Debbie Zapata's Reviews > Chocolat

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!