Rating:  Summary: Another success Review: As I read Candace Bushnell's work I feel inspired and depressed at the same time. She focuses on the paradox of the outwardly talented, attractive and well-connected woman who at the same time, hasn't been brought up to know herself outside of the Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty fantasy and maybe never will. I did not find Four Blondes "hysterical" (as the jacket said I would) but the stories brought up, in Candace's typically breezy style, many of the issues I and other friends of mine have faced as single girls in 90's Manhattan. I love the flashes of insight I get when I read her writing, into myself and people I know.Candace does not seem to be looking to shock or entertain, just describe. Her stories (or rather, extended observations) do not contain situations of tension and release, discovery of life's purpose or transformation of personality. Atypically (from the usual fiction written for/about women) her characters do not feel pressure to change from within but mainly focus on how to get more of what they want, clueless about what to do in the areas of their life most lacking. Through it all, Ms. Bushnell does not try to steer her characters into an honorable direction. They can be self-centered and hopelessly superficial, yet she does not judge them and their choices but instead sticks to portraying them truthfully, with all their warts. Though she writes with a light hand and hip dialogue, her characters come through seeming at once powerful and sad.
Rating:  Summary: Sexy and humorous Review: I love "Sex and the City" so I might've expected more than I got from this book. It was great the way she described the lives of four different, yet alike, blondes. Very sexy and made me think. I would definately recommend this book to all who love a good laugh and great sex fiction.
Rating:  Summary: Obviously different than the TV show Review: I went into this book *not* expecting it to be like the TV show, and it wasn't. It's supposed to be different as that it is a book, not TV. I liked Candace's style of writing. The only story of the 4 that I didn't like at first was the one where after every sentence, there was something in parenthasis - that was a bit annoying at first. I liked this book and plan to get Sex in the City too. If I wanted a book to be exactly like the TV show, then I wouldn't have to read the books, since I watch the show religiously. All in all, a good book to curl up with before bedtime.
Rating:  Summary: Such a waste of energy...... Review: An attractive cover was what caught my eye for this book. I picked it up and read the humorous story about the first blonde, waiting, for something to happen. Yet nothing happened. And so I continued to read, thinking that there must be a point to all the mindless babbling that Bushnell did. And so it continued, I kept reading as to find out what the point was. Eventually, I reached the end of the book, and I was very angry that I hadn't just put it down in the beginning. What a waste of my time and a waste of Bushnell's engergy in writing the book. It made women out to be only for sex and it did not portray any realistic characters. ..
Rating:  Summary: Natural NewYork Blond Review: Just like my favorite show, "Sex in the City,I loved turning the pages of this book. A comedy about independence, women, men, careers, sex, and blonds. FUN FUN FUN
Rating:  Summary: Better suited for TV Review: Since I don't have cable, I only see Sex in the City when at a friend's house, but I think the show is entertaining and can certainly see why it is popular. Four Blondes, on the other hand, proved to be a difficult read in that I had to discipline myself to finish it. The fourth and last section was the best and is worth reading on its own, but it couldn't make up for the lengthy third section which was the weakest piece in the book with wooden characters, who are difficult to identify with, and an overblown plot. Keep watching the TV show and skip this book.
Rating:  Summary: Funny, surprising, uneven Review: The second story of the four, about Winnie D and her almost-wimpy husband, is the funniest -- it is worth the price of the book, totally. This is an Upper East Sider's bitchy take on the worst excesses of the Upper West Side. I gasped in horrified recognition, laughed out loud and snickered more discreetly at the unladylike rudeness of Bushnell's comments. The last story, about a writer going to London, is interesting but weak. Janey, the *first* blonde, is surprisingly sympathetic. Her plight scared the hell out of me. Her story has a "Custom of the Country" (Whartonesque) feel to it. The third blonde (in no particular order) is bizarre -- she writes this one from the point of view of a drugged up blabbering-to-self misfit, and it is not easy to make that perspective interesting. But she manages to hold your attention (or mine, at any rate) and for this you have to give Bushnell credit. I found the conclusion of story #3 vaguely inconclusive but maybe that's the idea. The backlash against Bushnell is silly. If I have one problem with her style, it's her crudeness -- but it doesn't stop me from reading right through to the end. One word of advice -- don't read this while eating, if you're squeamish. But it's a great book for wiling away the time with during a pedicure.
Rating:  Summary: So bad in this book and so good in Sex and the City. Review: This book was a total disapointment. I am a "Sex and the City" fan. My husband and I have watch the T.V. serie for years, we have also bought the first and second season on DVD to watch it again. That's why we bought the book. It turn out to be boring and poorly written. The worst of all was the third story, I had to make a great effort to finish it. It's almost amazing how someone can do so well in one thing and at the same time so bad on another one. Well, I guess I will keep watching my favorite "Sex and the City" and forget I ever read this book.
Rating:  Summary: Escape from reality Review: I thought that Candace Bushnell's Four Blondes was absolutely wonderful! Being in a world of the rich and famous is a daydream for many of us, but Ms. Bushnell creates a wonderful escape into the "elites" world for four great chapters. She makes one think that having all the wealth and all the fame isn't what makes a person and that those who have it aren't always happy. I thought that it was a great follow-up to Sex and the City. They are both rauchily classy books!
Rating:  Summary: Disappointing Book From a Talented Author Review: We all like Sex in the City. Candace, what happened? This is such a disappointment from such a talented writer. I'm sorry I spent the [amt] on the hardback...and the 5 hours of wasted time reading it. The characters in this book are so shallow and vacuous that it only served to depress me. Was that the point? I only give it 2 stars instead of 1 because I was able to finish it. Perhaps I kept reading hoping it would improve? Bottom line: don't waste your time or money.
|