Join acclaimed author Joanne Harris, best known for her enchanting novel Chocolat, as she delves into the intricate dance between magic and spirituality in her story. She discusses the compelling character dynamics, particularly the clash of philosophies between Vianne and the local priest Renaud. Harris shares insights on the mother-daughter bond that inspired her writing, while exploring how folklore shapes the narrative. With a unique mix of whimsy and reflection, she reveals the challenges behind breathing life into her beloved characters.
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insights INSIGHT
Complexity of Main Characters
Both Vianne and the priest Francis Renaud are complex characters with flaws and blind spots.
The story explores their mutual learning and self-discovery, avoiding simple good-versus-evil tropes.
insights INSIGHT
Magic Realism Emerged Naturally
Joanne Harris did not consciously set out to write magic realism; her story naturally included magical elements.
She frames Chocolat as a Western-style story with a mysterious stranger shaking up the village dynamics, but with chocolate.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Great-Grandmother's Witch Prank
Joanne Harris was inspired by her great-grandmother, a local French witch known for playing practical jokes on a priest.
One famous prank involved her dressing as the Virgin Mary, humiliating the local priest and causing his departure.
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In the small French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, Vianne Rocher, a chocolate-maker and single mother, arrives with her six-year-old daughter Anouk at the beginning of Lent. Her exquisite chocolate shop, La Céleste Praline, opposite the church, instantly polarizes the villagers. Vianne's presence and her magical chocolates begin to resolve old feuds, help family disputes, and bring happiness to the community. However, her arrival also sparks conflict with the local priest, Francis Reynaud, who sees her as a threat to the village's traditional values. The story unfolds with a dramatic face-off between Easter solemnity and the pagan gaiety of a chocolate festival, ultimately leading to a transformation in the lives of the villagers and Vianne herself.
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Led by presenter James Naughtie, the writer Joanne Harris takes questions from a BBC Bookclub audience on her best-selling novel, Chocolat. Published in 1999, the book follows the character of Vianne Rocher, a chocolate-maker and sometime witch, who arrives in the village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes with her six-year-old daughter Anouk at the beginning of Lent and opens a chocolaterie opposite the church. Francis Reynaud, the local priest, disapproves of her instantly and Vianne's arrival polarizes the villagers.
The book sold over a million copies in the UK and won the Creative Freedom and Whitaker Gold awards. It was later turned into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.
Bookclub 
