Robert Hellenga The Italian Lover

The Italian Lover

Robert Hellenga

Little, Brown, Sep 2007, $23.95

ISBN: 9780316117630

Fifty-three years old American expatriate Margot Harrington still resides in Florence. There she awaits film producer Esther Klein who wants to make a movie of her memoir The Sixteen Pleasures (for the film it is called The Italian Lover) in which the author describes how she found a valuable Renaissance erotica and in more detail her foolish love affair.

Esther needs this project to prove she can go it alone since her partner-spouse dumped her; she hires Margot to write the script. Margot meets and falls in love with American Alan "Woody" Woodhull, who plays the guitar at the Bebop Club and teaches literature at the American Academy. Margot and Woody write a script from her memoir of what happened in 1975 while dying Michael Gardiner is hired as the director and Miranda Clark to perform as the younger Margot. However, Hollywood prefers happy endings, but for the almost thirtyish Margot that did not occur; whereas the fiftyish Margot might achieve what her younger self failed to obtain.

This sequel to the SIXTEEN PLEASURES continues the life of Margot fifteen years after her heart was broken. The story line is loaded with subplots that bring out the Hollywood invasion of Florence as much as the prime story line of Margot and Woody falling in love. Interestingly the city comes into deep focus as much more than a noted historical site while much of the cast including the star seem pale in comparison; somewhat because too many sidebars involving the support characters never allow anyone to become fully developed. Still this is an enjoyable tale that compares real life vs. movie life.

Harriet Klausner