Rating: Summary: Trading Down Review: I was disappointed in Bushnell's newest book. Even though I was anxious to buy it after loving Four Blondes and being a faithful Sex in the City fan. The continued back flash of stories and events made this story run on forever and the actual story was lost in the shuffle. If Buschnell had just told the story of Janey Wilcox from beginning to end I have no doubr it would have been a good read. The book seemed forced, like Bushnell was trying to cover every detail down to the brand of mascara and give you a reason she used it and the entire history behind it. There was nothing left to the imagination. I'm disappointed that I spent $$ on the hardcover version. If you haven't read it wait for paperback, borrow it from a friend, or choose a different book.
Rating: Summary: Couldn't put it down Review: Read this book in 2 days. I could not put it down. Excellent characterization, fast pace, tight plot and funny/pathetic scenes make this one of the best books I have read this year. Much better than "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold, who is considered a "serious" writer by the critics. I am not ashamed to say I enjoyed Trading Up.
Rating: Summary: Not brilliant but an easy holiday read Review: Okay, so it's not Austen, (which to me is a good thing!). It's not the worst book i've ever read, in fact i didn't think it was all that bad. It's a very easy read and i have to say it's a lot better than her sex & the city novel, to me that was a real waste of time(and i didn't even finish it...that's 2&1/2 hrs of my life i am never getting back...alas!) But you know what, it flows, the main character does become quite likeable and i coudln't help but laugh at the manhattanites she portrays. I'd give it a thumbs up, not a big one, but still i'd give it one
Rating: Summary: Brava! Review: I have read SATC, "Four Blondes", and recently "Trading Up". I'm a guy, and I didn't catch on until the first two were well into paperback. I have not watched the HBO adaptation of SATC. I purchased "Trading Up" the day after I saw Candice interviewed. I have deeply enjoyed all of her books. If you liked the first two, this is similar in content: gripping, fun and not for the faint of heart. Bushnell has become a major force on American pop-culture and I hope to read more of her work in the future.
Rating: Summary: Great Summer Read. Review: This book is a sequel to the book Four Blondes, and continues the story of Janey Wilcox. I was excited and eager to begin this book, and could not put it down! I think that 400 and some pages was a little too much though, because somewhere around the middle of the book, I began to get bored of the tangents the book goes off into. However, I still found it hard to put the book down, and often began a new (LONG) chapter anyway. The story is very interesting, and I would recommend it only to someone who has read Janey's story in Four Blondes.
Rating: Summary: Wish I hadn't happened upon this book Review: I read to page 170 and just decided to quit. The characters were basically shallow and unlikable. Maybe the book improves if one reads on but I have had enough.
Rating: Summary: What are you willing to do to get ahead? Review: Part of Bushnell's genius is that she never allows the reader to completely idolize or demonize her characters. They start out as caricatures and then, as the book proceeds, become multi-dimensional and nuanced without the usual "you can't judge a book by its cover" nonsense. They are superficial and intelligent, desperate and powerful, vengeful and loving, necessary and superfluous. Each character is attempting to assert her identity within the often-chaotic social hierarchy of New York society. As such, Bushnell's characters mirror the general psychological state of the ambitious: They continually recreate their personal boundaries, limits, and sense of morality in an effort to balance the often conflicting notions of who they are with what they will do in order to succeed. Bushnell is not afraid of ambiguity. Because of this, "Trading Up" is a wildly fun and fascinating read.
Rating: Summary: Yummy Summer Fun Review: Inarguably no "Custom of the Country", Candace Bushnell's latest book is about as tasty as a Krispy-Creme doughnut. While low on nutrients, it's a high-caloric read, and a perfect beach accessory. Ultimately, the heroine's immorality fails to produce an overwhelming amount of sympathy, but you want Janey Wilcox to win out anyways, if only because she's desperate, pretty, and ambitious. Besides, it's always fun, if only for a few hours, to believe that women like this exist.
Rating: Summary: Trading Up will light up your summer! Review: In one hundred years, Trading Up will be taught in English classes the way we read Fitzgerald, Parker and Hemmingway. candace Bushnell is a brilliant writer, and this book is the best book of the summer, maybe the year.
Rating: Summary: My Very Own Sex and the City Review: I loved it; it was like having my very own Sex and the City. Bushnell is an astute observer of social castes and manners. Bushnell never describes the main character's beauty; instead, she writes about her in such a way that you completely believe this woman could roam the earth wreaking havoc as the result of her stunning good looks. Things happen quickly-- at the end of one chapter, Janey is sitting next to some guy and at the start of the next, she's married him-- but you never feel cheated; you just want to turn the page and find out what happens next. Perfect summer book. I missed the Janey so much I went out and bought 4 Blondes.
|