Bookish Review: A Nearly Perfect Copy

A Nearly Perfect Copy by Alison Amend is an interesting book. The title refers to the books two topics: art forgery and cloning. An odd combo, right? The book is really, however, about just how far people are willing to go to get what they think they want or deserve and how going too far can lose them everything in the process. It's a book about loss, about what constitutes "art," and whether a forgery that is just as good as an original should be considered any less that art itself. The juxtaposition of the two stories doesn't always work, but for the most part it is an interesting read.

Note: An e-ARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley, which was much appreciated, but did not affect the content of my review.

Bookish Review: Chocolat

I am a big fan of the movie version of Chocolat, so I finally decided to pick up the book. The book has the same magical feel as the movie, and the early chapters seem to follow it pretty closely. There are some differences, including that the kangaroo called Pontouf in the movie is a rabbit named Pantoufle in the book. Also, Roux has a different romantic involvement than in the book and the ending is not quite as concrete or quite as happy. Overall, I enjoyed the book, which tells the story of Vianne Rocher and her daughter and how they use their own brand of magic and chocolate to turn a small French town on its ear. I must say, though, that I like the movie better. I'm a sucker for a tidy, happy ending--what can I say?