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- Romance - |
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If Only It Were True |
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I f Only It Were True byMarc Levy Pocket Books 217 pages, 2000 ISBN 07434061765 Reviewed by Julie Failla Earhart Originally published in France, Marc Levy’s romantic comedy If Only It Were True was an instant bestseller. Foreign rights were sold forthwith to twenty-eight other countries, including the United States and Canada. Dr. Lauren Kline, a well-respected emergency room physician at San Francisco Memorial Hospital, started off on a long overdue vacation - four days to relax and play, leaving the stress and worries of the hospital far behind her. She was barely out of her neighborhood when her Triumph skidded on the wet pavement, spun, and crashed. "Just like in the movies," the only eyewitness said, "only this time is was for real." Lauren was left in a coma, with only her brain stem showing any signs of life. Trapped in her body, Lauren uses her mind to project her spirit wherever she wants to go. She’s not very good at it, usually missing her target by several feet. Her attempts at maneuvering her spirit are funny at first, but gets a tad wearisome toward the end of the novel. Five months later, architect Arthur moves into Lauren’s now vacant apartment, only to find the young woman hiding in his linen closest. "You can see me?" she asks in disbelief. To Arthur, Lauren is as real as any woman on the planet. "What I have to tell you is not easy to understand, impossible to understand" Lauren tells the shocked young man. Lauren’s mother is on the verge of disconnecting all her feeding and breathing. Because he is the only person who knows and can see that Lauren is not really dead, Arthur is the only one who can save her physical body. After much pleading and attempts to prove her story is true, Arthur hesitantly agrees. He enlists the aid of his business partner, Paul (who believes Arthur is undergoing a nervous breakdown), to borrow an ambulance from his stepfather’s repair shop and steals Lauren’s body from the hospital. If Only It Were True is at times poignant, heartbreaking, and downright funny. The dialogue may seem rough at times when too much exposition is given that should be summarized; and scenes that are summarized should perhaps have been played out. However, Levy’s talent shows definite promise and it should be no surprise to see movie rights sold. The transition to the Silver Screen should be easy. |
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