James Patterson's novel "Sunday's at Tiffany's" takes the concept of the normal romance story and gives it an unexpected twist.
"Tiffany's" seems like an average, every-day romance novel, except that the main male love interest is someone completely unexpected - a girl's imaginary friend who ventures back into her life 24 years after abandoning it.
As an eight-year-old girl with a famous mother who rarely gives her the time of day, Jane Margaux is often alone, except for the company of Michael, her handsome and brilliant 30-year-old imaginary friend. On her ninth birthday, though, Michael leaves her just as all imaginary friends must do when their child turns nine, and just as Michael has had to do many times before. He guarantees her that she will not remember him in the morning, but still feels differently about leaving her than he has about leaving any of the others.
Twenty-four years later, Michael is shocked to find Jane once again, now grown up and working for her mother's production company. He has never forgotten her, but even stranger, she did not forget him, unlike what always happened with the other children he befriended.
Michael is just what Jane needs in her otherwise miserable life, and she almost instantly falls in love with him. In spite of his best wishes, Michael begins to fall in love with Jane as well, a different kind of love than he felt for the eight-year-old Jane.
But can an imaginary friend, who is only partially human, does not age and must follow whatever assignments are given to him, enter into a relationship with one of his former child friends?
The idea of romance with an imaginary friend is the only concept that sets "Sunday's at Tiffany's" apart from the average romance novel. It seeks to explain the truth behind the imaginary friend, an experience most people have had personally or seen someone else have. It is by no means one of the best works of literature and is not a book for those who are not particularly interested in the romance genre. That is not to say, however, that it does not succeed in entertaining.
"Tiffany's" is a highly enjoyable read, with moments of happiness, sadness, love and anger. Its short chapters makes it an easy book to pick up at a moment's notice and put down whenever other, more pressing concerns arise. For anyone who enjoys a story of romance, or someone who likes books with a twist, Patterson's "Tiffany's" is worth the effort and can be a good distraction from other, more tedious reading assignments.
3 Shamrocks
