Billy and Me

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Sopie is OBVIOUSLY moving in with him, because apparently living 1 HOUR away from the city would be too much. Well, tbh, it's hardly a long distance relationship if it takes you an hour drive to see the other person. When I was dating a boy who's now my husband, it took me longer to get to him by bus, and we lived in the same city! And after having left her job at Coffee Matters, he convinces her to not get another job and tries to get her to just use one of his credit cards. They agree that she won't work until the right job comes along, but Sophie said that she will do all housework and chores in return. Of course as a teenager I was desperate for violence and swearing and sex, so I was actively seeking out these films. But at the same time, something of his old-fashioned-ness rubbed off on me, I think. Because I read that book over and over. The strange thing about it is, I was reading verdicts on, and little mini essays about, films which I had never seen and couldn’t possibly see. So his encapsulation of them was more real to me than the films themselves. JC: And the images of that film have stayed with me ever since. But I think there is a certain intensity to the film images that you see at that age. Maybe you become more inured to them from your twenties onwards, but thinking about it, I must have seen Don’t Look Now maybe the year I saw Fedora for the first time. These films are slightly linked in my mind.

Let me just flat out say that this book was incredibly cheesy. And not even in a good way! I was incredibly excited to get a copy of this, but I am extremely disappointed! There was no substance in this book at all. Such is the enduring effect of Billy Wilder. Through films like Sabrina, Stalag 17, The Seven Year Itch, Ace in the Hole, and the aforementioned Sunset Boulevard and Some Like it Hot, Wilder has infiltrated modern society and changed our sense of humour in ways we don’t often realise. Whenever we see the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe, her white dress billowing above the subway grating, we are looking at a writing and directing invention of Billy Wilder. When Audrey Hepburn still pops up in every other issue of Vogue, wearing the stunning attire of Sabrina, it is again the lasting influence of Wilder. Whenever an actor jokes, “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr DeMille,” they are quoting Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard. And though he was born in Vienna, escaped Berlin in the 30s and came to Hollywood with only a partial mastery of the language, his clear-eyed portraits of American romance and opportunism have somehow survived as definitive snapshots of his adopted homeland. Though I’d never even known it, Billy Wilder had scripted my family’s best joke.

Only the most hard-hearted could fail to root for Sophie as she falls for A-lister Billy and must take on the mad, bad world of showbiz. This sweet debut reminded me of Last Night at Chateau Marmont' Louise Candlish I found Sophie and Billy a little bland. Had they been a dish, I'd have called for more pepper. Please. More pepper. Chili. Make it extra hot. One thing I really liked about Billy and Me was the focus on what dating someone in the spotlight is like. I know that many of us would love to date someone famous, but would we really be able to handle it? Would we know what to do or how to act? As Giovanna has some experience in this, I found this part of the story so intriguing and interesting. I also felt for Sophie, I realised how hard it must be to adjust to such a life, and I feel I connected with Sophie as I really rooted for her during the hard times.

JC: First of all I figured that I was writing from the point of view of a film composer, someone who has spent her life watching films, making films, and thinking about films. So inevitably everything she saw would remind her of a film. But also that particular film, Don’t Look Now, has always been so powerful to me. Maybe because it’s one of those films I saw at an impressionable age when I was sixteen or seventeen, I guess. It was booked for some reason at my school film society. That’s where I saw it. But then Sophie unexpectedly meets the gorgeous Billy Buskin - a famous actor with ambitions to make it to the top. As they begin to grow closer, Sophie finds herself whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world. And then I wrote a biography, 20 years ago now, of a writer I very much admired called BS Johnson [Like A Fiery Elephant: The Story Of BS Johnson, 2004]. It was a really difficult book to write and a really un-enjoyable book to write. It came out well in the end but it took seven years and it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever written. In the end it left me with a feeling of dissatisfaction. I felt that the biography as a form had not let me get as close to him as I wanted it to. And I thought if I’m ever going to write about one of my heroes again then I want to do it in a novel, not as non-fiction. The book is divided into three parts, spanning from the moment Sophie meets Billy, to their blossoming relationship towards the most heartbreaking ending. Billy And Me is such a delightful treat as I finished it in one day, totally immersed into the flow of the story. Some parts made me want to give poor Sophie a warm hug, others made me want to wonder if there are guys like Billy out there - romantic, kind and charming. Although the first part was light-hearted, romantic modern love story of how girl meets boys, but as the story progresses, it gets more emotional and heartbreaking. So don't judge the cover, guys! Also, his manager is a total asshole to Sophie most of the time. Putting her down in subtle ways and making her feel small. Not once does Billy listen to her when she tries to tell him. Where is the support?? He just laughs things off and showers her in compliments, as if that fixes everything.Another thread that runs through the book, which is maybe a little lost on American readers, is for the Seventies British cinephiles, our main reference book was this big book called Halliwell’s Film Guide where all the entries were written by Leslie Halliwell, who had an incredibly reactionary and old-fashioned and grumpy attitude towards the cinema. The last good film that had been made was Casablanca or something, as far as he was concerned. He was constantly railing about the violence and the swearing and the sex in contemporary cinema. There was not really anything to worry about or any big disasters or anything. The ending was lovely and a perfect conclusion to the story.

The characters are wonderfully written! Giovanna has put so much effort, love and care into her characters and it shows. Every single character seemed so realistic to me, they all sprang to life and I genuinely felt as though I had been transported to Rosefont Hill and was watching all the characters right in front of me. It's okay to have goals in life, unless they no longer suit your partner, in which case, they've changed. Change is Bad. One day the both of them fly over to Los Angeles and Sophie gets to meet Billy's big family for the first time. But all those paparazzi and people she thinks don't really want her there might not really be her thing.

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Billy and Me' is such a great book. I love Sophie's character. I could relate to her insecurities and her fear of change,her love of books and cake. Billy on the other hand is every girl's fantasy. The gorgeous actor,popular,rich,playing Mr Darcy,but deep down a good man,shy,with values and big heart. This book couldn't have been more dreamy and real at the same time. AKT: I met him at the Hedy Lamarr exhibit here. We’ve been in touch for many years and he was in New York in April and we talked about your book. You caught him right before Covid hit in March 2020, no?

Also, honourable mention to Sophie's manager from Coffe Matters. Polish guy named Andrezj. Really, Giovanna? REALLY? That's not how it's spelled. Do you mean "Andrzej"? Furthermore there were too! Many! Exclamation! Marks! A perfectly average day-to-day phrase does not need an exclamation mark after it. Billy and Me is located in Alpine Shire of Victoria state. On the street of Clyde Street and street number is 67. To communicate or ask something with the place, the Phone number is (03) 5752 2459. https://australia247.info/explore/victoria/alpine_shire/myrtleford/billy_and_me.html Billy and Me - Facebook It didn't take long for me to realise that this was a bit of an unhealthy relationship. Sophie told Billy her dream of buying the tea shop off Molly one day and making it her own. With cakes, books, gifts and flowers. But then he asks her to move to London with him as he has a part in a new play. Meaning she has to leave her job, that she loves, and find a new place to work. Now, this would be absolutely fine if he wasn't so controlling. I have no idea how Giovanna Fletcher, keeps writing these magical books, but I am so glad that she does, as she is fast becoming a favourite author of mine.Jonathan Coe on Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In: “If you happen to interview Almodóvar, do ask him for me whether he was influenced by Fedora!” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze A gloriously romantic novel about fame, friendship and falling in love, from the No. 1 bestselling author and Queen of the Castle - perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Sophie Kinsella & Cecelia Ahern