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The Devil Wears Prada #1
The Devil Wears Prada
A delightfully dishy novel about the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses.
Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job “a million girls would die for.” Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA gives a rich and hilarious new meaning to complaints about “The Boss from Hell.” Narrated in Andrea’s smart, refreshingly disarming voice, it traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda’s children in Paris by private jet, to locating an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, Andrea is sorely tested each and every day—and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.
Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job “a million girls would die for.” Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA gives a rich and hilarious new meaning to complaints about “The Boss from Hell.” Narrated in Andrea’s smart, refreshingly disarming voice, it traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda’s children in Paris by private jet, to locating an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, Andrea is sorely tested each and every day—and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2003
About the author
Lauren Weisberger
26 books5,563 followersLauren Weisberger is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of When Life Gives You Lululemons, The Singles Game, Revenge Wears Prada, Last Night at Chateau Marmont, Chasing Harry Winston, Everyone Worth Knowing, and The Devil Wears Prada--most of which were top five bestsellers. The Devil Wears Prada was published in forty languages and made into a major motion picture starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Elton John and Paul Rudnick are adapting it for the stage. Weisberger’s books have sold more than thirteen million copies worldwide. A graduate of Cornell University, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children.
Lauren's new book, WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY will be available May 18th, 2021!
Lauren's new book, WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY will be available May 18th, 2021!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 11,048 reviews
December 10, 2020
The movie was too good.
Aka, there was a huuuuuuuge gulf between the book and the film.
I kept thinking: maybe the beginning was just slow? Maybe the middle needed a bit more time?
The main character (Andrea) is so wholly irredeemable that she ruins the book.
Sure, she sacrifices her a few years for Miranda (ha! name buddies) Priestly but Andrea whines her way through every little task and I lost all sympathy within the first chapter.
Her derision towards anyone who takes their fashion job seriously and her dismissal of everyone who isn't Miranda Priestley really struck a nerve. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their peers.
The way she berated the other girls and acted so above them (often showing this by eating the calorie-laden soup in front of them) just struck my last nerve.
And yes, Miranda is supposed to be the bad character but I liked her so much more than Andrea.
Miranda's only real fault is her high exceptions. Which she clearly spells out for every assistant who applies for her job. Yes, those expectations include enough work for two people...BUT all the girls who apply continuously assure her that they can take on the workload.
The absolute worst part? The rapey love triangle that almost was:
There's the saintly boyfriend who put up with Andrea's neglect and obsession with this job. They're practically set to get married after she finishes with Miranda Priestly.
Yet, Andrea constantly pulls away from him and ignores him for no other reason than 'her career is stressful.' I was so mad that she was deliberately screwing up a good thing.
Enter the Hot Rich Writer Guy who just may be interested in her writing (but more likely just wants to screw her). It had an overall scummy vibe.
Example: Andrea was called in to "babysit" the couple's child at their party. ..which really was HotGuy calling in a favor and forcing her on a date as his "babysitter" for the night.
So this Sleezeball traps her into a conversation on her way out - blocking her way out.
He's drunk, beligerant and keeps insisting she wants him:
The way the scene was playing, I was 80% sure we were headed to a rape scene.
The whole chapter gave off an ominous vibe and I honestly thought that was going to be her getting at least assaulted by drunk HotGuy. He's inebriated, he manipulated the entire evening to force her hand...despite her telling him repeatedly that she has boyfriend. She repeatedly says that he's used to getting exactly what he wants...was it really that far of a leap?
What killed me was despite all that, she finds him charming? Are. You. Kidding. Me. Andrea this is not flirting. Girl. This is a honking huge red flag.
Run.
Aka, there was a huuuuuuuge gulf between the book and the film.
I kept thinking: maybe the beginning was just slow? Maybe the middle needed a bit more time?
Despite all my deep breaths and meditation, I could not stand this book.
The main character (Andrea) is so wholly irredeemable that she ruins the book.
Sure, she sacrifices her a few years for Miranda (ha! name buddies) Priestly but Andrea whines her way through every little task and I lost all sympathy within the first chapter.
Her derision towards anyone who takes their fashion job seriously and her dismissal of everyone who isn't Miranda Priestley really struck a nerve. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their peers.
