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Chocolat | 
 enlarge | Author: Joanne Harris
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Audio Books
Category: Book
List Price: £9.99
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £9.98 (100%)
New (3) Used (15) from £0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  156 reviews
Sales Rank: 478690
Format: Audiobook
Media: Audio Cassette
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 4.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 1840323671
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781840323672
ASIN: 1840323671
Publication Date: July 6, 2000
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: audio - case damaged - quick dispatch
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Amazon.co.uk Review
I hear our M'sieur le Cure already has it in for you ... Does he know you're a witch? Lansquenet-sous-Tannes--"a blip on the fast road between Toulouse and Bourdeaux"--and new home to Vianne Rocher, her six-year-old daughter Anouk, and Anouk's "imaginary" rabbit, Pantoufle. They arrive "on the wind of the carnival", and, a couple of days later, Vianne opens a luxuriant chocolate shop. "La Celeste Praline" bubbles over with the most tempting of confections, topped with an irresistible selection of rich, smooth chocolate drinks. It's Lent, the shop is opposite the church (which Vianne and Anouk don't attend) it's open on Sundays and Francis Reynaud, the austere parish priest with the "measuring, feline look" is not exactly happy. As one by one the villagers sidle into the shop to sample Vianne's concoctions, we learn of their characters and secrets, their loves and desires, their troubles and hopes. Sad, polite Guillame and his dying dog. Shoplifting, beaten Josephine Muscat. And Armande Voizin, still vigorous and perceptive in her 80s, who can see Pantoufle, and recognises Vianne for who she really is. But Reynaud has his power base. And when Vianne advertises a Grand Festival of Chocolate to start on Easter Sunday, it's all-out war. War between church and chocolate. Read clearly and precisely by Samantha Bond--whose voice is almost choclatey enough for Vianne--and Gareth Armstrong -- who sounds marginally too rich for Reynaud--this is an elegant adaptation of an utterly delicious novel, the denouement of which brings a new, literal meaning to the phrase "a sticky end", and which proves, indisputably, that soft centres are best. --Lisa Gee
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| Customer Reviews: Read 151 more reviews...
 A wonderful novel November 25, 2008
Chocolat by Joanne Harris is a wonderful novel to read. It has been since last year that I watched the movie and it is absolutely brilliant. The novel deserves similar praise and comments for its refreshing story, colourful characters and beautiful village setting in rural France.
The sudden and unexpected entrance of Vianne and strange daughter Anouk to the village is the key plot to the story. The traditions and peace are ruined by their arrival. Vianee a pagan, opens up a confectionary to reunite a community. The coffee shop is a great opportunity for folks to share secrets and gossips. The parish view the confectionary as a disruption to village activities partiuclarly church services. A prominent parish member Father Reynaud is determined to preserve old village traditions. The opening of a confectionary clashes with Lent and this escalate matters. The temptation of chocolate urges the villagers to create a sin and not stick to Chrisitian vows. The gyspies presence bring further problems for the village and their is resentment towards their presence. The moral questions raised is what are the key implications of Vianne arrival to the village? Has she tarnished the village reputation ? That is the general gist of the story.
The religion and social predojuice are the key themes tackled in the novel. The novel looks at how Christianity conflicts with pagans beliefs as in the case of Vianne. In addition, it explores social predujuice in society. Humanity is presented in a positive and negative light. Overall a wonderful novel to read.
 Life is Like a Box of Chocolates... August 29, 2008
Looking at all the reviews below, opinion seem to be split between favouring and disliking this book. I'd seen the film a while ago, hadn't read any of these reviews and borrowed it as a bit of light holiday reading. After completing it, I have to plant myself firmly in the negative camp.
Without re-iterating the arguments below, I measure the value of a novel in it's ability to generate a page-turning plot, well-rounded characters that you actually care about and, most importantly, to give the reader a revelatory insight either into themselves or the world around them.
Unfortunately this book does none of these things, unless of course I'm mistaken and rural France is a religiously repressed society ruled by tyrannical priests who gorge themselves in sinful acts such as arson, adultery and...eating chocolate. I'm sure the writer is mistaken.
The book is told from the perspective of two characters - Vianne Rocher (single mum, free spirit, mystical, likes cooking) and Cure Reynaud (priest, and therefore morally ambiguous, The Black Man). At the beginning of every chapter the only way we know who is narrating is that Reynaud says 'pere' a lot as he speaks to his comatosed forbear.
The plot revolves around Vianne opening her chocolat shop, the effect this has on the villagers, and Reynaud's battle to try and get her, and the temptation she brings with her, out of the village. And that's it.
It's not all bad, however, as the saving grace of the book is Armande's (old lady, diabetic, mystical) relationship with her grandson Luc (young man, s-stammers a lot), although these scenes are few and far between.
The magical, mystical element of the book was also lost on me. It leaves the reader thinking at the end, as with the whole of the book, what's the point?
Apparently life is like a box of chocolates as you never know what you're going to get. Unfortunately with this book, they're all coffee flavoured.
Leaves a bad taste in the mouth - avoid.
 Not bad July 14, 2008
This is an easy read with some really lovely descriptive passages, but it failed to grab me entirely.
The plot centres on a mother and daughter who arrive in a small French village and open a chocolate shop opposite a church. The mother then tries to win over all the people who are suspicious of her intentions.
Not a bad book, but I didn't care enough about the characters for it to be really enchanting.
Unique read for Chocolate lovers! June 27, 2008
Before reading The Lollipop Shoes in which Vianne Rocher returns, I decided to revisit Lasquenet during Lent and rediscover all those wonderful characters.
Vianne and her daughter Anouk, mysterious strangers arrive in the village and open a chocolate shop which immediately begins to have a strange but generally good effect on the inhabitants. However the bigoted village priest Father Reynaud thinks she is there to turn his flock against their catholic religion. 'Church not Chocolate' is the true message of Easter according to some of the villagers. However there is also an element amongst the residents that just love Chocolate as I do myself! Around this theme we are told the stories of various villagers, amongst my favourites are Guillaume Duplessis who lives for his dog `Charly' and Armande Voizin a spirited local matriarch who does not intend to let failing health spoil her life.
Something I rarely do is read a book more than once unless studying it, as my thoughts are that there are too many books I want to read and too little time to do so! Surprisingly though I enjoyed it just as much on this second reading. Joanne Harris writes very descriptively and you can almost taste the chocolates and imagine yourself in the French countryside she describes. The trouble is having now seen the film I do tend to picture scenes from it rather than forming my own pictures in my mind. This is why I always prefer to read the book first, if it is made into a film and use my own imagination!
 Naive! May 26, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Are we so simple that we need a story that is written so basically that it takes away all excitement. The book mixes style between modern and 1950s which does not work well. I have to admit I gave up before the end as I couldn't endure any more!
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