comes to mind.) ...more

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Dec 10, 2013 Cherie rated it really liked it

I enjoyed reading this book very much. A little bit of magic, good people, bad people, gypsies, little songs in French, an imaginary friend, love, loss, mystery and more chocolate drink than I could have imagined. The names of the candies made my mouth water. The story made me laugh at things a little girl can say it made me cry over an old man and his old dog. It made me think about what it means to hear someone say that they had lived a good life and how they wanted that life to end on their o ...more

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Dec 02, 2008 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2002, fiction, chicklit

Like so many people I read the book after I saw the movie. I can see why people would be upset with the book after seeing the movie - the book is a different story in many ways. I think the tone of the book threw me off more than anything.

I have to say I really enjoyed both the book and the movie. I think it is rare to read a book and have it be almost verbatim what you experience in the movie (The Princess Bride is the only exception I can think of off the top of my head) so if I like a movie ...more

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Jun 01, 2017 Bren Let the sea enamor you rated it really liked it

Shelves: family-drama, saw-movie-and-read-book, baking-and-cooking, enthralling, chick-lit, fun-books, romance, magical-realism, read-and-reviewed

“Why can no one here think of anything but chocolates?”
― Joanne Harris, Chocolat

This book will be sure to make you crave some chocolate..or..baked goods at least. So have your appetite ready.

Seriously, we all know the plot so no plot review on this one. I adored the book AND the film. I fell in love with the charming and quaint little village and wanted very much to live there. (And have some of their chocolate.) I think I liked the movie a wee bit more but that is only because this book is so ...more

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Apr 13, 2009 PurplyCookie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: movie-tv-tie-in, 1st-in-a-series, book-series, epicure, fave-author, personal-faves, witchcraft

"I believe that being happy is the only important thing. Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or torturous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive."

If you've watched the movie from a few years back and you've only decided just now to pick up the book where the movie was based on, prepare to be surprised (although in what way exactly, I leave it to you). I can hardly believe that a novel so richly packed with meaning could be so relatively short. Harris' prose here is at its finest, as we follow ...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Devlin Scott rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-recommendations

I dare anyone to read this novel and not hunger for something sweet.

This is a wonderful tale of family and magic and hope. It is not your typical romance and well worth the time. You may find yourself wishing for a confection or two...before you've finished reading.

Devlin ...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Becky rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

I did not like this book. I didn't think the author developed the characters well enough that I could even tell them apart by half-way through. There was not enough for me to develop emphathy for anyone in the book except the guy with the little, old dog.

I also have a problem with an author being so blatant about the axe they have to grind with any particular group. I thought the book was anti-religious and anti-Catholic, specifically. I am not of the thought or feeling that anyone has to be rel ...more

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Oct 09, 2018 Amanda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

So much chocolate (in liquid form) was consumed during the reading of this book.

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May 05, 2021 Chris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: france, magical-realism

I loved this book. One of my comments I made as I got into it was that it was a book that I could sink into and that feeling continued throughout my read. It was a story of substance with a touch of magical realism. The "winds" bring Vianne Rocher & her daughter to a tight small French community whose lives revolve around the church. Their insulated lives makes them suspicious of others especially those who did not adhere to the teachings of the church or participate in the services. The story e ...more

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Oct 22, 2020 Janelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

A small French village is changed from its conservative, anti outsider(particularly Gypsies in houseboats) by the arrival of a woman (Vianne) and her daughter who open a chocolate shop. Themes of acceptance, ageing, death and domestic violence. Told mostly from the point of view of Vianne, some chapters are from the priest Reynaud, who sees Vianne as a threat to the town. So while this book on the surface is a pleasant read (so much chocolate!) it has much darker undercurrents both in the towns ...more

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Nov 18, 2018 Abbie | ab_reads rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 stars

Warning: do not read this book if you’re hungry and have no delicious chocolate in the house! Sorry, had to get the practicalities out of the way first before I tell you how amazing and sensuous this book is (and that’s sensuous as in relating or affecting the senses, and not sexually gratifying - although it is a bit saucy at times)
.
Chocolat is a wonderfully atmospheric story that’s sprinkled with just a little bit of magic and occasionally hinting at a darker underbelly... Essentially ...more

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Sep 02, 2017 Leila rated it liked it · review of another edition

I remembered that I did read this book a long time ago and cannot remember the actual date. I am not re-reading it.