The way she berated the other girls and acted so above them (often showing this by eating the calorie-laden soup in front of them) just struck my last nerve.
And yes, Miranda is supposed to be the bad character but I liked her so much more than Andrea.
Miranda's only real fault is her high exceptions. Which she clearly spells out for every assistant who applies for her job. Yes, those expectations include enough work for two people...BUT all the girls who apply continuously assure her that they can take on the workload.
The absolute worst part? The rapey love triangle that almost was:
There's the saintly boyfriend who put up with Andrea's neglect and obsession with this job. They're practically set to get married after she finishes with Miranda Priestly.
Yet, Andrea constantly pulls away from him and ignores him for no other reason than 'her career is stressful.' I was so mad that she was deliberately screwing up a good thing.
Enter the Hot Rich Writer Guy who just may be interested in her writing (but more likely just wants to screw her). It had an overall scummy vibe.
Example: Andrea was called in to "babysit" the couple's child at their party. ..which really was HotGuy calling in a favor and forcing her on a date as his "babysitter" for the night.
So this Sleezeball traps her into a conversation on her way out - blocking her way out.
He's drunk, beligerant and keeps insisting she wants him:
He was leaning up against the frame with a smugly satisfied expression. "So little Andi, did I show you a good time tonight? "
He slurred just a little bit and it seemed nothing short of adorable at that moment.
"It was alright, I suppose..."
"Just alright? Sounds to me like you wish I would've taken you upstairs little Andi. All in good time my friend, all in good time "
The way the scene was playing, I was 80% sure we were headed to a rape scene.
The whole chapter gave off an ominous vibe and I honestly thought that was going to be her getting at least assaulted by drunk HotGuy. He's inebriated, he manipulated the entire evening to force her hand...despite her telling him repeatedly that she has boyfriend. She repeatedly says that he's used to getting exactly what he wants...was it really that far of a leap?
What killed me was despite all that, she finds him charming? Are. You. Kidding. Me. Andrea this is not flirting. Girl. This is a honking huge red flag.
Run.
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August 5, 2015
3.5 stars
In Defense of Miranda Priestly
The premise of this novel as most know it is OMG, my boss is a total dragon lady!!!, but I think that is both an unfair assumption and oversimplification. Little background is given of the title character other than she grew up in a lower class family, changed her name, and worked her way up the corporate ladder to her current position as editor-in-chief. The audience isn’t given much more than that to round out her character, though Meryl Streep gives her depth in the movie adaptation—which isn’t saying much since Streep could star in the biography of a paper bag and still win an Oscar. #Queen
Instead, we seeAnna Wintour Miranda Priestly through the doe eyes of Andrea “Andy” Sachs, who doesn’t realize that perhaps she is the real antagonist of the novel. Through her own confession she has no clue about the company nor her potential boss when she takes on the role of Miranda’s 2nd assistant, nor does she seem to really care. While her coworkers at Runway are said to be vapid and stuck up, they have a much better work ethic than the lazy Andy who complains about every part of her job (except all the perks, of which there are plenty). She is ungrateful for the experience and the contacts she gains while doing Miranda’s errands, instead she focuses on moaning about having to actually earn her dues. I see her as an unreliable narrator since nearly all of her commentary comes from the place of entitlement.
Priestly is cast as the villain because she is difficult and demands efficiency, though one could argue that this book wouldn’t be given nearly the mileage or popularity if the accusations hurled against her were by a male main character instead of speshul snowflake Andy. There is a trope in modern culture that women in leadership positions have to fight double standards for acting the same way as their male counterparts, and this is never touched upon in the novel. Can Miranda be cold and condescending at times? Yes, however it is important to understand how much she has accomplished, her worth to the magazine and the fashion world, and the respect she has garnered in the industry. She wouldn’t have gotten where she was if she didn’t have talent and gumption.
If there’s an unlikeable character here, it’s unappreciative Andy who doesn’t like that she has to live outside the bubble she grew up in. While she keeps being reminded that hers is a job that “a million girls would die for” and that working for Miranda for a year would save her 3-5 years of experience elsewhere, she decides to blow up at her boss in the 11th hour. While the author was probably looking for the audience to cheer at the childish outburst of “Fuck you, Miranda. Fuck you.” (p. 342) and the resulting flouncing from Paris, I found this tantrum to be déclassé and further proof of Andy’s wanton unprofessionalism.
