Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel
by Lauren Weisberger
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Book Reviews of Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel
Book Review: I admire those who could finish this book
Summary: 1 Stars
After 106 pages of dribble, I finally had to put this book down. I've never read a Lauren Weisberger book, and I don't think I will ever ready anything else by this author. This book is boring, unimaginative and totally pointless, and I usually enjoy a good "chick lit" book.
The story follows the adventures of the pursuit of sex in love from three self obsessed, one dimensional, annoying characters.
Each characters vows to change there lives in the course of a year:
Adriana - Beautiful and shallow Brazilian who loves sex and likes to say "querida" alot - vows to be married by the end of the book
Emmy - Pathetic in that she likes to be in relationships with men that use her - vows to have one night stands with a man from every continent, except Antarctica
Leigh - Slightly OCD and a full on beoch, she doesn't know how to appreciate a man who truly loves her - vows to... well, I'm not really sure what she vows, but I was hoping it would be to stop complaining and waving her hand around every other paragragh(did anyone else notice this? The author always had her swirling, twirling or waving her hand, esp. when they all went on vacation together. I was like seriously, stop waving your hand!").
I would have finished this book if the characters went a little deeper, but the above pretty much sums up the main characters throughout the first half of the book. Maybe they redeemed themselves in the end, but I couldn't bring myself to read another 172 pages to find out. If you think "The Hills" is modern day Shakespeare, then you will probably love this book. If you find the above cliche, this book should be avoided at all cost, if just for the waving of the hands in every freaking paragraph alone!
Book Review: Does Lauren have anything to offer readers?
Summary: 3 Stars
Does Lauren have anything to offer readers?
That is the question everyone should asked since her 2nd book was released. 2 be honest the Devil Wears Prada wasn't all that as the critics made it out to be. The only great thing was the title. It was clever & caught everyone's attention. If i was a person who never heard of the book & saw that book with that title as i passed by a book store & it was in the window display i would immediately run in & see what that book was all about. The title was catchy, i'll admit it. Anyways the book was ok, nothing great. I believe Andrea deserved everything negative that happened to her. All she did was whine & complain and nobody likes a complainer. When reading the book it made me realize how the character didn't even want to be there. How do you succeed in life if you can't even take the job you got hired to do, the job you applied for? (This all refers to The Devil Wears Prada)
Anyways her 2nd book was trashed as it got a 2 star rating. I like the reviews on here because they are from the reader and not a paid critic. Now i was intrigued by her 3rd book because the title once again is catchy.
I just finished reading the book and again i was sadly disappointed. Yes the author has made her way into pop culture mainstream because of the success of the DWP, but after a disappointing 1st & 2nd book i really thought that the 3rd time would be a charm. Its an ok read but nothing ground breaking. If you want some fun insightful chick literature check out the Sophioe Kinsella books. Again Lauren has tricked me and cashed in on my silly love of books and delivered a less then stellar product.
Book Review: another fantastic read by lauren weisberger
Summary: 4 Stars
Very Sex And The City esque... although the book got off to a bit of a slow start, i found myself totally absorbed not only with the 3 main characters, but with the peripheral characters, as well. once again, lauren weisberger is hilarious and i laughed outloud quite a few times. especially regarding "Otis." lol
my only complaint, albeit minor, is the way the author would reach a crescendo on a story point and the next paragraph, which you assume would continue, does not. it skips to another character, at a different point in time, and then she would go back to that previous, pivotal point via flashback at a later time in the book. i got used to this, and thinking back, i believe she wrote "the devil wears prada" in a similar style (but not "everyone worth knowing") however, i found it a little tedious at times as it was always at a paramount place in the story and it takes you a moment to clue-in that she's moved on and you'll have to find out later how that specific situation turned out. if not for the overuse and curious placement of flashbacks, i would have probably rated it 5 stars but i did find that a bit jarring at times. it interrupted the natural flow of the book. it was almost written as a screenplay for movie and you could feel someone saying "cut" and flashing to a different scene in a movie... but for a book, i felt it was unnecessary and overused.
other than that, if you like Sex And The City, you will most certainly adore this book. it's a perfect beach read... i just wish it had been a bit longer.
happy reading! :)
Book Review: The Watered Down Cosmopolitan of Chick Lit
Summary: 2 Stars
Touted by the publisher marketing department as "Sex and the City-eque", it turns out that is a very accurate description of Chasing Harry Winston, Lauren Weisberger's newest offering to the literary world and follow up novel to her major best seller The Devil Wears Prada. As someone who devoured The Devil Wears Prada the first time and then went back for second and third helpings over the years, you could definitely say I am a fan of Ms. Weisberger's work. Unfortunately Chasing Harry Winston hits a little too close to Sex and the City (SATC) for this reader. The three main characters can be drawn directly to the cast of SATC, minus Carrie Bradshaw (and who wants a SATC that's minus Carrie Bradshaw?) The result is a pretty formulaic and predictable story line. There were bright spots of banter, bonding and some downright sensible advice for the capturing and releasing of men, but overall this novel falls right into the marketing department's promotional "Beach Read of 2008" to be forgotten about come September. Overall the novel is a fast read, designer names sprinkled in here and there to give it that glamorous feel and while I do heart SATC, seeing a diluted version of it print is like drinking a watered-down cosmopolitan. However, it delivers what it promises, young Manhattanites trying to make the most of who they are and what they have to give, leaning on each other for support and learning to be happy for one another. Bonus points for a cover that couldn't be more fabulous if it tried!Book Review: Chasing their Dream
Summary: 4 Stars
Here is the story of three young NYC women (think Sex in the City) all with different points of view but all bonded by college friendships. Adriana, Leigh and Emmy are approaching 30 and feel that they're running out of time to do all they want and still have time left for the proverbial marriage and family. The girls get together and make a pact among themselves that within a year each will do something that is entirely opposite their own personal lifestyles. Emmy will shed the "embarrassing" reputation of only a few loves and fall in and out of relationships without looking back as Adriana has and in turn Adriana will try to adjust her lifestyle to committing to only one man and at the end of the year, it will be determined which girl has truly lived up to the challenge of changing her personal lifestyle. Leigh has to make good on a life change as well and is in search of admitting to herself that she is not the recipient of the "perfect" love that everyone has believed she has found in her sportscaster fiancé, Russell. The story has its moments of absolute hilarity and also some very serious reality checks that most women experience as they move from their carefree 20's into their more responsible 30's. It is a book that will entice the reader to keep reading. I have to agree with some previous reviewers that the ending was somewhat flat, however, on a whole; "Chasing Harry Winston" is a very relaxing and entertaining way to spend a lazy afternoon.