The Chocolate War

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Summary: The Chocolate War
Review: Although this was not my favorite book, I thought it was a pretty good book. I have read a few other reviews where the book was ranked with one star and some people seem to think that the idea of the book is to just give up because things aren't going to turn out right in the end anyway. I don't think that was the point at all. Jerry, stood up for what he believed. He felt he shouldn't have to sell the chocolates; it was suppose to be optional. He may have went against what he was expected to do. I don't think that the students were really mad at him for not selling the chocolates as much as they were mad that he had dared to do something they had not dared to do. He had stood up to the school. He had dared to not be a follower, but allowed himself to be the leader.


I think this is a good book for students in high school to read. Right now I am a college senior, and this is the first time that I have read this book. I read it as part of an assignment for my adolescent literature class. Looking back on high school, though, I can see some of the groups presented in this novel. Kids like to think that they aren't mean like the kids in books, but there are people just like Archie and his friends at probably every school. By presenting these bullies, I think it helps kids to see that maybe what they are doing isn't as nice as they would like to think it is. There's probably a part of Archie inside of each of us, and I think we each at one time or another in lives wish we could be more like Jerry (minus the beatings). I know that the sort of people I respect the most are those who live what they believe is the right way to live, even if everyone else in the world hates theme for their actions. Maybe by looking at this book from the point of view of Jerry being a hero, we can each learn to like it a little more.

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Summary: not too bad...
Review: ...but not as good as the movie.

I feel bad saying that, since the movie CAME from the book; it's just that the movie has more twists and more depth of character development -- particularly at the end.

Brother Leon, for example, comes across as much more wicked in the film, and the supporting cast is more sharply drawn.

I also felt the book suffered from the use of omniscient narrator technique. It seemed to reduce the suspense and focus.

Also, such scenes as the evil gang of little kids are much more effective visually than they are in print.

One of the reasons, I suppose, that I found the movie so creepy and disturbing was because there was this desolated, lonely atmosphere to everything, implying, in a way, that the schoolboys were actors of mythic stature at the beginning of an empty world. Nothing but the Brothers and them. I think this is due, however, to the movie's being brought off on a shoestring budget; I'm not sure the director intended it this way. Whatever the case may be, this thing -- this central excellence of the film, in my view -- is totally missing from the book.

I think the author was going for a kind of William Golding-type idea, but I don't think he succeeds anywhere near as that other author. He depicts evil, sure enough, but it just doesn't seem to have enough grip or intensity to be compelling.

However, on balance, a worthwhile read. Who can't identify with the degrading chocolate sales that every American school -- both public and private -- "invite" their students to participate in?

More development of the reader's sympathy for Jerry, the central character, would certainly have helped.

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Summary: Do I dare disturb the universe?
Review: Few books have left as lasting an impact on me as The Chocolate War. Like Jerry Renault, I too remember the subtle and not-so-subtle cruelties people inflict on each other in school. Like him, I know what it is like to feel peer pressure and to feel despair over the direction your life seems to be taking and the need to make your mark. So I understood why Jerry felt he had to rebel against the evil rulers of the school. Getting ostrasized and beaten was preferrable to staying invisible and allowing the evil authority figures to get their way.

Robert Cormier was truly an incredible author whom I will sorely miss. Unlike other young adult authors, Cormier understood that adolescence is not necessarily a happy time of life. I think that's why I gravitated towards him when I was a teenager instead of other young adult authors who wrote chirpy upbeat teen books. Cormier might be depressing, but he certainly leaves an impression on you.

What I found especially disturbing about this book was the way the adults condoned the actions of the Vigils by turning a blind eye to them. I too remember in school how teachers sometimes turned a blind eye to subtle bullying because they didn't want to deal with it. The Vigils bring order to the school which is what the brothers want. The boys' parents send them to Trinity as they believe the school will bring them up right. Brother Leon even employs the Vigils to bring down a rebel student. For that matter, what about the way the students turn a blind eye to Jerry's plight? Even Jerry's friend the Goober is not there for Jerry when he needs him. Like Simon Peter, the Goober lets Jerry down...

There's something fascistic about Trinity High. It reminds me of Nazi Germany or the Taliban.

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Summary: cruelty and conformity share this bleak novel
Review: I feel I need to defend this novel, especially after the plethora of negative reviews.

Often in childrens/YA novels good v. evil is played out in fantasy terms, (witches, demons, etc.) but this novel disturbs the universe and places real people in real situations. A freshman at a private high school decides to "disturb the universe", and soon realizes that he may have overstepped his bounds. The shifting narrative is very distinct and unique, yet sometimes confusing. This is a great novel for classroom discussion with some strong themes: to include, courage & cowardice, peer pressure, victimization, individualism, good v. evil and god and religion. The ending is unconventional and truely climatic, can you remember when you first realized that life is not fair, and sometimes doesn't come close to being fair?

This book opened up the new genre of YA literature, and Cormier certainly "disturbed the universe" with its publication. This book is constantly under the eye of parent groups who would like to see it "banned" or placed on a restricted list(recently under pressure from a parent's group here in VA)...because that is the case, it should be required reading for all teenagers. If you are younger, you may want to read Spinelli's WRINGER: a story so foul, so horrifying with peer pressure that it should be shelved next to Cormier's The Chocolate War.