In Defense of Miranda Priestly
The premise of this novel as most know it is OMG, my boss is a total dragon lady!!!, but I think that is both an unfair assumption and oversimplification. Little background is given of the title character other than she grew up in a lower class family, changed her name, and worked her way up the corporate ladder to her current position as editor-in-chief. The audience isn’t given much more than that to round out her character, though Meryl Streep gives her depth in the movie adaptation—which isn’t saying much since Streep could star in the biography of a paper bag and still win an Oscar. #Queen
Instead, we see
Priestly is cast as the villain because she is difficult and demands efficiency, though one could argue that this book wouldn’t be given nearly the mileage or popularity if the accusations hurled against her were by a male main character instead of speshul snowflake Andy. There is a trope in modern culture that women in leadership positions have to fight double standards for acting the same way as their male counterparts, and this is never touched upon in the novel. Can Miranda be cold and condescending at times? Yes, however it is important to understand how much she has accomplished, her worth to the magazine and the fashion world, and the respect she has garnered in the industry. She wouldn’t have gotten where she was if she didn’t have talent and gumption.
If there’s an unlikeable character here, it’s unappreciative Andy who doesn’t like that she has to live outside the bubble she grew up in. While she keeps being reminded that hers is a job that “a million girls would die for” and that working for Miranda for a year would save her 3-5 years of experience elsewhere, she decides to blow up at her boss in the 11th hour. While the author was probably looking for the audience to cheer at the childish outburst of “Fuck you, Miranda. Fuck you.” (p. 342) and the resulting flouncing from Paris, I found this tantrum to be déclassé and further proof of Andy’s wanton unprofessionalism.
January 29, 2008
God have mercy, I finally finished this horrific book! Honestly, it wasn't so bad, just tedious and repetitive. I picked it because (a) the movie was coming out and (b) I recognized the title as a popular book, albeit a couple years ago. The premise to the book is that a young woman takes a Junior Assistant position at a high-fashion magazine and the She-Devil who runs the show. The movie had the same premise, but that's practically where the similarities end.
Andrea Sachs takes the job, even though her dream job is an Editor position for the New Yorker Magazine, with the promise of getting said dream job much easier after devoting a year of her life to Miranda Priestly (the She-Devil). One year is all it'll take to bypass several years of grovelling, or so she is led to believe. But the year is spent instead in the most belittling, degrading and de-humanizing environment that, frankly, pissed me off more than the main character.
If you've seen the movie, dont' think you know the book. Meryl Streep is overly demanding, despicable, and down-right evil to snarky, quirky Anne Hathaway. Eventually Anne's character loses her fashion victim status and transforms into one of her dreaded Clackers. She reaches a point where she understands Meryl's character -- even sympathizes but makes a break when enough's enough.
Andrea, instead, distances herself from the fashionistas, makes futile spiteful jabs at Miranda and Co. at every chance, and still loses herself. She doesn't become the trendy girl (not until she's far from the scene) but does lose her identity by placing the needs of a neurotic insomniac before herself, her friends, and her family. The book delves into her relationships on a completely differnt level (actually the movie doesn't even touch them). Let's do a short list of comparisions, shall we?
