Lo ammetto, comprare questo libro maliziosamente intitolato 'Chocolat' è stato più un peccato di gola, che un vero e proprio slancio letterario. Non sono quindi rimasta sorpresa - semmai inondata dall'acquolina - quando, sfogliando le pagine ed inghiottendo le righe di Joanne Harris ho sentito soffiare un vento di magia che è possibile annusare nella dolce fragranza di cioccolato. Sono invece rimasta stupita dalla capacità letteraria di questa scrittrice di origini un po' inglesi e un po' francesi che ha saputo condire col cioccolato una storia profonda e descrivere dei personaggi che rimangono impressi nel cuore, come quando una forma stampa una torta dalla forma gustosa e bizzarra.Sullo sfondo di un paese francese, si staglia imperante il parroco Reynaud, forte della propria presa sulle coscienze paesane e del proprio potere di confessionale; a contraddirne il potere e a portare un'ondata di luce sarà Vianne Rocher, un po' strega, un po' viandante che, con le sue esperienze di vita, la sua voglia di felicità, il suo amore per il prossimo, scardinerà i neri appannaggi della toga di Reynaud per restituire alla piazza di fronte alla Chiesa il colore attraverso la vetrina della sua cioccolateria. La maga Vianne e la figlia Anouk irriteranno una parte del paese, attireranno le simpatie della gente del fiume, creeranno un ritrovo per anime sconsolate bisognose di manforte per restituirsi alla vita - al contrario di quanto il parroco Reynaud fa in nome della legge di Dio, con il suo continuo oscurare i desideri quasi fossero il cartellino giallo per essere espulsi dal Cielo.338 pagine che si alternano tra avvenimenti e ricordi, smosse da un vento magico, quasi esotico, che sembra dirottare la vita dei personaggi, e sembra quasi voler suggerire una risposta al pindarico quesito:'Ci vuole più coraggio a restare, o più coraggio a rimanere?' A rispondere sarà il finale, toccante, melodico, elegantemente architettato e lontano dai risultati che il lettore si attende di ottenere.Un libro che è un inno alla vita, a tutte le sue tonalità, alla forza di rialzarsi e di imporsi sui propri passi, mentre si impara che l'odia fomentato da una religione e dai pregiudizi è peggio del fiammifero buttato sulla steppa che dilaga dando fuoco a quanto di costruttivo può esistere in tutto ciò che ci si impone di non conoscere per l'incapacità di 'vedere oltre'.Il continuo scontrarsi di una lotta tra diversità destinata a finire in cenere per celebrare poi l'unica cosa vera che conta in questa vita: la felicità.Se siete disposti ad infrangere qualsiasi credo stizzoso, borioso, trito e ritrito, e, sopratutto, a macchiarvi del peccato di gola; se state cercando una storia che odora di cibo invitante, ma anche di speranza e di magia; se vi volete staccare dal conformismo per arrivare a 81 anni e amare ancora la vita come se ne aveste 20, allora 'Chocolat' è esattamente il romanzo che vi attende.
Very enjoyableI really enjoyed reading this book and I'm giving it a 3 1/2 score in the best possible way. As soon as I discovered that one of my favorite movies was a book, I knew I wanted to read it. It was just a matter of finding it on one of my frequent book jaunts, ravishing the clearance wracks at my favorite discount stores. As she rang me out one of the sweet little sales associates commented that this book was one of her favorites and I would enjoy it. I told her how I loved the movie and asked is the "Johnny Depp" character was in there. She said, "..he's in there." I should have known. Let me first clarify. If you think you've seen the movie and you either don't need to read the book or that they would twin with maybe just a little more elaboration in the book version, I'll say umm... No you still need to read the book. I'm glad I did. Hollywood being Hollywood did glam the movie version up a bit and so the book is quite different. Of course there is more backstory about Vianne and Anouks lives pre arrival into the village. There's more an ere of gypsies and a hint of the good witchery (if that makes sense). There is a dispute over good vs. evil with the most unlikely candidates. And the lovely Roux of the movie is someone all together different in the book. The are all different I'd say. They maybe should have given the precursor that this is a movie based on the book. If you have no knowledge of either book nor movie, here are a few thoughts. This is a delightful book about the gypsy spirit of traveling the world on the waves of the wind. It's about finding happiness. Overcoming ones fears. Learning to be strong. It's abut learning to enjoy the senses and pleasures of life. Oh, did I mention all this through the most decadent, luxurious, mouthwatering chocolate. Come to her shop and Vianne will intuitively give you your favorite and magically it will change your life. I do recommend this to readers of fiction of all types. It's good lite read. Good solid 3 1/2. I will read more books by this author. I really did enjoy it.**Update** I don't own a copy of the movie but looking at clips online. It's all wrong. The book is modern, the movie the 40's or 50's. There is no spinning plate.
What do You think about Chocolat (2000)?
There is a lot more going on in this novel than a simple "Catholics bad. Pagans good." theme that seems to offend readers so much that they miss everything else. Some subjects found in this story:letting go - of children as they grow up and of loved ones who diemoving on - from bad relationships and harmful habitsnature/nurturefacing your fearsloving friends/family/strangers for who they arethe assumptions people make about each otherthe right to dieheeding your own advicetolerance/eradicating temptationclassismfeeling powerlesswanting to control people "for their own good"/letting people make their own decisions even when you disagreeAlso, the priest in the book isn't so simple and evil as people want to believe. He suffers moments of doubt that his way is the best. I don't mean doubts about his faith/religion, but doubts about how he's decided to lead the members of his church and community. (Is religious tolerance really a slippery slope that they can't handle?)Furthermore, he struggles with the desire to be moral and create what he considers the best environment for the members of his church and his belief that he'll have to do something immoral to rid the city of the temptation he feels the members of his church are too weak to handle. Should he let them fall into sin, lose faith and suffer damnation, or sacrifice his own morality to save theirs? If this were such an easy decision for him, as it would be if he were simply evil, he would do something awful right away and we'd have a completely different novel.
—Robyn Groth
Joanne Harris made me long to move to Europe. More fantasizing about small town, rural life. And the descriptions of the chocolate left me dreaming about rose creams, amaretto, pain au chocolat...why is it that these books that leave me hungry and dissatisfied are some of my favorites? Really. This book is full of luscious sentences, beautiful descriptions, and alluring personalities. It's different from the movie - but both have the same spirit of magical glamor. And both make me need to go get a truffle.
—Taylor
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 religious by any means, people can believe what they want. But when those of different belief systems have to put down others to make themselves feel wise or superior (ie, refer to religious people as those who believe in fairy tales), it is counter productive to the message that we should all be accepting of others' differences (as I thought was a main theme of the book), and turns the author and main character into hypocrites.
—Becky