As a children's librarian, I will continue to offer Cormier's books because he refuses to compromise the truth as he sees it.

For an indepth look at Cormier's writing try: PRESENTING ROBERT CORMIER Twayne Publishers

Rating:
Summary: half and half thoughts for the Chocolate War
Review: I have mixed feelings about the novel, The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier. I disliked the beginning of the book because there is too much unnecessary description about the characters sexual thought's. For example, there are too many instances when Archie the head of The Vigils, a gang, tries to blackmail Emile, a trouble maker, with embarrassing pictures. The middle is helpful but it is too repetitive about the chocolate sale. The information about the characters helped me understand the plot of the beginning of the book. I learned that Archie is the head honcho of the school and bosses around all of the kids. A part in the book that is repetitive is when Brother Leon, one of the teachers, repeatedly asks the kids to sell chocolates and they all say "I will". I liked the ending of the book because it is different from most endings and not what I expected. I advise you to read this book if you like surprises.

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Summary: A TREMENDOUS NOVEL!
Review: I have recently finished The Chocolate War in my English class at my middle school. First, I was very bored of the book, but I had to keep reading it because we would have tests on every 2 chapters. I started to like the book when we got to the middle, and I was more and more excited to read it.

I think the author Robert Cormier did a very good job describing the scenes. I loved reading this book because I could visualize everything he wrote.

This book is very true, and I can relate to it very well, and I'm excited to read the sequel - Beyond the Chocolate War.

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Summary: Worst book in the world
Review: I wish amazon put another rating under there "1-5 star" system- the new option would look like this; a quadrapalegic seven year old with down syndrome could write a better book then this!
Alright, this book was horrible. I remember being about halfway through the book and thinking to myself "Drew, where the @#$@ is the character development?" but after reading the book i thought to myself "im so glad they didnt develop the characters, that would be an extra 9-10 pages of filth."

Although i thought the plot was genius... for a 7 year old with down syndrome. What were you smoking when you outlined the plot? "O, I KNOW, SO THERES THIS KID WHO IS A TOTAL FREAKING REBEL WHO DESIDES TO STOP SELLING CANDY, BUT THE BEST PART IS, HE DOES IT FOR NO APARENT REASON! SORT OF LIKE ME WRITING THIS GARBAGE!"

Conclusion: i would rather deep throat a twelved gauge than have to read this waste of paper again!!

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Summary: missing the point
Review: Most negative reviews of this book focus on the language and references to masturbation. I found much more disturbing the fact that the girls in this book (for the only 'woman' that exists in the world of this novel is a dead mother of one of the main characters)are portrayed solely as objects for adolescent boys' fantasies - reinforcing a madonna/whore view of women. Additionally, despite the fact that the author is Catholic and has set this in a Catholic boys' school and telegraphed in the opening and closing chapters that the boy who is brutalized is a Christ figure, that symbolism is not discussed. At least one review has depicted the book as one that promotes collective social action as the only solution to combatting evil, as one individual cannot. Yet I find it hard to believe that this book can be adequately understood apart from a Christian theological worldview.

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Summary: Relates to real life
Review: My name is Bridie and for literature my class had to read the book 'the chocolate war' by Robert Cormier. This book, relates to real life. Face it, on the television there are perfect people with perfect lives. No one ever swears or does anything bad. This book tells people what its like in schools. In the real world, that barley ever happens. Sexual references, perversion, pain, violence, mind games, greed, power, and corruption all do occur in a school environment. It can't be stopped. Its part of growing up. Cormier's book represents to me, that we all struggle to survive. He has a different perspective of things and that does tend to confuse the reader. Archie takes control and takes advantage of other peoples weaknesses. That's what I call a weakling. All you need in a school is a selfish snob and a bunch or people who follow him like sheep and you can cause a lot of trouble. The way Cormier jumped from person to person in each chapter was confusing but to really get this book across to the readers, you have to go each person and get their personality. I don't recommend this book to anyone with a short concentration span.

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Summary: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Review: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier is a great book. It takes place in the 1970's. The book describes the troubles of a freshman named Jerry, at the corrupt Trinity, an all boy's prep school. Every year the school has a chocolate sale to help raise money. This year the students had to sell twice as many boxes of chocolates, which proved as a challenge to many. At trinity, a secret student run clan called The Vigils; help keep order at the school by giving assignments to the boys. Jerry's assignment was to refuse to sell the chocolates for nine days and then to accept them on the tenth. But, in an effort to find his voice, Jerry says no again. This angers The Vigils and they constantly threaten Jerry, but he keeps saying no. Jerry's actions soon begin to involve the whole school, including the teachers, students, and mainly, The Vigils.
The whole book is about fighting the system and how corrupt society can be, which is why many schools ban this book. It also contains some bad content and language. I liked the writing style of this author, with each chapter being a different story, but somehow all connecting. I did think at times this book was confusing and hard to follow. Although I did like the plot and idea. Overall I thought this was a good book and I highly recommend it. Four Stars.