The book
Andrea has a steady boyfriend Ales, and lives with her best friend from childhood, Lily
Takes the job because it's the only magazine in New York that offered an interview
Puts her personal life on hold to be the beck-and-call girl for a Bitch
Meets a hot writer who is totally jonesing for her and offers her several opportunities to, ahem improve her social standing
She kinda ignores her failing love life and her best friend's alcohol addiction until it's too late to reverse either
Goes to Paris with Miranda because the Sr. Assistant gets Mono
When is Paris she gets the call that her best friend's drinking caused a terrible accident and she must come home
Finally has her fill and tells Miranda off, then gets fired
Kinda blah ending in which she gets freelance work and gets to waltz back into the Runway office for a potential writing assignment
The movie
Andrea lives with her boyfriend, and has a small group of friends, one of which happens to be a black girl we could assume is Lily
Takes the job because it was available
Puts her personal life on hold to be the beck-and-call girl for a Bitch
Meets a hot writer who keeps popping up in her life when she desperately needs help and a little pick me up, flirt-wise
Her boyfriend eventually gets fed up and sorta calls for a 'break'
Goes to Paris with Miranda because the Sr. Assistant gets hit by a car and is then fired (by Andrea) because her mind is too adled when sick at an event to immediately recall a guest's name
Discovers a plot to overthrow Miranda (after she recently viewed a vunerable side) and does her best to warn her, only to learn Miranda knew all along and didn't need her help. This is when she decides she's had enough and litterally walks off the job
Happy ending ensues with her getting a crap job and, unknowingly is seen by Miranda, who approves of her own fashion sense
If I had read the book then saw the movie, I think I would have been pissed off at the screenwriters. As it was, I did the opposite, but am still pissed. I thought the book sucked large portions of ass. There was quite a bit that was humorous, I'll grant you and the author that much, but it was so repetitive when describing her tasks (which I guess was the point) that I simply felt beat down. Gotta give that to her: she did know how to make her readers relate to her misery.
Did I like the book? No.
Would I read another by her? Not likely.
Would I recommend the book to others? Not a chance. Go rent the movie and at least laugh at it all.
April 4, 2022
The Devil Wears Prada (The Devil Wears Prada #1), Lauren Weisberger
The Devil Wears Prada, is a 2003 best-selling novel, by Lauren Weisberger, about a young woman who is hired as a personal assistant to a powerful fashion magazine editor, a job that becomes nightmarish as she struggles to keep up with her boss's grueling schedule, and demeaning demands. It became the basis for the 2006 film with the same name, starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt. The novel is considered by many to be an example of the "chick lit" genre.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و یکم ماه آگوست سال2014میلادی
عنوان: شیطان پرادا میپوشد؛ نویسنده: لورن ویزبرگر؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده21م
رمان «شیطان پرادا میپوشد» در ژانر ادبیات زنانه، نوشته ی «لورن و��زبرگر» است، که در سال2003میلادی منتشر شد، و به پیروزی تجاری رسید؛ گفته میشود این رمان الهام گرفته از واقعیت است؛ در «شیطان پرادا میپوشد» دختری به نام «اندی ساچز» (بازیگرش در فیلم «آن هاتاوی») که تازه در رشته روزنامه نگاری فارغ التحصیل شده، معاون سردبیر پرنفوذترین مجله ی مد «نیویورک»، به نام «ران اوی» میشود، به این امید که پس از یکسال کار در آن مجله بتواند، به طور جدی به روزنامه نگاری بپردازد، و در نشریه ای همانند «نیویورکر» کاری دست و پا کند؛ شغلی که از سر خوش شانسی، یا ذکاوت به چنگ آورده، همان چیزی هست که میلیو��ها دختر همسن و سال او، آرزویش را دارند؛ او دستیاری خانم «میراندا پریستلی» شده، که دست کمی از یک امپراتور ندارد، و همه، از زیردستان گرفته، تا اهالی صنعت، و حتی رقبا، از او حساب میبرند؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 08/03/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ 14/01/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The Devil Wears Prada, is a 2003 best-selling novel, by Lauren Weisberger, about a young woman who is hired as a personal assistant to a powerful fashion magazine editor, a job that becomes nightmarish as she struggles to keep up with her boss's grueling schedule, and demeaning demands. It became the basis for the 2006 film with the same name, starring Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt. The novel is considered by many to be an example of the "chick lit" genre.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیست و یکم ماه آگوست سال2014میلادی
عنوان: شیطان پرادا میپوشد؛ نویسنده: لورن ویزبرگر؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده21م
رمان «شیطان پرادا میپوشد» در ژانر ادبیات زنانه، نوشته ی «لورن و��زبرگر» است، که در سال2003میلادی منتشر شد، و به پیروزی تجاری رسید؛ گفته میشود این رمان الهام گرفته از واقعیت است؛ در «شیطان پرادا میپوشد» دختری به نام «اندی ساچز» (بازیگرش در فیلم «آن هاتاوی») که تازه در رشته روزنامه نگاری فارغ التحصیل شده، معاون سردبیر پرنفوذترین مجله ی مد «نیویورک»، به نام «ران اوی» میشود، به این امید که پس از یکسال کار در آن مجله بتواند، به طور جدی به روزنامه نگاری بپردازد، و در نشریه ای همانند «نیویورکر» کاری دست و پا کند؛ شغلی که از سر خوش شانسی، یا ذکاوت به چنگ آورده، همان چیزی هست که میلیو��ها دختر همسن و سال او، آرزویش را دارند؛ او دستیاری خانم «میراندا پریستلی» شده، که دست کمی از یک امپراتور ندارد، و همه، از زیردستان گرفته، تا اهالی صنعت، و حتی رقبا، از او حساب میبرند؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 08/03/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ 14/01/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
September 21, 2007
This is one of the only books I have ever read in my entire life where the film actually improved my perception. It took me about three years to read this, and the only reason I ever finished it was because everyone else seemed to think it was so great, I thought I must be missing something.