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Nov 09, 2020 Debbie Zapata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020printbooks

I saw the movie years ago before I read the book, which also first happened years ago. This is my first GR-era reading, though, and it was triggered by hearing my husband tell me about seeing the movie playing on a cable channel he gets. He thought it looked interesting so he settled down to watch, but promptly fell asleep. This is nothing new, but without me there to keep nudging him awake he missed the movie.

After I teased him enough about that, I told him how I had the book and its sequel an I saw the movie years ago before I read the book, which also first happened years ago. This is my first GR-era reading, though, and it was triggered by hearing my husband tell me about seeing the movie playing on a cable channel he gets. He thought it looked interesting so he settled down to watch, but promptly fell asleep. This is nothing new, but without me there to keep nudging him awake he missed the movie.

After I teased him enough about that, I told him how I had the book and its sequel and that our chat made me want to re-read them both. I had to look up the name of the sequel and in doing that, I learned about the third and fourth titles that feature the same characters, so of course I had to order used copies of them and have a surprise binge read!

It took me more time to read this book than I expected, but of course I was dealing with a most unusual and distracting week. Once I got to the point of turning off the live feeds and looking around to see the world was still intact, I did a happy dance and then immersed myself in the story of Vianne Rocher, her daughter Anouk, and the changes they bring to a small town in France.

There are so many layers to this book. It is a story of a strong woman who has a different way of living her life. This fact creates fear in many people, especially those who approach life in a rigid, unforgiving manner. The local priest believes from the beginning that Vianne is an enemy of decency; he creates for himself the task of exposing her as the evil witch he believes her to be.

But some of the people in the town allow themselves to become acquainted with Vianne. Many are afraid, and many others are suspicious merely because she is Not From There. But she is such a gentle, friendly soul.....and don't forget the chocolate! Just reading about the treats Vianne creates will drive a chocolate lover into raptures! And there is a grand dinner late in the book that rivals Babette's feast for luxuriousness.

So we have a theme of The Other, which also includes the 'river people', those travelers who live on boats and don't feel the need for roots in any one spot. They live freely, and Vianne is like them, blowing in on one wind and out again on another. But will she stay in Lansquenet forever? Is it time to ignore the breezes that whisper about the need to move on? I imagine this is a question every rover faces at some point in their lives.

Mother - daughter relationships, respect for the elderly, hypocrisy in organized religion (whether by those who preach it or those who pretend to live by its rules), and secrets that twist people tighter the longer they try to bury them, finding the courage to live your own life. These are a few other layers found in this rich book. I loved it and am more than ready to enjoy the rest of the series so I will quit babbling now and dive back into Vianne's life with The Girl With No Shadow.

And yes, I have plenty of chocolate to savor while I read!

...more

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Aug 10, 2015 Marina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star, own, favorite

Chocolat was exactly the kind of novel I needed at the moment. I discarded books left and right, I was in the mood for something literary and after re-watching the movie - I settled on this one. I decided to savor it as one would a piece of chocolate, slowly, letting it melt into my mouth so that I could absorb the flavor better.

The book is similar to the movie and yet very different - surprisingly I like both in their own way. It was a beautiful novel, full of magic, luscious descriptions of ch ...more

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Dec 28, 2009 Sonia Gomes rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Read it, its a fun book

Shelves: courage, good-but-not-fantastic, romance

I probably would have had a different opinion of the book had I read it before I saw the movie but...

I liked the movie as well as the book for the courage it portrays in a fight against prejudices. There is so much of racism in the World today, that Vianne's fight for the Gypsies to be accepted in that little town comes as a breath of fresh, heady air, much like Vianne herself.

I also liked the idea of good fun in a very tight, moralistic society, the entire town seemed to have let their hair dow ...more

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Jul 22, 2020 Emma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, girl-fiction, religion

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

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Feb 20, 2008 Edith Fischer rated it liked it · review of another edition

I liked the style, alternating chapters narrated by the heroine,chocolate shop owner Vianne Rocher, and her nemesis, the village priest. The book creates charming images of creativity and sensitivity on the part of Vianne, contrasted with dark images of guilt and rigidity on the part of the priest. Free spirits versus conforming traditionalists. Love and friendship versus control and manipulation. Color and joie de vivre versus blackness and regret. Hints of deeper mystery in the past.

