A good-hearted comedy of manners
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Somebody call Amy Adams. The 鈥淓nchanted鈥� princess would be perfect as Holly, the lovely strawberry blonde at the heart of James Collins鈥檚 first novel Beginner鈥檚 Greek. Readers will find themselves naturally playing casting director while reading this good-hearted comedy of manners, because the novel (knowingly) plays off so many romantic-comedy conventions that Meg Ryan could ask for a cut of the royalties. Under Peter Russell鈥檚 Wall Street suit beats the heart of a wistful romantic. He鈥檚 always dreamed of love at first sight, and when Holly plunks down in the seat next to him on a New York-L.A. flight with her copy of 鈥淭he Magic Mountain鈥� by Thomas Mann (which just happens to be the only German novel Peter鈥檚 ever read), he can鈥檛 believe his good fortune.
Five life-changing hours later, Holly gives her phone number to Peter. But by the time he gets to his hotel room, he鈥檚 lost it.
Cut to seven years later. Peter is talking his fianc茅e down from her wedding-planning crises, such as the Great Cheese Course Fiasco. An angry mob could easily light its way with the torch Peter is still carrying for Holly, and Charlotte, his fianc茅e, isn鈥檛 really in love with him, either. (Peter did find Holly again. Or at least, his best friend Jonathan did 鈥� and married her.)
Collins, a former editor at Time magazine, writes with assurance and a nice sense of humor about everything from book signings to true love, which is referred to throughout without irony or condescension. He has a rare ability to satirize without becoming nasty, and periodically gives romantic clich茅s a good tweak (including striking one character by lightning).
That鈥檚 not to say that 鈥淏eginner鈥檚 Greek鈥� couldn鈥檛 have benefited from more editing. The book is about 75 pages too long, and Collins has a penchant for two-page monologues that would do a James Bond villain proud. Also, there鈥檚 an embezzlement subplot that doesn鈥檛 resolve and an unlikely 鈥渃reative鈥� financial scheme.
But for readers who agree that 鈥渢here is nothing worse in the movies than for the girl to end up with the wrong guy,鈥� 鈥淏eginner鈥檚 Greek鈥� offers a welcome chance to let the credits roll, at least in their imaginations.