I am generally bothered by books and films wherein the main character is offered an incredible opportunity, but because they are worried they are sacrificing themselves, they toss it out the window. (I am willing to add the film "What a Girl Wants" to this general category). I had no sympathy for the lead character in this novel... if she had true sense of self, she could keep her job while not becoming her boss.
While I realize that these stories are supposed to be inspirational tales of right triumphing, I always feel vaguely disgusted when I finish them-- to a great extent, they remind me of what we are told at the beginning of law school. If you go into your first year with good morals, an awareness of right and wrong, and a need to help people, you can come out of law school and make a difference, despite the grueling courses and backstabbing classmates. If, however, you are scum, law school will refine your techniques.
If the heroine in Prada was truly strong, she would not have had to sell her soul, she could have kept the job and realised it was just that... A JOB.
Just plain disappointing. Do yourself a favour... if you feel you MUST muddle through this, rent the movie. Streep plays a truly inspired bitch.
I am generally bothered by books and films wherein the main character is offered an incredible opportunity, but because they are worried they are sacrificing themselves, they toss it out the window. (I am willing to add the film "What a Girl Wants" to this general category). I had no sympathy for the lead character in this novel... if she had true sense of self, she could keep her job while not becoming her boss.
While I realize that these stories are supposed to be inspirational tales of right triumphing, I always feel vaguely disgusted when I finish them-- to a great extent, they remind me of what we are told at the beginning of law school. If you go into your first year with good morals, an awareness of right and wrong, and a need to help people, you can come out of law school and make a difference, despite the grueling courses and backstabbing classmates. If, however, you are scum, law school will refine your techniques.
If the heroine in Prada was truly strong, she would not have had to sell her soul, she could have kept the job and realised it was just that... A JOB.
Just plain disappointing. Do yourself a favour... if you feel you MUST muddle through this, rent the movie. Streep plays a truly inspired bitch.
May 1, 2023
Although an interesting comical expose of the world of fashion publishing, far too long and repetitive. A very good example of choosing a great book title :). 4 out of 12, Two Star read...
2009 read
2009 read
August 10, 2016
I read this a few years ago, and still remember what a rollicking good ride it was. I was mesmerized by the horror. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. In a good way, that is. I'm sure there's a good way to watch a train wreck if we think about it long enough.
In the interest of full disclosure, I spent several years in what we shall charitably call the fashion industry. So young, insecure, underpaid, working for creative tyrants, living on coffee and celery, and not being able to afford the clothes one must wear (and loves) whilst working 12 - 14 hour shifts are familiar memories from my younger days. So is fear of boss after boss after boss. Abject fear. if there was ever a time in your life when you worked in high-end retail or designer fashions, this one's for you.
I likely will never read another Weisberger novel. I generally eschew chick lit and whiny protagonists. But The Devil Wears Prada was a 5-star read for me.
In the interest of full disclosure, I spent several years in what we shall charitably call the fashion industry. So young, insecure, underpaid, working for creative tyrants, living on coffee and celery, and not being able to afford the clothes one must wear (and loves) whilst working 12 - 14 hour shifts are familiar memories from my younger days. So is fear of boss after boss after boss. Abject fear. if there was ever a time in your life when you worked in high-end retail or designer fashions, this one's for you.
