Beginner’s Greek

James Collins
Little, Brown and Company (2008)
ISBN 9780316021555
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (12/07) 


“Beginner’s Greek” is a delightful read in many ways. James Collins wrote an entertaining and compelling tale of a young man, Peter, who is absolutely convinced that one of these days Fate will bring the woman of his dreams on the same flight he’ll be taking. Peter is furthermore convinced that she will not only be on the same flight, but will be seated right next to him. Well, Fate does bring Holly into Peter’s life and she is everything he has been dreaming of. She’s pretty, she’s sweet, she’s inquisitive, charming, intelligent, and she even reads Thomas Mann for pleasure. There is undeniable mutual attraction and they agree to meet again. Holly writes down her phone number on a page torn out of the “Magic Mountain.”  When Peter looks for it later that night, the page is puzzlingly gone – and so are his dreams of a lasting romance with Holly.

Fast forward a bit… Peter still thinks of Holly, the girl from a plane, but he has gotten engaged to Charlotte, a sweet girl whom he likes but does not really love. Holly has resurfaced in Peter’s world, but she’s now his best friend’s wife. If you think that this makes for an intricate situation, just wait. Things will get a great deal more complicated.

I’ve greatly enjoyed Mr. Collins’ writing style and wit. While it is impossible to know what an author is thinking, the book gave me an impression of gently making fun of the usual chick-lit offerings. Written by a man, but a greatly sensitive one, it offered a fascinatingly different point of view. I also loved the language in the book, including one of my all-time favorite lines – when speaking of filling up the champagne glasses – “The ceremony complete, he filled their glasses halfway; the bubbles tossed up their tiny hats.” I found the characters compelling and complex, although Peter was not a type of man I’d personally fall for. The one character that I wished would be more developed was actually Holly – at times I felt she was not substantial enough and I failed to quite understand her reactions or lack thereof.

The story line flowed nicely if a bit slow at times. There were passages where I wished something would HAPPEN to move it forward faster. At nearly 500 pages, this is quite an ample work and editing it down some would probably make it more attractive for an average reader. Overall, “Beginner’s Greek” is a great read and one I would recommend to romantics everywhere, even those who do not admit to being one.

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