About this title: The bestselling author of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA takes her readers on a second tour of the New York glamour industry's dirty underside. Feeling trapped and frustrated, the usually staid Bette quits her investment banker job and embarks on a new career as an event organizer at a high-end PR firm. Trading her nights alone with her dog for an ...
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Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 09/2005
ISBN-13:9780743262293ISBN:0743262298
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 367 p. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 09/2005
ISBN-13:9780743262293ISBN:0743262298
Description: Good in good dust jacket. Good, In good dust jacket. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 367 p. Ex-Library expected imperfections. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date Published: 09/2005
ISBN-13:9780743262293ISBN:0743262298
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 367 p. read more
"Here's how they put it on Amazon. I really don't know how to summarize it myself.
Bette Robinson is a twentysomething Emory graduate who shunned her parents' hippie ideals in favor of a high-paying yet excruciatingly boring job at a prestigious investment bank. One day, after a particularly condescending exchange with her boss (who sends her daily inspirational e-mails), Bette walks out on her job in a huff. After a few weeks of sleeping late, watching Dr. Phil and entertaining her dog Millington, Bette's uncle scores her a job at an up-and-coming public relations firm, where her entire job seems to revolve around staying out late partying and providing fodder for clandestine gossip columns. What follows is one episode after another of Bette climbing up the social ladder at the expense of her friends, family, and the one guy who actually seems worth pursuing.
I usually don't review books I didn't like, partially because I write myself and know what an arduous job it is to have something finished, printed and sold. For the respect I have towards all authors and writers, published and unpublished, I don't want to underestimate anybody's hard work. Well, this book is on the edge of not having been reviewed at all.
This book was on my nightstand for a while now. I delayed it constantly, reading a page or two eventually. It took me long (I'm not going to tell how long-it's embarrassing) to finally finish it, and sincerely, I wonder now why I even did. I was so disappointed.
I didn't read The Devil Wears Prada, but heard glorifying reviews. I thought I'd get a taste of it with this one.
Maybe it's my fault. I can't sympathize with Manhattan party animals and women who postpone their suicide because they will get a Berkin bag in six month. I couldn't empathize with Bette either. Though Lauren broke her spine over convincing us how Bette adjusted to the world of PR, to me, she looked as if she had no idea what the hell she was doing there. I kept reading only because I thought and hoped for the love story to swap me off my feat. Sorry, it didn't.
The only bright point is Bette's gay uncle and his partner. The two of them are hilarious, intelligent and sophisticated. Her parents were interesting as well, a couple of anti-globalization hippies.
(Is there something wrong with me for preferring alternative social groups over the pop mainstream?)
I understand that someone is fond of books like this, but I really feel like I could have used the time better. I didn't like it, but you might if you were a fan of The Devil wears Prada. Ah. Try it yourself is the only sensible conclusion here."
"Full disclosure: I went into this with a hatred of chick-lit. I had enjoyed the guilty pleasure of The Nanny Diaries, and when my best friend told me she secretly loved chick-lit, I decided to give it a try. My first attempt (from her bookshelf) was deplorable, but I liked The Devil Wears Prada film, so I decided to give the genre a second try.
This book was unbelievably terrible. The shallow, self-absorbed main character, whom we're supposed to believe is interesting enough for everyone to follow her life in the newspaper and qualified enough for her Fabulous job. (And also, women everywhere in Weisberger's world, even highly educated and qualified ones, want Fabulous jobs in fashion and entertainment) The staunch homophobia, with only truly flaming homosexual characters (and all effete men being secretly homosexual) was what really turned me off from this book.
"Oh God! This book is an absolute YAWN! I expected more from the author of the famous 'The Devil Wears Prada' novel, but sadly I was very, very disappointed! The story simply does not live up to the excitement conjured up by the synopsis...nope, not at all! Foremost, the author chose to dwell (quite long, in fact) on Bette's boring bank job....for four chapters!....before she finally came to her senses and says, "I quit!" Gosh...why four long chapters worth of this? Everyone knows a bank job is boring, why keep hammering it into the reader? And I know this is a work of fiction, but at least try to be realistic! There is no such thing as a bank that enforces a 'Employees must eat only at their desks' policy! Didn't Weisberger at least research on labor laws to portray something more believable? The author used nearly one-fourth of the book to explain Bette's pathetic situation, when I could have just described it in a sentence and still would have driven the point across just the same - Bette, single and has no current boyfriend, is in her late twenties, quits her bank job, and had to use the help of her famous columnist Uncle to find a PR job (owned by Kelly who used to be her Uncle's personal assistant...so it was a 'favor', basically!). Ta dah! I just summarized 60 pages worth of text! Now on to the exciting part about working in a PR firm and having celebrities as clientele, tackling the paparazzi, and partying like crazy but with no guilt due to the generosity of the 'Black Amex Cardholders'! But wait? Do I really begin to get excited? Unfortunately...NO. Everyone Worth Knowing portrays a similar plot to 'The Devil Wears Prada', although there is no evil boss (whom critics have hinted seems to portray Anna Wintour, the current editor-in-chief of Vogue, and, perhaps due to this publicity, Ms. Weisberger mentions her name in this novel..."Vogue? You think I'm in any way equipped or qualified to work for that editor in chief - what's her name?"), Bette's boss, Kelly, still takes advantage of Bette's paparazzi publicity to help her company. Another formula taken from the Prada book is Bette's appearance for the PR role. She is dressed completely wrong for the job, but there are a few chapters spent on her transformation from the Gap, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor outfits to the famous designer labels. And ofcourse, by the end of the story, we find Bette walking away from it all...the glitz, the glamour, the famous playboy boyfriend, and the designer labels. Anyone interested reading this book please do yourself a favor and just skip it because this Weisberger novel is simply NOT worth knowing."
"I have a hard time putting an audio book on my "Read" shelf - but what the hell.
I find that I will listen to books that I don't necessarily want to read. This book is a prime example. I read Weisberger's first book and liked it well enough. This is her second and it has the same feel as the first. Well meaning girl gets caught up in glamor lifestyle - Has a melt down - repents - gets love.
I think this book would have really annoyed me to read - but for some reason - having it read to me by Eliza Dushku while flying down the freeways to work everyday in my car made the book really enjoyable. I even found myself lamenting not being able to hurry up and finish last night when I was on the second to last disc on the way home and the story was hitting it's pinnacle. I guess that means I liked it."
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