I likely will never read another Weisberger novel. I generally eschew chick lit and whiny protagonists. But The Devil Wears Prada was a 5-star read for me.
March 17, 2021
As everyone knows, the book is almost always better than the movie. But there are a small number of books that are not as good as the movie. I keep a rolling list on my profile page (I think about this question more than a person should) but they generally fall into three categories: great books turned into all-time masterpiece-level movies, solid books turned into great movies, and flawed books turned into good movies. You can probably guess why I’m bringing this list up here. 😄 The only question is which category The Devil Wears Prada falls into.
Andrea Sachs is hired to work as a personal assistant for Miranda Priestly, fashion magazine editor extraordinaire. You would think that only a moron would fail to notice all the clues that Miranda is a super-demanding, difficult boss. Andrea is not a moron, yet she misses them anyway. Andrea hates the job, and considers it beneath her, but she doesn’t quit. Instead, she just chooses to do her job poorly, which only results in more friction with Miranda and the other assistant, Emily.
And ... that’s most of the book. Some of the scenes are funny, but overall it gets repetitive. I’d assumed that the book would end with Andrea taking down Miranda in some kind of 9-to-5 revenge scenario, or with Andrea either persevering through the job or realizing what she really wants and leaving the job on her own terms. Neither happens. Instead, just when Andrea has made a decision about her future, she gets mad about one thing and makes the opposite choice in a fit of anger.
The Devil Wears Prada is apparently based on the author’s real-life experience working as an assistant for Anna Wintour at Vogue. What’s odd is that you would expect that the author would have written her stand-in character in a positive light. But Andrea is whiny. She’s not a good girlfriend to Alex, her boyfriend of three years. She’s not a good friend to Lily, her best friend and roommate. Andrea is a ridiculously unsympathetic character. So I guess the author gets points for portraying a version of herself in an unflattering light?
Meanwhile, the movie takes this strange, flawed story and spins it into something much better. Miranda is portrayed as an actual person. Andrea is earnest and hardworking, and grows as a character over the course of the movie. Andrea’s ultimate decision about Miranda is considered, not rash, and makes sense. Plus, the movie has national treasure Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt. So, while the book is not recommended, the movie is breezy fun and well worth watching.
Andrea Sachs is hired to work as a personal assistant for Miranda Priestly, fashion magazine editor extraordinaire. You would think that only a moron would fail to notice all the clues that Miranda is a super-demanding, difficult boss. Andrea is not a moron, yet she misses them anyway. Andrea hates the job, and considers it beneath her, but she doesn’t quit. Instead, she just chooses to do her job poorly, which only results in more friction with Miranda and the other assistant, Emily.
And ... that’s most of the book. Some of the scenes are funny, but overall it gets repetitive. I’d assumed that the book would end with Andrea taking down Miranda in some kind of 9-to-5 revenge scenario, or with Andrea either persevering through the job or realizing what she really wants and leaving the job on her own terms. Neither happens. Instead, just when Andrea has made a decision about her future, she gets mad about one thing and makes the opposite choice in a fit of anger.
The Devil Wears Prada is apparently based on the author’s real-life experience working as an assistant for Anna Wintour at Vogue. What’s odd is that you would expect that the author would have written her stand-in character in a positive light. But Andrea is whiny. She’s not a good girlfriend to Alex, her boyfriend of three years. She’s not a good friend to Lily, her best friend and roommate. Andrea is a ridiculously unsympathetic character. So I guess the author gets points for portraying a version of herself in an unflattering light?
Meanwhile, the movie takes this strange, flawed story and spins it into something much better. Miranda is portrayed as an actual person. Andrea is earnest and hardworking, and grows as a character over the course of the movie. Andrea’s ultimate decision about Miranda is considered, not rash, and makes sense. Plus, the movie has national treasure Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt. So, while the book is not recommended, the movie is breezy fun and well worth watching.
October 30, 2007
A woman came up to me while I was reading this book and said, "Oh, how is that book? I've been meaning to read it." I answered, "Um, well, it's kind of fun." She raised her eyebrows at me. "I see." I added, "I wouldn't pay full price for it. I got it on sale for, like, a dollar." She nodded as she began to walk away, "Okay, I know what you're saying."
