Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel
by Lauren Weisberger
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Book Reviews of Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel
Book Review: Chasing contrived plot details and hackneyed characters.
Summary: 1 Stars
This book is a major departure for Lauren Weisberger-- in that it is terrible to the point of nearly being unreadable. Don't get me wrong-- I don't take my chick lit too seriously. If a book has a pink cover with stilettos on it, there's a slight chance it might have reasonably good writing and character development, but usually the best you can hope for is a cheesy but fun, quick read. This book, however, crosses the threshold from silly to painful. The characters are one-dimensional, stereotypical, and derivative of every other mainstay of chick culture-- she might as well have named Adriana Samantha. Oh, and the way that she defined one of her characters as ethnic-- she made her say "querida" in every other sentence, because you know, that's how Latinas talk. And by the way, I live in NYC, and it's not too often that you stumble across world famous actors/ directors/ sportscasters/ authors who are just dying to go out with you. Or, for that matter, that you suddenly get movie deals dropped into your lap. I was also annoyed by the title, which as it turns out, applies only vaguely to only one character-- it's almost as if she chose the title because she thought it sounded good and not because it had any huge relevance to the book.
But perhaps what drove me the most crazy was how they kept waxing poetic about how old they are. The characters are all 29 year-olds who turn 30 over the course of the book, and they all act like they're turning 60. In one scene, they're out to dinner celebrating one of their 30th birthdays, and the waitress says something to the effect of "I hope I look like you when I'm your age." The characters roll their eyes, saying the waitress couldn't be older than 24, as if that were a zygote in comparison to their many years. Because in the six years between 24 and 30, you go from being a naive cheerleader to being a mature, condescending crone. The book was peppered with phrases like "when you get to be our age, you rush into marriage for the wrong reasons" [paraphrased] and it just wore on me after a while. I'm 29 myself, and it just doesn't fit with reality.
If you're so desperately curious and need to read this book, please, do yourself a favor, and visit your local library.
Book Review: Girls on the town!
Summary: 4 Stars
Adriana is about to turn thirty and even though she is the daughter of a gorgeous Brazilian supermodel, she worries that maybe her looks might not keep in the lifestyle she is used to. Her mother reminds it is not only looks but her feminine wiles that will help her find the right man. Adriana has no problem finding the right man, the right man for that night. And her parents are getting less and less amiable about her living rent free in their New York penthouse and spending their money.
Her best friend Leigh is paired with the perfect man, Russell. Not only is he the host of a top ESPN show, he is understanding, remembers anniversaries, and wants to marry her. Both their families are thrilled. Leigh is hoping the stress of her editor's job at a big publishing house and the additional stress of taking Jesse Chapman, past Pulitzer Prize winner is the reason behind her reluctance to commit to wedding plans.
Best friend Emmy would love to have Leigh's "problems". After bring unceremoniously dumped by live in boyfriend, Duncan, she is awash with misery. After all, what is so bad about wanting to get married and start a family? Why does every man she mentions it to suddenly remember a previous commitment and high tail it out of there? She passed on a job scouting out restaurants for Chef Massey, the hottest thing in the food universe for Duncan. And now, all she has is a horrid parrot, Otis as a roommate.
The Emmy and Adraina realize their lives aren't going as planned, and decide a complete shakeup is needed. Each makes a commitment to try a lifestyle that propels her in a different direction than the path they're currently on. Leigh makes no such promise; her friends don't even know how conflicted she is about the wedding. They should be worried about losing all they have access to the right parties, great clothes, careers.....they want to be happy and maybe this is their chance.
Laauren Weisberger is back with another hard to put down book about fabulous singletons. Not quite as good as Devil Wears Prada but a fun read.
Book Review: 40 YO male hated to love this book.
Summary: 4 Stars
There I am stranded in O'Haire Airport looking for something to read, having loved the movie Devil Wears Prada I saw the cover and decided to give it a try. Sitting on the floor waiting for the plane I started reading and was hooked from the beginning.
Let me say I have never read a single line of "Chick Lit" before. I found this book has a real perspective that I have not seen or heard before, The 30 year old woman worried about getting older and being alone. The characters are great and DAMN if I could just get a look at Adriana and see what she looks like. By the end of the book I wanted to google her.
