This is a novel that is much more complex than it appears to be on the surface. . Good writing, witty dialog, etc. Within minutes of takeoff, the aisle mates on a flight from New York to Los Angeles discover in each other what they've been aching to find all of their long young lives. Cliched, poorly written, predictable. I kept thinking that maybe I was missing out on the joke or just not getting it. Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2011. could call this book great and recommend it to strangers is beyond me. Psychological thrillers that will leave your head spinning. Without giving too much away . Yep. Her bright eyed enthusiasm when she talked about this book was somewhat endearing. Throughout the book you can't help but root for Peter's and Holly's union, even though time and again, events conspire to keep them apart. Holly? 0316021563 SHIPS WITHIN 24 HOURS!! Generally a waste of time. (SAME BUSINESS DAY) GREAT BOOK!!. Peter and Holly have it made. And all the press was so good about it too. Chick Lit fans especially will appreciate the uniquely male perspective that Collins, who spent most of his career as a journalist and an … Welcome back. Entire chapters are devoted to describing the entire of life of a secondary character just to explain his or her motivation for doing one thing that affects the plot. Regardless, it made me f. It wasn't that I didn't like this book....its just that it wasn't what I was expecting. Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (January 9, 2008). 20 somethings are not allowed to recommend bullshit chick lit to 30 somethings. And droll. Eternal bliss is just a safe landing away for this comely pair. Not so much with Jimmy here. Midway - no, actually, a few pages in - I thought, is this his first novel? Please try again later. I ended up just flipping past pages and pages of internal dialogue and totally unecessary exposition about characters not central at all to the story, just to get to the ending I knew anyway. The first edition of the novel was published in January 1st 2008, and was written by James Collins. PAPERBACK. When Peter Russell finally meets the woman of his dreams he falls as madly in love as you can on a flight from New York to LA. Maybe it's my age, but I just wanted them to figure it out and get on with it. This book is dreadful and how anyone (20 something or not) - especially someone who works in a bookstore (was it wrong of me to assume that working in a bookstore means you have an appreciation for good writing?) It is unabashedly and quite unsubtly about love with the Austenesque quandries of true love vs. our society’s practicality. Unable to add item to List. Hmm, it's all beginner's Greek to me. The author treats his readers as intelligent and informed adults. Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2009. It is the author's debut novel and is being touted as "romantic." She's achingly pretty with strawberry-blonde hair, and reads Thomas Mann for pleasure. It should have been half as long, or less. To Charlotte, a flaky Francophile whom Peter does not love, actually. Perhaps I can suspend my disbelief for wizards and evil giraffes but not for open-hearted New Yorkers. I liked it enough to finish it and I actually got into it for the last 150 pages or so. James Collins' writing reminds me a little of Jonathan Franzen's in The Corrections, in that he dives deep into the background,psyche and motivations of his characters, many of which are selfish and mean-spirited (but don't worry- most of them get their come-uppance). Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, events intervene preventing their relationship from becoming requited. The New Yorker "A satire of modern love that will charm both sexes equally." On the surface, it is a comedy of errors, a love story gone wrong. That intersect. Currently Reading. It is also a laugh-out-loud ride on the mild side. Home Blogs James Collins: Beginner's Greek. There is a poem in the story called “Beginner’s Greek.” I think it catches the sensibility of the novel quite well: Please try again. This book came highly recommended from a 20 something Books, Inc. employee who saw me picking up book after book before finally deciding on a few good books for my vaca. Peter Russell is an everyman filled with longing, lust and good sense. But I doubt I would have been careless enough to lose the telephone number of an exciting companion. It was a charming story well-written. Find books like Beginner's Greek from the world’s largest community of readers. Whatever the case - I waited so long to finally get a hold of this book only to find it wanting, hence the disappointment. One person on the back cover compared him to Jane Austen. Beginner's Greek by James Collins. I'm having trouble articulating what I liked so much about this book. My main problem was all the characters just seemed so unlikeable and so far away from the normal world. It wasn't that I didn't like this book....its just that it wasn't what I was expecting. But, dear reader, are things ever that simple? How will the lovebirds come together? It is the author's debut novel and is being touted as "romantic." Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. I curse myself for being unable to put down an unfinished novel; I'm never gonna get these three hours of my life back. I love the plot, I love the characters, I love the pace, and I love the ending. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, No Import Fees Deposit & $12.96 Shipping to Germany. The book has been awarded with , and many others. The review on the back compares it to Austen...NOT OKAY TO DO THAT! And Idiocy rules most of the decisions made by almost every character in this illogical escapade. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. I was really surprised to see all of the lukewarm and even negative review of Beginner's Greek - for me, this book was fun, escapist and so compelling and engaging that I found it hard to put down. I officially decided to give up on this book. She's achingly pretty with strawberry-blonde hair, and reads Thomas Mann for pleasure. That said, I really couldn't put this down. When 27-year-old Peter Russell boards a cross-country flight to Los Angeles, he fully expects to sit next to the love of his life. Millions, indeed. I thought it would liven up a little around 100 pages in or so but it didn't for me. This was not "zany" or "40's style" or vacuous. Review: 'Beginner's Greek' a frothy romp. 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