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Olivia Joules, the title character in Helen Fielding's latest novel, OLIVA JOULES AND THE OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION, is a professional writer who dabbles in novice espionage. Orphaned at a young age and determined to climb the social ladder, Olivia (formerly Rachel Pixley) moves to London and starts working for an international publication. On more than one occasion, her imagination gets the best of her and she finds evil dwelling behind the scenes of every fashion story she encounters.
Fed up, her boss assigns her to cover the launch of a new product in Florida where, as her history would have it, she encounters a man, Pierre Ferramo, whom she suspects of terrorism. A coincidental disaster on the morning of her date with the dark and exotic Pierre sends Olivia's brain spiraling. From London, to Miami, to Hollywood, to Central America, and finally the Sudan, Olivia follows her love-interest-slash-terrorist-suspect to an unexpected conclusion.
Bridget Jones, Helen Fielding's lead character in her previous bestsellers, was one of those hugely popular fictional folk who became iconic in no time. Women loved her because she worried about weight, and boyfriends, and cigarettes, and drinking too much, and work, and, well, everything. We all found her to be highly recognizable and relatable. She was one of us. And we loved her so much that Helen Fielding brought her back in an equally successful sequel to the first book. Heck, Hollywood made a movie about her (and a second one is coming to a theatre near you soon).
Olivia Joules, however, is no Bridget Jones. Where Bridget concerns herself with the absolutes of everyday life, Olivia is off the charts in her pursuit of a Bond-like existence. Bridget despairs over too many chocolates; Olivia assembles a spy kit. Bridget sneaks off to the country for a weekend with her boss; Olivia goes scuba diving in shark infested waters. Bridget suffers over decisions of what to wear; Olivia carries a suitcase of all the right outfits. Sure, Olivia is quirky in a Walter Mitty way, what with that overactive imagination referred to in the title, but she's unbelievable. She's not one of us, like Bridget.
--- Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara
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