Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel
by Lauren Weisberger
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Book Reviews of Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
I was very disappointed with this book. My review will probably echo what a lot other reviewers have said, but here it is anyway -
I found this book to be incredibly shallow and severely lacking in plot. In fact, I just finished it last night and already I can barely remember the main plot points. I did laugh in a few spots and very occasionally found that I was able to identify with a particular character or situation.
One of my biggest peeves about this book was Emmy's resolution. I literally cringed every time I read the phrase "Tour de Whore" and references to Emmy wanting to "prostitute myself out." Am I the only one who was bothered by this? If you want to write a book about a women's journey to sexual freedom or whatever, then great, I'm all for it. But does she have to refer to herself as a prostitute and whore throughout it? Also, it was clear throughout her "affairs" that she was not comfortable with what she was doing. Apparently it's not okay for a woman to want to know someone on a deeper level before sleeping with them...
Another big problem that I had with this book was the fact that the characters were entirely unoriginal. Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte, anyone?
I also felt like there was a serious lack of organization and flow. There were also characters who appeared to be important and then pretty much disappeared (the hairdresser, Emmy's sister and her family,) situations that never got resolved or explained. The narrative was often confusing and jumped from present to flashback to internal monologue and back again with little to no transition.
The ending was ridiculous and boring at the same time. I also don't really understand the title, it really doesn't fit the story. As soon as I finished reading this book, I wondered, "WHAT was the point of that?" As I said earlier, I finished it less than 12 hours ago and I've already forgotten what it was supposed to be about. Don't waste your money on this one - if you must, get it from the library.
Book Review: This is the kind of book that gives chick-lit a bad name
Summary: 1 Stars
This is perhaps the worst chick lit novel I've ever read. It's about 3 vapid girls with a superficial friendship characterized by secrets, petty jealousies, and insensitivity to each others' feelings (e.g., one girl gets dumped by her boyfriend of 5 years and the other 2 expect her to just get over it; she's not even allowed to talk about it). One of the characters, Adriana, is completely unlikeable. She's a vain, spoiled, self-centered bitch and it's unclear why the other girls like her at all. She certainly isn't a good friend b/c she's not particularly interested in anyone besides herself. The other two girls are one-dimensional stereotypes (a Type A overachiever, and a prim good-girl). These two have exciting, glamorous, successful careers, but they never talk about or celebrate that; they just whine about boys. And they're constantly obsessing about how "old" they are when they're only 29/30, with two of them freaking out because they don't have rocks on their fingers yet. In NYC, where I have lived for 10 years, girls don't hit the panic button just because they're not married by 30. It's perfectly normal to get married later here. And speaking of living in NYC, the character Lauren owns a one-bedroom apartment in a doorman building on the Upper East Side, and the author expects you to believe that Lauren got it "all through her own hard work and savings." At age 29! When she works as a junior editor at a publishing house! That, dear readers, is financially impossible, I'm here to tell you. That apartment would cost, at a minimum, $450,000, so she would have had to have saved at least $45,000 for the down payment, plus be in a position to make payments on a $400,0000 mortgage plus monthly condo maintenance fees which would probably run between $800 and $1200 a month. Not possible on a junior editor's salary.
Anyway, don't waste your time with this book.
Book Review: Good for a Lighthearted Read
Summary: 3 Stars
Chasing Harry Winston is the story of three college girlfriends in New York on the eve of a big event: their thirtieth birthdays. Emmy has recently been dumped by her long-time boyfriend and takes her friends up on a dare to be more risqué. Leigh works her dream job as a senior book editor and is engaged to the perfect man, yet she is searching for true happiness. Adriana is the spoiled daughter of a famous supermodel whose life appears ideal but who knows that her looks won't win her the world forever and seeks a purpose to her existence. They all decide that within one year, each will drastically change their life. Weisberger intertwines each woman's quest for love, life, and happiness into an emotional novel that speaks to the heart and allows us into the world of young, hip New Yorkers.
I had very high expectations when I began this novel because I adored Weisberger's book, The Devil Wears Prada, but I honestly was rather disappointed. While this novel does have all the glitz and glamour, not all the characters are well developed. Emmy and Leigh are very believable women. I could relate to them, enjoy discovering their personalities and joining them on their adventures. Adrianna, on the other hand, seems to be one-dimensional. Her looks are written about in excess. The novel was also a little cruder than I anticipated.
Even though it won't be standard reading for a literary class, Chasing Harry Winston makes for a pleasant beach read. The prose is engaging, the characters amusing, and the plot interesting. It allows the reader to become lost for a few blissful hours in a world far different from the one most of us live in. This novel is good for a lighthearted read.
by Jennifer Melville
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
Book Review: The third book was NOT a charm
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm really glad that I didn't buy this book new because I would have tried to return it. It wasn't absolutely awful, but it really wasn't particularly good. I don't have much to echo in addition to what the other reviewers have said, but the main points that I noticed were:
1)No continuity - characters appeared and then left, like the walking stereotype hairdresser who is in all kinds of scenes until about page 100 and then just drops off the face of the planet.
2)Plot stuff just not adding up - these girls talk to each other all the time. So how come one has to tell the other about a date that the third went on a week before? You're telling me that in a week, these cell-phone addicts haven't spoken? Also, weird things like the one girl is in Paris and the other girl is in New York, and it's supposed to be 2am in New York according to the dialogue, but the girl in Paris is sitting at the bar meeting men who are stopping for drinks before heading out to parties. With a 6 hour time difference, you're telling me that guys at this hotel are hanging out before parties at 8am? Maybe hanging out after parties, but I wouldn't think they'd be on their way. So there was weird stuff like that just not adding up that I'd think an editor would catch?
3) I didn't actually think the plot was that bad, and I rather liked the ending, but man, there were parts that just dragged on and on and on and on and on and on and on until eternity. Then there's a big skip and you're like, "woah - am I supposed to know what's going on here?"
So all in all, I would recommend buying this book used, like I did, or getting it at the library. If you liked her other books, I'm sure you'll want to read this one, too, so if you have the time, go for it. Just don't expect it to be as good as the others.
Book Review: Can't decide ....
Summary: 2 Stars
I can't decide on whether to give this a 2 star or a 3 star. Not for the first time I wish Amazon has a .5 rating. I like this book but also found it tedious in places. Chick lit is supposed to be fun; it isn't supposed to be a drag and full of whiny characters. At the same time though, I was compelled to finish this book, why, I don't know because it really isn't the best book I've read and it'll be one of those forgettable ones.
The three characters are all best friends and are approaching 30, without being married or settled down in a long-term relationship. There is Adriana, the sexy former model who goes through men like ice cream. Then there's Leigh, a rising star at a prestigious publishing house, engaged to be married to a sweet, kind and sociable man. There's Emmy, newly single after her boyfriend of 5 years dumped her for a younger woman just fresh out of college. Their stories are trite and predictable, which is why I found this tedious. But at the same time, it is a light read and perfect for those brainless moments when one doesn't want to think about anything at all. It's perfect for those moments before you sleep at night or take a nap or doze off in the sunshine while sunbathing.
If you like chick lit, this book is ok for that. But to save your money, make sure you borrow this book instead of buying it. It's fun in the sense of the name-dropping and the styles ... but as character developments go, forget it. None of the characters are really fun to read about. Adriana really annoyed me especially when her parents came to NYC to stay at their apartment and she acted like a spoiled brat. Leigh really drove me insane with her constant sniping at her fiance and Emmy? She's probably the most likable of all the characters but still ...
10/15/08