Bergdorf Blondes

Rating:
Summary: Only good as a light summer beach read
Review: Plum Sykes' first novel, Bergdorf Blondes, displays very little plot or character development. Although the novel itself is a quick and easy read, its ending is quite predictable and the reader will often find him/herself speed-reading simply to get through parts that appear in every romance book under the sun. I have yet to find anything that makes the novel unique, for even the diction is quite mundane. Bergdorf Blondes seems to be targeted mostly for teenagers and women in their early twenties who are still searching for that Hollywood romance that can only occur on the big screen. To summarize, the plot is far from complicated: boy meets girl, girl falls in love with the wrong boy only to realize that the one she wants has been right in front of her all along. Though the setting involves the Manhattan elite, Sykes does a poor job at developing the characters' personalities and leaves some ends untied. Few parts of the novel are quite amusing; however, the negatives far outweigh the positives in what can only translate to be a C class romance novel. I would advise to read only if you desire something light to get your mind off work, school, or all the nonfiction work circulating around the bookstore.

Rating:
Summary: makes the devil wears prada look pulitzer prize-worthy
Review: this book is one of the worst that i have read in quite some time. the narrator is completely detestable and you get the sense that the author is unaware of this (particularly because it seems that ms. sykes has based the annoyingly named character, moi, after herself). one of the numerous irritating plots attempts to recreate pride and prejudice (a la bridget jones's diary) yet turns the tale into a predictable and unrealistic pile of crap. at least jones, which i also found trite, provided the reader with a protagonist who was somewhat appealing. i wonder if anna wintour actually read her protege's ridiculous novel before so generously providing the compliment on its jacket. if so, her skills as an arbiter of taste are grossly overrated. even more preposterous is the fact that sykes fancies her book is on par with such great novelists as wharton, capote and fitzgerald. i highly doubt that history will regard bergdorf blondes on this level of literature or even remember it. let's hope the inevitable movie fails at the box office.

Rating:
Summary: This is not a novel
Review: This is advertising. Sykes mentions every luxury brand in the world, adds a couple of vapid and boring characters, no plot, and she calls it a book. Well, the result is about as interesting as the phone book.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This was a great casual read. It was very fun and humorous. I would grab any other book right off the shelf that the author writes in this genre.

Rating:
Summary: A Glimpse into the World of the Park Avenue Princesses
Review: Welcome to the world of the Park Avenue Princesses, rich young women with nothing to do other than pamper themselves endlessly and try to find some meaning in their lives in the process of pursuing the PH (perfect husband). Men are viewed more as essential accessories than life partners, which probably explains why their relationships and marriages are so short-lived and unfulfilling.

Their days are filled with visits to hairdressers, dermatologists, therapists, , tanning salons, gossip-sessions, endless shopping sprees and society luncheons or benefits at which they sometimes purport to do good works.

They call themselves the Bergdorf Blondes, and getting the hair color just right is apparently not easy (or cheap). The main character (who is never named in the book) is the only one who seems to actually have a job, but it's not exactly a demanding career; she writes an occasional article for a fashion magazine.

The book is peppered with mentions of designer labels, including Manolo Blahnik, Chloe, Harry Winston, Gucci, Cavin Klein, Chanel, Pucci, Louis Vuitton. They drink Pellegrino and Bellini's and hope for an invitation to fly on someone's PJ (private jet) to Aspen or Cannes or The Riviera.

The book is satirical and exaggerated, and is a quick, amusing read. I only hope that the idle rich are not as shallow, jaded, and materialistic as they are portrayed in this novel.