Sure you might be able to smell some plot points coming, but the payoff is in the heart of the plot point and the detailed world Mrs (or is it Miss) Weisberger creates in the head of these characters. As a male reader I found myself going "Oh so that's what they are thinking." You chicks are complicated and although it's doesn't un-complicate women it might make a male understand what rattles around in their heads.
The phrase "Chick Lit" to me represented a bubble gum style book, what I mean by that is that once done with the book the flavor is gone with no substance. That is not true of this book. There are heart felt relationships, women who actually like "sex" and a search for your true self.
There is an incredible scene towards the end of the book where Leigh, naked, Looks at herself in the mirror after a life changing event and doesn't regret it only to have that regret seep in to both the reader and Leigh's heart.
The only fair comparison to Sex and the City is that there is a small group of women that are friends in New York. SatC covered the search for meaningful relationships. CHW starts out the same way, but subtly shifts to the search for ones self. There is more to this book than meets the eye. It's not only about learning to love other people, It's about making hard choices to eventually love yourself.
Guys might even find what goes on in women's head illuminating and the Parrot might be the greatest scene stealer!
Book Review: Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the story of three great friends living in Manhattan and looking to change their lives around and shake things up to get married and live happily ever especially now that they are nearing 30.
Emmy is now single because her boyfriend Duncan left her for the trainer she herself had paid for him... talk about irony!!
She was this close to the ring and the baby she's wanted her whole life but now she is ordering take out for one and is looking to find herself a man but her friends tell her she should sleep around a bit and forget about dreaming of Mr. Right. She will embark in the adventure and will do her best to forget her prim and proper attitude and begin her tour de whore.
Adriana is a famous drop dead gorgeous supermodel who has been born in Brazil and raised in the USA by her rich parents who are always paying her bills.
She is also about to turn 30 and is considering her mother's advice about men... beauty is ephemeral, there's always someone younger and prettier right around the corner to steal your man so it's better to pick one soon and to settle with him.
And finally there's Leigh, a young star in the publishing business who is within striking distance of landing her dream job as senior editor and marrying her dream guy... or maybe Russell isn't really her dream guy but he is the dream guy of every other woman she knows. To top it all off Leigh is chosen to edit the well known Jesse Chapman "enfant terrible of the literary world" who is brilliant and brooding and a genius and who has her go to his house in the Hamptons to work with him since he doesn't like to work anywhere else!! As you can imagine on one of those trips to the Hamptons to work on Jesse's new book they end up under the sheets and Leigh experiences the best lovemaking of her entire life.
Emmy will have to sleep around, Adriana will have to have a serious and monogamous relationship for the very first time in her life and Leigh, well Leigh appears to have it all and her life appears to be perfect... but do you really think this is so?
Read on and check out what happens...
Book Review: Not too bad, but not good (SPOILER)
Summary: 2 Stars
I think the plot is actually quite interesting and it'll be much more engaging if the writer told it well enough. To me she wasn't able to portray clear characters (except Adriana, who is a typical rich, beautiful, spoliled daddy's girl, despite her degree from Cornell). At the end of the book I still couldn't imagine how the other two girls look like apart from the fact that Leigh is a "put-together" type while Emmy is naturally small and slim. I also find it hard to believe in some of the characters. I think the writer did well in the Devil Wears Prada because she was writing from her own experience while here it seems like she borrows stories from others and it sounds a lot less convincing.
Some of the stories told, like others have said, are not necessary and only make the whole book longer without getting anywhere. I almost gave up two or three times because even at half of the book you still feel like you are in the introduction part.
There are quite a few flaws in the story-telling i.e. Brianna's age (23 and 22), Leigh's possession of designer clothes (at first it says she has only one piece of haute couture, which is a Chanel jacket, then later Leigh wears "her favourite Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress"), or Emmy's attitude toward gift wrapping paper (early in the story she felt sorry to see her boyfriend tear off the wrapping paper carelessly when she spent hours choosing the one that would match his taste, but, she herself did the same thing when getting a gift from her sister thinking "what's the use of keeping used gift wrappers and bows?"). I know these flaws are petty, but I guess they reflect how much the writer spent time with the book.
I like the book better when it comes toward the end as it becomes more entertaining and gripping, though the ending is quite predictable. The explanation about Jesse's marriage at the end is basically quite unbelieveable, though not totally impossible.
I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone except for those who just want to read away and have a penchant for the Sex and the City theme.