|
|
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.
Binding: Audio CDDewey Decimal Number: 813 EAN: 9780754055006 Edition: Unabridged Format: Audiobook, Unabridged ISBN: 0754055000 Label: Chivers Audio Books Manufacturer: Chivers Audio Books Number Of Items: 10 Publication Date: 2002-06 Publisher: Chivers Audio Books Studio: Chivers Audio Books Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: Joanne Harris's first novel, Chocolat, was set in the sleepy French village of Lansquenet, where enchantment, romance, and soft-centered truths issued from the local confectioner's shop. She returns to the same location for Blackberry Wine. But as the title suggests, she's shifted her focus from food to drink, choosing a half-dozen bottles of homemade plonk as the catalyst for her "layman's alchemy." And even the narrator is no human being but a faintly tannic Fleurie 1962: "A pert, garrulous wine, cheery and little brash, with a pungent taste of blackcurrant!" There are, of course, some less vinous characters in the novel. Harris's protagonist, Jay Mackintosh, is a former literary star, now sadly stalled. He spends his time writing second-rate science fiction, leading a hollow media life, and drinking: "Not to forget, but to remember, to open up the past and find himself there again." Yet the nice, expensive wines don't do the trick. Instead, six "Specials"--a gift from his old friend Joe--function as Jay's magical elixir. Like Proust's lime-blossom tisane, they give him the gift of his memories but also unlock his future, which encourages him to flee the rut of his London life and buy a house in Lansquenet. As Jay settles in, he contemplates his childhood friendship with Joe, whose idiosyncratic outlook was the inspiration for his only successful book. Meanwhile, he becomes involved in village life, encountering some familiar faces from Chocolat. Caro and Toinette, the snooty troublemakers, soon put in an appearance, and Josephine, the bar owner and battered wife of the earlier novel, becomes a real friend. But it's a new character, the enigmatic Marise, who becomes the focus of Jay's attention--and who helps to restore his literary joie de vivre. This feat of resurrection makes for a hugely enjoyable read. It also goes one step further in adding Lansquenet to the map of imaginary destinations, where daydreams can come true with intoxicating frequency. --Eithne Farry Product Description: As a boy, writer Jay Mackintosh spent three golden summers in the ramshackle home of "Jackapple Joe" Cox. A lonely child, he found solace in Old Joe's simple wisdom and folk charms. The magic was lost, however, when Joe disappeared without warning one fall. Years later, Jay's life is stalled with regret and ennui. His bestselling novel, Jackapple Joe, was published ten years earlier and he has written nothing since. Impulsively, he decides to leave his urban life in London and, sight unseen, purchases a farmhouse in the remote French village of Lansquenet. There, in that strange and yet strangely familiar place, Jay hopes to re-create the magic of those golden childhood summers. And while the spirit of Joe is calling to him, it is actually a similarly haunted, reclusive woman who will ultimately help Jay find himself again. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - It just didn't work for meI loved Chocolat and the Lollipop Shoes and had just finished the even better Five Quarters of the Orange when I picked up Blackberry Wine. Unlike the others, this was a real struggle to get through. The characters seemed shallow and one-dimensional, as though they needed more work. The plot didn't really develop until well into the novel (it didn't start to get in the least bit interesting until about two thirds of the way in) and even then, it was weak. I think that one of the biggest mistakes ... Read More Rating: - Mixed feelingsAlthough I found the characters somewhat flat and frankly disliked a couple of them such as Kerry, I thoroughly enjoyed being transported to Joe's and Jay's gardens and homes and -- through Harris' magical pen -- found myself believing in those "talking" wine bottles as living things. On the whole, I enjoyed the process of getting to the denouement, but felt somewhat disappointed at the way the plot ends were all tied up on the last few pages. I got hooked on Harris with her Gentlemen and Players ... Read More Rating: - blackberry wineexcellent!--- if you liked 'chocolat' its more of the magic--in fact some of the characters and events from 'chocolat' are mentioned in 'blackberry wine' Rating: - I Prefer Tea....I have mixed feelings about Blackberry Wine, unfortunately more negative than positive. For the first ten chapters I despised this book: I didn't care about the characters, couldn't care about the plot and wanted nothing more than to just get through the thing so I could move on to another story. Even though the chapters are short, fifty-seven pages is more than I want to wait for a story to get interesting. Blackberry Wine describes the life of Jay, a one-hit-wonder in the literary arena ... Read More Rating: - Left Me Wanting MoreBeautifully written, this book left me wanting more. I was sad when the book came to the end. I had grown fond of the characters (excluding Kerry, who I found utterly irritating) and wanted to know what came next. I could feel the main characters disappointment, his fears and loneliness. I enjoyed how the book balanced between the main characters childhood and adulthood, 1975 to 1999. It was wonderful to see the character develop throughout the story. And of course, there was Joe, the most colorful character ... Read More |
