I have a treat for you today...
Read from June 8th to 13th, 2015.
5 chocolate stars!
A delicious whimsical read not to be read while on any kind of diet. Seriously. It's torture. While in the middle of this novel, I couldn't fight the urge to whip up a batch of brownies, as that was the only chocolate product in my house I could indulge in. It only took me so long to read such short a novel because I got caught up watching, or rather re-watching Downton Abbey. The withdrawl is killing me! Anywho, I probably would've finished it in three days. I was addicted to it, like I am to imagining tasting Vianne's many delights in her shop.
It wasn't just the chocolaterie or Lansquenet. It wasn't just the people in it. It was also imagining the gypsy lives of Vianne and Anouke and her mother before her, and maybe even her mother before her. Traveling always. Though I imagine, as Vianne said, it's a tough thing. Never to have memories or be settled. Never have a place you can call home. I wouldn't be able to do that. At least, I would make sure I always had a home to come back to when I traveled. I could go all over the world and would still have my little suburbian home and garden.
We have a vibrant cast to fill in our pictureasque little town. Cynical old ladies and narrow priests and gypsies and a girl with an imaginary rabbit. The town is the type of place to visit on my bucket list. I long to take in everything.
It's beautifully written, as the magical realism genre seems to be (from what I've read of it so far)...It's vibrant and rich and insightful, the words are rather visual. I did see the movie first, and I did enjoy it, but now that I've read it, I picture almost the same movie, but more in the style of Amelie or Pushing Daisies. Imagine that, plus chocolate, plus Johnny Depp. Swoon-worthy, isn't it? The film was very good though, but looking back, I feel like it's missing the whimsy and magical quality which makes this book so so very good. So very good as to call it a favourite for life. Oh yes. This is the book I will always take to bed with me, or in a luxurious bubblebath-my kindle tucked in a ziploc as I tap the screen, eating up Joanne's prose like chocolate creamy bon bons. (Good golly, I'm hungry. FOR CHOOOOOCOLATEEE!) This is a wonderland of a book. A carnival ride. A gorgeous ride of colours, sights...tastes...MMM...
Can you tell I love chocolate? Count my nine cavities I got from girlhood.
I'm very anxious to read the two sequels, especially the third because I find Reynaud a fascinating character. I'm excited to read anything else by Joanne Harris. I sincerely hope she never stops writing. A new favourite author, despite I've only so far read one of her books. You'll fall in love with her too. and this book. and then you can blame her for your cavities as well.
Can you resist? (A salad for dinner seems pretty bland to me right now.)
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