Maynard and Jennica by Rudolph Denson
Odd little book, and a decidedly modern love story. Both of the title characters are quirky, completely described characters living in New York City. Jennica – whose parents combined two favorite names, Jennifer and Jessica to give their precious daughter a unique name – is a beautiful, but somewhat restless single woman who can name you all her failed relationships, and the reasons why they failed.
Maynard is an independent film maker who comes from a wealthy New York family, but doesn’t even realize his grandmother secretly bought his apartment for him years before. He doesn’t know the landlord sends her his “rent” money, and she stashes it in a bank account for him. He’s odd, dressed like a character from an old movie, but is handsome and charming in his own slightly-distracted but intense way.
The little story of their meeting, and the strange “only in New York” happenings that shape their days makes a delightful little book. The characters – including family, friends, landlords, and an old girlfriend of Maynard’s who appear to complicate matters are all well fleshed-out, and while everyone seems just a little too quirky to be real, it makes a fun story. And you almost picture who would play whom in the Indie film made of the story.
A nice little book, and may make you appreciate your own fairly sane existence and world view a little more as a bonus! Read it and smile.