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Feb 20, 2020 Baba rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thrills-spills-kills-oh-my

Nomadic single mother Vianne Rocher, comes to the small French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes and opens up a sumptuously described chocolaterie during Lent, oh... and she might or might not be a witch! Her chocolaterie and presence in the village really upsets priest Francis Reynaud, and his supporters. Harris builds the suspense up to an inevitable confrontation.

Harris writing really captures this French village and the chocolaterie so well at the start of this, so well indeed, that for me t ...more

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Jun 12, 2015 Jess rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, cover-envy, movie-or-show-was-better, re-reads

Food porn at its best, Chocolat is magical, mischievous and original… but not nearly as good as I remember it.

Everything the novel falls short of is portrayed beautifully in the exquisite 2000 film adaptation. (And… Johnny Depp. Say no to that, I dare you!) Although the novel is immersive and atmospheric, the film enhances the ambience and narrative into a much more compelling piece. Joanne Harris' contemporary depiction was usurped in favour of a charming 60s setting - a pivotal decision, I th Food porn at its best, Chocolat is magical, mischievous and original… but not nearly as good as I remember it.

Everything the novel falls short of is portrayed beautifully in the exquisite 2000 film adaptation. (And… Johnny Depp. Say no to that, I dare you!) Although the novel is immersive and atmospheric, the film enhances the ambience and narrative into a much more compelling piece. Joanne Harris' contemporary depiction was usurped in favour of a charming 60s setting - a pivotal decision, I think. Harris disclosed that she was warned the novel was “too old fashioned” to sell, and I completely agree on the old fashioned bit; I struggled to contextualise this. The language and the plot itself felt archaic and I was completely convinced it was set in the 1950s, maybe the 60s - until microwavable pizza (yeuch) made an appearance.

On a more elemental level, the film adaptation also contextualises both Vianne herself and the magical realism. If you can contextualise magical realism, that is. In the novel, Vianne’s backstory is ambiguous and left conveniently hazy whereas the adaptation meant the notion of her lifestyle made some sense. Don’t get me wrong, I like a bit of ambiguity, but unless it’s Heathcliff, I need some background knowledge on a character.

I also don’t appreciate how polarising this was: Catholicism vs. Paganism. The Church was very obviously made out to be the villain of the story whereas everybody else revered Vianne, if only for her optimism and whimsical morals. Why not live on every whim and desire, take every indulgence, succumb to every desire... Look, I’d love to, honey - but the world doesn’t work like that. Whereas the glorious, free-spirited, airy fairy Vianne is the stereotype of optimism, the straitlaced, controlling priest’s POV was very, very priest-y, almost laughably so. I felt like I was reading propaganda in that sense.

But the prose is beautiful. I have never gotten so hot and bothered reading descriptions of chocolate and pastries. Oh my.

The quality of Chocolat for me lies in the superficial - this is a sensuous piece that leaves the senses reeling. Stock up on some good quality chocolate before you this a go - Cadbury and Hershey’s will feel very compromised in the aftermath. ...more

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Mar 16, 2009 Kelly rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction

Chocolat was good for the sort of fluffy, non-literary sort of book that it is. Vianne, who is a witch of sorts, arrives with her young daughter in a small French town and opens a chocolate shop. Her sensual, outsider ways began to change the lives of the townspeople and invokes the ire of the local priest. This is an enjoyable, light read, but one thing that confused me was when the novel was taking place. I remember reading a part about someone watching videos, but the idea of a priest being u ...more

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what did you prefer- the book or the film?	79	472	Oct 26, 2018 10:34PM
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About Joanne Harris

Joanne Harris

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Joanne Harris is also known as Joanne M. Harris

Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include fourteen novels, two cookbooks and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy. She has also written a DR WHO novella for the BBC, has scripted guest episodes for the game ZOMBIES, RUN!, and is curr ...more

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“Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive.” — 596 likes

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