Crazy for Cornelia

February 28, 2000
It seems there are endless possibilities for the classic Cinderella story, and Gilson's debut novel strives to put yet another twist on the rags-to-riches formula. Kevin Doyle is a downtrodden artist-turned-doorman, working at the entryway of one of New York's poshest buildings, while he himself lives in a slum apartment. One of the tenants in the upscale building is debutante Cornelia Lord, Manhattan's society pages "It" girl. Kevin's pursuit of her involves a series of side trips, including a visit to a fortresslike mental hospital for the rich and a foray into a benign cult devoted to the discoverer of electricity, Nikola Tesla. Meanwhile, the couple make an inexorable journey toward matrimony. Despite her lavish lifestyle, Cornelia yearns for deeper meaning after her mother dies, but suffers a nervous breakdown, while steadfast Kevin schemes to save her from the stifling upper crust. Colorful city settings include the club scene and the downtown art world, as well as the haunts of millionaire power brokers, but while the scenes set there can be mildly amusing, they are unconvincing. Gilson often fails to capture the atmosphere of his settings, relying instead on a hyperbolic repetition of the monstrous folly of downtown hipsters and uptown bigwigs alike. He also uses offputting language to describe his characters: a haughty businessman's "buttocks boil" while another's "ambition always thundered like hoofbeats under the skin." Somewhat more disturbing are the occasional stereotypes: while Corny's "creamy skin belonged to the world of Fifth Avenue," she's at home slumming at the marketplace with "broad-faced Koreans." The second half of the novel is more accomplished stylistically, and the main characters emerge as sweetly likable, suggesting that, with its cinematic images and familiar story, this book may be a candidate for rebirth as a "family" movie. Time Warner audio.

February 15, 2000
A high-voltage secret lurks in the heart of madcap Fifth Avenue debutante Cornelia Lord. To her father and his right-hand man (who wants to be her husband), she seems to be a little flaky, or perhaps just downright crazy, in her quest to right the wrong done to the Croatian-born inventor Nikola Tesla by her great-grandfather (it's a long story). Kevin Doyle, the unusual new doorman at her building, thinks Cornelia is absolutely fascinating. But he's far from normal himself. A struggling artist, he is passionately engaged in creating a neon depiction of Saint Sebastian pierced by arrows as a tribute to his recently deceased mother. These two oddballs come together in a suitably manic way when Kevin rescues Cornelia from certain death in a freak accident involving the horse-drawn carriage in which she is riding, snow, and her father's limousine. Kevin gets to play hero once again after Cornelia is sent away to the Sanctuary, a posh mental institution. Taking advantage of his excellent doorman's union health insurance, he connives his way into the Sanctuary and not only saves her but courts her, too. Dreams do come true in Gilson's charming and delightful romance, an upscale fairy tale filled with lovingly depicted, quirky characters and a wonderfully inventive story line. ((Reviewed February 15, 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)