One for the road. (Blackberry Wine - Joanne Harris)

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Product:	Blackberry Wine - Joanne Harris
Date:	12.07.07 (270 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An original concept, quite nicely handled.

Disadvantages: A little weak in places.

Blackberry Wine is one of a series of food related books written by Joanne Harris, more recognised for her bestselling books, Chocolat and Five Quarters of an Orange. The theme of all three books is gastronomy and each has its' merits as modern literature, whilst being different in their own ways. The style of Joanne Harris's work is distinctively different from many that write on the subject of rural life in France, and very authentic in the way it deals with interaction between french villagers, and this book is no exception though takes a very different stance from her other stories.

It would be difficult to explain how the author wrote the book from the point of view of a bottle of wine, although she achieved her aims and the story came over as very plausible. The wine in question is one that gains significance as the story develops, stemming back to childhood experiences of the main character, Jay Mackintosh, who gives up his life in the UK to chase a dream and to create a new life for himself in the small village of Lansquenet near Bordeaux.

Characters are portrayed very well indeed and leaping backwards and forwards from present day to those episodes within the childhood of Jay that are significant to the story construction, Harris makes a good clear distinction between the different eras by using whole chapters instead of trying to intermingle each era within one chapter. It's a very clear cut way of dealing with past and present, and the links between the life that Jay Mackintosh is living now, balanced against his life and connection with a character by the name of Joe Cox, who not only played a significant part in his childhood days back in Pog Lane, but who will continue to have an influence on Jay for his future.

Comparing this book with Five Quarters of an Orange, I feel that the latter was a better read, although this book does have it's merits in the logical linking of characters that pass each other on the road of life and leave an impact. The supporting characters are reasonably true to life, and what always stands out within the writings of Harris is her understanding of French mentality, rather than just surface observation.

Without giving too much of the story away, it is a worthy read, and the introduction of characters is sweet without reverting to the ridiculous. There is a good logical pattern to the story, and the characters of Marise and her mother in law, people that become part of Jay's story, are realistic and very readable and takes the reader through the decision making process that takes Jay away from the commercial and seemingly shallow lifestyle he is living to what offers him potential for self development.

The theme of the story being told by a bottle of wine is cleverly executed, and the significance of Joe as an important character in Jay's life is exceedingly well described, though here, it would be hard to say more without spoiling the story, and it's little bit of supernatural surprise.

The ending of the book was a little predictable, and not as well rounded as other Harris books. There were times during the reading of the book when the end could have wandered off into many directions, though took the easiest route, which was disappointing.

Was it worth buying ? Yes. For me, it completed the trilogy. Would I read it again ? Possibly, because the style of writing is pleasing and should certainly not be dismissed in the same manner as many popular fiction stories that I have read and that disappoint.

This was actually the second book of the trilogy and one can only assume acted as a learning process that lead to the successful writing of Five Quarters of an Orange, which was certainly the best of the bunch, though I feel that followers of Harris would deny themselves a full experience of the development of the writer and the complexity of her work if they didn't give this book a try.

I shall certainly look forward with anticipation to her most recent works, Jigs and Reels and The French Market and the weaknesses within the book were insufficient to quality as real disappointment.


Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Black Swan; New Ed edition (2 April 2001)
Language English
ISBN-10: 0552998001
ISBN-13: 978-0552998000

Summary: A worthwhile book to complement a collection of well written fiction.