Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination [Paperback]

Helen Fielding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 14, 2004

Enter Olivia Joules: fearless, dazzling, independent beauty - journalist turned master-spy - a new heroine for the twenty-first century. In Miami for a face-cream launch, she spots Pierre Ferramo across a room. Dangerously charismatic and undeniably gorgeous, with impeccable taste, unimaginable wealth and exotic international homes, he seems almost too good to be true. But what if Ferramo is actually a major terrorist bent on destruction, hiding behind a smokescreen of fine wines, yachts and actresses slash models? Or is it all just a product of Olivia's overactive imagination? From the white heat of Miami to the implants of LA, the glittering waters of the Caribbean to the deserts of Arabia, Olivia Joules pits herself against the forces of terror armed with a hatpin, razor-sharp wits and a very special underwired bra. Helen Fielding has written a contemporary and utterly unputdownable thriller de luxe. "A Bond-style romp. The thrills come thick and fast. Olivia is entirely successful as a heroine because she is witty, kind, entertaining, occasionally accident-prone, and has Bridget's warm intelligence and humorous insight in spades". (Wendy Holden, "Literary Review"). "Shimmers and glares with wit, sophistication and humanity. Hurrah for Fielding". (Helen Brown, "Independent on Sunday").

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

London freelance reporter Olivia Joules may just be imagining that sexy Pierre Ferramo, whom she met at a face cream launch in Miami, is a terrorist, but she's not taking any chances. She follows him first to L.A., where she picks up a "spy ring" and a bug detector disguised as a calculator, and then to Honduras, where she falls in with a group of local scuba divers and learns that Pierre may be involved in some shady underwater dealings. But Olivia's travels don't end there. Before long, the aspiring spy finds herself in Egypt and then Sudan. Narrator Bailey handles the frequent change in setting skillfully, switching nimbly from the accents of a Honduran housekeeper to those of an Egyptian taxi driver. Although her American accent never quite rings true, no other reader could rival her performance of Olivia. Bailey's voice captures the essence of Fielding's intrepid heroine, her self-assurance, her determination to face challenges head on and her yearning to be appreciated for her strength, keen intuition and wild imagination. Fielding (Bridget Jones's Diary) has created a heroine for a new era, and with Bailey at the helm of this audiobook, listeners will gladly sit back and enjoy her outrageous exploits.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Critics uniformly admire Fielding’s wit; reviews for Olivia Joules acknowledge that her punch lines uncoil with deft precision and real insight. Some praise her for branching out of the more standard chick-lit genre she helped launch with Bridget Jones to create the kicky, modern spy-girl, Olivia (or, as the Los Angeles Times calls her, “Janey Bond”). No one, however, thinks Olivia Joules’ bin Laden plot line is funny. Several writers complain that mentions of al Qaeda yank the reader out of the story back into reality, almost as if someone had inserted snuff footage into Bambi. The third-person voice distances the reader as well. Fielding can find solace, though, in knowing that most regard this as a misstep and are eager to see what her imagination concocts next.

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Picador (June 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330432745
• ISBN-13: 978-0330432740
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,849,858 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced but misses something, June 3, 2004

By 

Lesley West (St James, Western Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination (Hardcover)

I adored the Bridget Jones diaries, which I think are among the cleverest of the genre, so it was with great anticipation that I picked up Helen Fielding's latest effort. I was disappointed.

Sure the book delivers all that it promises - fast paced action in the beautiful parts of the world, potentially evil terrorists (or playboys?), big terrorist attacks, sub plots and red herrings. But somewhere along the way, I really began to find the book was quite hard going. I think I just stopped being interested in, or caring about our hero Olivia.

It is certainly mildly entertaining, and as a smallish book it is a quick read, great for lying on a beach somewhere. But I think it is also a great opportunity missed. Perhaps it will translate better into a movie - this is a screenplay waiting in the wings.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly surprised, October 8, 2004

By 

Lisa (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination (Hardcover)

I had heard bad things about this book but I loved it - let's add Olivia Joules to the list of great iconic female leads. Up there with Bridget Jones (obviously), Jane Eyre, Catherine Earnshaw (Wuthering Heights), Isadora Peabody (The Charm School) and my other new star Elsie Roundbottom (You Are Here)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Suddenly there is more criticism of Ms Fielding everywhere, August 8, 2004

By 

Melissa C Hall (Tallahassee, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination (Hardcover)

But I am not here to add to it. This book is fluff, but it is my kind of fluff. I was not all that fond of Bridget Jones, I found her whiny. Perhaps this is why I like Olivia, she is a Bridget who actually has managed to keep her resolutions and transform her outer self. Her inner self might still be a bit of a mess, but her confidence makes up for it.

This spy story does involve actual threats, but that is true to the tradition of spy stories, when Ian Fleming was writing Russians was just as scary as middle-eastern terrorists are now. A good spy story should create a hero(ine) that can make you feel safer in the face of a real threat. Olivia is not quite as reassuring as the ultra-competent James Bond, but her ability to not panic and remain curious even in difficult situations is a saving grace.

On another level this novel is a Jack tale, and Olivia's bumbling success follows that pattern. She charges in and get over her head and somehow comes out the better for it.