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''Chocolat'' is a 1999 novel by Joanne Harris. It tells the story of Vianne Rocher, a young single mother, who arrives in the French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes at the beginning of Lent with her six-year-old daughter, Anouk. Vianne opens a chocolate shop, ''La Céleste Praline'', right opposite the village church, and throughout the traditional season of fasting and self-denial, proceeds to gently change the lives of the villagers who visit her chocolaterie with a combination of sympathy, subversion and a little magic. This scandalizes the parish priest, Francis Reynaud, and his supporters. As tensions run high, the community is increasingly divided. And as Easter approaches, pitting the ritual of the Church against the indulgence of chocolate, Father Reynaud and Vianne Rocher face an inevitable showdown. Harris has indicated that several of the book's characters were influenced by individuals in her life:〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.joanne-harris.co.uk/pages/bookpages/chocolat.html ) Contains comments by the author.〕 Her daughter forms the basis for the young Anouk, including her imaginary rabbit, Pantoufle. Harris' strong-willed and independent great-grandmother influenced her portrayal of both Vianne and the elderly Armande. A sequel to the novel, ''The Lollipop Shoes'', was released in the UK in 2007; it was released in the US in 2008 under the title ''The Girl with No Shadow''.〔(The Girl with No Shadow by Joanne Harris )〕 In 2012, a third chapter in Vianne's story was published, entitled Peaches for Monsieur le Curé (''Peaches for Father Francis'' in the US). ==Plot summary== The story begins as two strangers, Vianne Rocher and her small daughter Anouk, move into the small French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes. They are brought by "the wind" during the last days of Carnival, and they settle and open a ''chocolaterie'', ''La Céleste Praline''. The village priest, Francis Reynaud, is initially mystified, because Lent has just begun, but his confusion turns rapidly to anger when he understands that Vianne holds dangerous beliefs, does not obey the church and "flouts" the unspoken rules that he feels should govern his "flock". Vianne, we learn from her personal thoughts, is a witch, though she does not use the word. Her mother and she were wanderers, going from one city to another. Her mother strove to inspire the same need for freedom in her daughter, who is more social and passive. They were born with gifts, and used a kind of "domestic magic" to earn their living. Throughout her life, Vianne has been running from the "Black Man", a recurring motif in her mother's folklore. When her mother is killed by a cab, Vianne continues on her own, trying to evade the Black Man and the mysterious force of the wind and settle down to a normal life. The ''chocolaterie'' is an old dream of hers. She has an innate talent for cooking and a charming personality. She tries to fit in and help her customers. She starts to build a group of regular customers, and, to Reynaud's dismay, she doesn't go out of business. Reynaud attempts to have Vianne run out of town, and he talks about her every Sunday at church. Some people initially stay away, but not for long. His conflict with her becomes his personal crusade. Vianne, however, announces a "Grand Festival of Chocolate", to be held on Easter Sunday. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Chocolat (novel)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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