Chocolat

I am getting my second wind, I guess, because I have another review done, or perhaps I am just reading small reads for now and I am really just trying to feel accomplished ha-ha.

I finished Chocolat a few days ago, and once again I seem to have hit another note within the song of tolerance. Vianne Rocher and her elementary age daughter, Anouk, have settled into a small village in the countryside of France, where they open a chocolaterie. They soon draw people in, little by little, Vianne using little hints of… whatever you decide to interpret it as… to build friendships and bring some sunshine into their rainy days. Not even there for a day and the two find themselves pitted against the village priest, who can see through the innocent act that Vianne plays in order to, in his mind, win over his flock. When the river gypsies come to town, led by red-haired Roux, the fight over the flock escalates to dangerous levels.

I will admit, I have seen the movie before I read the book. I thought the movie was alright. I do not remember what happens in the end… or really the majority of it. You can see how good it was I guess.

The book is on a similar level, although apparently, according to people’s reviews on Goodreads, the book is completely different from the movie. The movie is more of a romantic movie, focusing more on the relationship with Vianne and Roux, whereas the book focuses more on tolerance and creating positivity in your own way. Vianne lives by a “do what will make you happy” philosophy, which then is no wonder that the priest is always at a petty with her, because naturally Christian beliefs, some denominations more than others, are more strict with God being the source of your happiness and, in relevance to the book, humans not falling into temptation of earthly delights.

When I had said that the book is on a similar level before I ended up changing how the paragraph went, it was more, or less me saying that the book was not as memorable as I had hoped it would be. It is a nice, uplifting book because you have someone like Vianne who, although raised in Gypsy setting, lives her life simple. She does not want to apply those stereotypical Gypsy behaviors that her mother lived out to her own personal life, but rather be a good person because that is the right person to be. You receive what you give. All the same, I think this book will be one that drifts in my mind for awhile, then vanish.

I think this is a good book to read as an example of someone who is raised different from the environment they choose to live in, and no matter how much of a good person they are, there are those who are not of the tolerable kind to them. Even with my background, I think Vianne is a wonderful mother who is looking to have a positive effect on every person she encounters, which is more than what I can say about Caroline and her cronies. Speaking of, Caroline reminds me of that one bad bitch from The Help, except she is not as extreme about it. She just cares and has to be obnoxious about it.

I like that there are people who have a lot of similarities about them: Vianne and Caroline, who it seems ended up trying to be the opposite of their mothers except for with Vianne she slowly comes to terms with it; Paul-Marie Muscat and the priest, who have such a problem with control and life’s instabilities that they are drawn to violence if their world is corrupted. There were other examples, but I am drawing to a blank.

Anywhosies, I also found out that Chocolat is the first in a series of four, which makes me want to finish the series because I want Vianne to find her peace. If you interested in starting this series, which I think you should if you are looking for sweet and simple, you should start here.

7/10