Day 198: Reading Outside of My Typical Literary Fiction Box

Tuesday, April 1
10:51 p.m.

Well, I admit I wasn’t sure about Unpredictable, when I first started reading it.  I’m not a huge fan of the chick lit book category, but, I do like a good romantic comedy movie.  The last chick lit book I read was the second Bridget Jones story followed by a book called Pride, Prejudice & Jasmine Field - which was the very book I was reading when I was on the yellow line metro rail in Washington, DC headed for L’Enfant Plaza on my way to work on a bright, clear, sunny September 11th - when an interruption of outcries and stopped me mid-book, just as we were crossing the Potomac River, and it looked as though a bomb had just landed on the Pentagon, just beyond a cluster of bright green leafy tree tops.  I haven’t read any chick lit since…except for now.  And, not simply because I was reading chick lit on 9-11, but I just have been more serious, I suppose.  The books I have been reading since then have been mostly literary and spiritual, or about food.

Anyway.  The first chapter made me think…uh oh.  This is going to be bad.  And that’s only because the main character seemed a little too crazy for me to care about.  I just wasn’t getting pulled in…yet.  The book is warming up to me and I’m half way finished.  I can totally see this as a romantic comedy film, as it follows the predictable romantic comedy story line – girl loves boy, girl loses boy, boy is now with hotter more annoying girl, girl makes an ass of herself to win back boy, only to find out that she’s really in love with nerd boy, who’s not really a nerd at all.  So, she and nerd boy fall in love and live nerdily and happily ever after.  But we love it!  And we go to these same-movies-but-different-titles over and over again, as if it’s a new story each time.  Because they are feel-good movies (and books); they give us suspension of disbelief and a vacation from reality.  That can be quite optimal, at times.

That said, I can see this as a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Garner/Hilary Swank/Drew Barrymore (as a brunette) starring as Sophie; Ben Affleck/Josh Duhmal/Jude Law as Doug (her ex); Katherine Heigl/Rebecca Romijn/Cameron Diaz as Melanie (Doug’s new girlfriend); and Selma Blair/Parker Posey/Maggie Gyllenhaal as Sophie’s best friend, Jane; and Jake Gyllenhaal/James Marsden/Luke Wilson/Orlando Bloom as Nick, nerded out, but cute.

I think I should start a second career as a casting agent.  In fact, when I wrote my book I had the actors all figured out in my head.  I could see them acting out my story in Academy Award worthy performances.

I wouldn’t want my initial observations, or disconnection with Unpredictable to hurt the author’s feelings - I am so sensitive to that, well, especially when I know or have been in touch with the person whose work is getting critiqued.  But, I am happy to say that I am on board.  I am not the kind of reader that finishes a book in one night.  I’m too busy reading five other books.  It’s almost like I have ADD.  I enjoy reading lots of books at the same time.  But, I haven’t put the book down and I’m definitely interested in seeing where the heroine, Sophie, goes on her journey.  Good job, Eileen Cook.  For a literary fiction (genre) snob, I applaud you for getting me to crawl out of my elitist cave and open up to something fun, engaging and, even if somewhat predictable, still girlish and entertaining.