Rating: 
Summary: Painful
Review: The Devil Wears Prada is the poor man's Nanny Diaries. Not only is the style eerily similar but so is the plot. It was painful to get through the book but I felt obligated to finish it since I paid $... for it. Spend your time and money on elsewhere; this book isn't worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: What The Devil?!?
Review: I grabbed Lauren Weisberger's debut novel as soon as it hit the stands. I had heard much of the hype surrounding this "kiss & tell" book, and was undoubtedly curious, considering that the author had worked for The Anna Wintour, and would have woven real-life experiences into her novel.I must admit for the first 100 pages or so, Ms. Weisberger had me enraptured in the world of Elias-Clark, Runway, and more importantly the world of her main character, Andrea Sachs. Being that I'm financially-challenged (how PC is that?), and cannot afford to buy Prada, Manolos, or Jimmy Choos, I could definitely relate to the main character. However, Andrea's condescending attitude toward her colleagues was a major stumbling block for me. She constantly complained about her boss, Miranda Priestly, and her Runway colleagues being so vain and condescending, but Andrea herself was pretty much the same, but on a different level. Like almost everyone else who have posted "Devil" reviews before me, I kept reading simply to find out how Andrea finally left Miranda's employ, and was very disappointed by the neat, predictable plot points that lead up to the event. Although this book did not live up to my lofty expectations, there were some hilarious moments, many of them involving Eduardo the security guard...very witty and clever to Ms. Weisberger's credit. Also, another bright spot in the book was the totally realiztic and believable relationship between Andrea and senior assistant Emily. They obviously weren't on the same page, and didn't like each other, but they got along when they had to. It would have been easy for the author to show these two characters locking horns in extreme hatred for one another, but Ms. Weisberger skillfully showed how two people can work together without liking each other. I honestly had expected Emily to go out of her way to make Andrea look incompetent, in light of her "devil may care" attitude. It was surprising and refreshing to see the slice-of-life relationship between Andrea and Emily. Most of the characters in the book were one-dimensional and extremely boring, especially Andrea's boyfriend, Alex. It's obvious that Ms. Weisberger crafted Alex to function as Andrea's conscience, as was the case with Andrea's family members, and best friend Lily. The character of Miranda Priestly was thisclose to being "deliciously evil", but the author never really showed us why Miranda was so unhappy. Yes, there was the background information given at the beginning of the book, but in the end, I could see why Miranda had to be demanding and icy and distant. Not to say that I totally agreed with her behavior, but I found it very difficult to hate her. For a short time in my career, I served as an assistant to a publisher, and I had to fetch coffeee, place lunch orders and the like. However, while my boss was much more personable than Miranda, I perfectly understood why I had to take care of my boss's personal affairs. Certainly, Ms. Weisberger didn't expect us to think that Miranda should have to order her own food, answer her own phone, and run a magazine empire all at the same time. As unfortunate as it is, there are just some people who have to delegate personal responsibilities... If you're looking for an easy read for a vacation, then this book should suit you just fine. Otherwise, I'd say wait for the movie. This wasn't the best piece of prose I've read, but it wasn't the worst, either. I am sure that Ms. Weisberger's writing will improve with her next book. I, for one, am willing to give her another chance.
Rating:
Summary: Excruciating
Review: Satire has a long and distinguished history, and everybody, deep in their heart of hearts, probably enjoys seeing nasty, arrogant megalomaniacs get their comeuppance. But it only works if the person doing the satirizing has 1) SOME kind of moral authority, 2) A razor-sharp wit, and 3) the ability to see him- or herself somewhat objectively. Weisberger displays none of the above in this lame bit of opportunism. I found myself rooting for Miranda. Not a good sign. Prose that would be dripping red in a decent Freshman comp. course, cardboard characterization, a storyline that goes nowhere. Luckily I got my copy free from a friend who warned me not to waste my time reading it--if only I had listened. I would recommend you not make the same mistake I did, or compound the mistake by actually paying money for it.
Rating:
Summary: TERRIBLE!
Review: ... Here's my opinion: The author is a young well educated woman who comes from a well to do family. She is too young to be taken seriously as an author- this is a term paper thats WAAAAY too long. The story goes: She lands a dream job and instead of taking anythng positive from the experience she whines and complains throughout the entire book (that is when she is not explaining how horrid her boss is). ...
Rating: 
Summary: Laugh out loud funny!
Review: This book is a must read! After 2 years of being a "personal assistant" to a high-profile executive in NYC, I can personally relate to many of the over-the-top and absurd demands that are brillianly and colorfully detailed in this amusing novel! For all those that don't believe this mythical and rediculous world really doesn't exist...well, it does! Thank you to Lauren Weisenberger for letting me point all my relatives and friends to this delightful book to say, "see...everything I told you about being a 'personal assistant' was true!" Well done!!!
Rating:
Summary: what goes around comes around
Review: I think it hilarious that people in the fashion world are so outraged by this book. The general theme they cite is "how dare she bite the hand that fed her?" Well, if this is based on Anna Wintour, and if she is even half the monster of the boss in this book, then I have no sympathy whatsoever, and say "well done!" for Lauren for having the guts to write this. Considering this is her first book too, I think she has done a superb job. It won't win any literary awards, but it is well written for the most part, and really draws you in. I read bits and pieces on my lunch break, and then finally caved and bought the book. I wanted to know what happened next...and isn't that the goal of any story? This is just a fun book, a peek inside a world that most of us know nothing about. It is at its best when focusing on the job, rather than the relationships outside of work, but overall, it's a great escape, and I predict will be seen on beaches everywhere this summer. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Vacation Read!
Review: Funny, if not life changing, look at the worst boss ever!
Take it to the beach this summer for a light, easy read that will make you feel better about your own insane boss.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun read--and probably true!
Review: I've had bosses from "hell" like this one! So what if it isn't a Harvard classic? It's fun, entertaining, and great to see the "high and mighty" get taken down a peg or two even if it's only in print! I definitely recommend this book for light reading.
Rating:
Summary: Humorously accurate portrayal of first job hell
Review: This book made me smile as well as empathize with Andrea, because I too am suffering through my first job out of college. The author is flawlessly up to date on the trends, names and places of the real fashion world, causing the book to seem even more plausable. The main character is humorous with a dry wit that makes you laugh and cringe simultaneously. The portrayal of the [unkind] boss as a [bad person] is hilarious, and ultimately forces the reader to acknowledge similar extremes in their own life. As most books, the ending does lead you to see what should be the priorities in our own lives, and at the very least, gives hope to those of us who have had our high hopes of the real world shattered to the tune of emails, excel spreadsheets and office politics.
Rating:
Summary: I wanted to love it...I really did!
Review: When I heard about this book, I couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately, it just wasn't that good. I, like some of the other reviewers, read the whole thing but just to see how she finally quit. I wanted to like it but it was so boring. It was missing wit and humor. The Nanny Diaries was similar but so much better. This book was missing the laugh out loud humor like Girls Poker Night. It was an insight into the fashion world but nothing I already didn't know from watching the movie Intern.
|
