Wine, food, memories ... (Blackberry Wine - Joanne Harris)

Member Name: robertandalison

Product:	Blackberry Wine - Joanne Harris
Date:	30/05/09 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An engaging read

Disadvantages: Told by a bottle of wine (why?)

In a rush in the library the other day, I picked up Blackberry Wine, because I've enjoyed Joanne Harris novels before and love to read about French food! I had enjoyed Five Quarters of the Orange a few years ago but found it quite dark. So I was hoping Blackberry Wine would be full of the characterisations, french atmosphere and descriptions of food that I'd loved in her other books, but also that it would be a little lighter and uplifting! And thankfully, it lived up to my expectations.

Blackberry Wine tells the story of Jay, a writer who isn't writing, but who is mostly drinking and remembering the defining events of his childhood. Thus, his current life and his childhood are interwoven and begin to overlap in a supernatural way. The story is intriguing, engaging and compelling. Jay, though certainly far from perfect, is a character who draws you in. The mysterious nature of the two stories draws you on to read more and more.

I got a little bit annoyed by the fact that the story is told from the perspective of a bottle of wine. For me, that was taking the 'magic' a little too far, but it did also lend a little bit of distance from all the characters which was interesting. I'd like to read the book again to see more of the links and themes running through it and I'd definitely recommend it as a good read - perhaps for a french holiday!

Summary: An interesting and engrossing book