Product Description

A tantalising novel about the ultimate luxury and sin: that dark mistress, chocolate.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1634 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-02
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review

I hear our M'sieur le Curé 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 Céleste 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 Joséphine 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

Elisabeth Luard, author of Family Life
`An addictive read haunting,obsessive, and just a little nutty, like a freshly made praline.'

Observer
`A celebration of pleasure, of love, of tolerance.'

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Customer Reviews

Not bad
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!
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!
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!