I can explain more if you still feel like reading this book. Honestly, I won't stop you from reading The Devil Wears Prada, I just don't suggest you push off absolutely everything else in order to do it. There are many, many more worthy books.
The main character, Andrea/Andy, is just really not likeable. I wish she was. I kept trying to see her point of view. But she really bothered me. She had a great opportunity to get into the publishing business, fashion business, or whatever else. She just had to hold out for a year. Fine, she's getting four or five hours of sleep a night. I really don't care. Fine, her boss is ridiculous. But Andrea defiantly sighs at her to show her how she feels, which really, just makes her a big baby. I didn't like a lot of the people I worked for, but if you're a hardworker, you're not going to huff and puff to prove your point that all of this is beneath you. You're going to suck it up and do it. Andrea acts like the super expensive, fashionable clothes that everybody wears are ridiculous, and yes, she sells what she has at the end, but she also puts down Franco Sarto shoes and Ann Taylor (or was it Express?), which made Andy pretty hard to relate to since most people reading the book are probably wearing those things. She doesn't treat her best friend well the entire time, which okay, sometimes these things get left behind when you're busy, but come on, she was an alcoholic. Pull it together, Andy, and be a friend. And when she tells off Miranda at the end, God, I really think the author was going for that whole, Yeah, sock it to her, Andy! thing, but that's really not how I felt. I wanted to tell Andy to grow up. Wouldn't a decent person and adult have said, "Look, Miranda, my friend has been in an accident. I'm sorry if you want me to stay, but I have to go." Which, okay, that's not the best ending either, but really, don't bring up the whole friend in an accident thing, and then have Andy blow up and quit because she couldn't get Miranda's two kids some passports. (Yes, I understand that in the back of her head Andy was probably upset about her friend, but that really didn't come out at all.) There's a lot more to complain about, but really, do I have to say anything else?
Weak.
I can explain more if you still feel like reading this book. Honestly, I won't stop you from reading The Devil Wears Prada, I just don't suggest you push off absolutely everything else in order to do it. There are many, many more worthy books.
The main character, Andrea/Andy, is just really not likeable. I wish she was. I kept trying to see her point of view. But she really bothered me. She had a great opportunity to get into the publishing business, fashion business, or whatever else. She just had to hold out for a year. Fine, she's getting four or five hours of sleep a night. I really don't care. Fine, her boss is ridiculous. But Andrea defiantly sighs at her to show her how she feels, which really, just makes her a big baby. I didn't like a lot of the people I worked for, but if you're a hardworker, you're not going to huff and puff to prove your point that all of this is beneath you. You're going to suck it up and do it. Andrea acts like the super expensive, fashionable clothes that everybody wears are ridiculous, and yes, she sells what she has at the end, but she also puts down Franco Sarto shoes and Ann Taylor (or was it Express?), which made Andy pretty hard to relate to since most people reading the book are probably wearing those things. She doesn't treat her best friend well the entire time, which okay, sometimes these things get left behind when you're busy, but come on, she was an alcoholic. Pull it together, Andy, and be a friend. And when she tells off Miranda at the end, God, I really think the author was going for that whole, Yeah, sock it to her, Andy! thing, but that's really not how I felt. I wanted to tell Andy to grow up. Wouldn't a decent person and adult have said, "Look, Miranda, my friend has been in an accident. I'm sorry if you want me to stay, but I have to go." Which, okay, that's not the best ending either, but really, don't bring up the whole friend in an accident thing, and then have Andy blow up and quit because she couldn't get Miranda's two kids some passports. (Yes, I understand that in the back of her head Andy was probably upset about her friend, but that really didn't come out at all.) There's a lot more to complain about, but really, do I have to say anything else?
Weak.
November 13, 2018
“Millions of girls would die for this job”
OK, I know what you’re saying, “you’re that knuckle dragging redneck from Tennessee, what’re YOU doing reading about high fashion in New York and Paris”???
Fair question. I’d say it’s important to read different books, try on diverse genres from talented writers I’ve never explored before, think outside the box. My wife bought the 2006 David Frankel film starring Meryl Streep and I’ve seen it multiple times and liked it. The book seemed interesting, fresh and vibrant.
And it was. Lauren Weisberger’s prose is witty and endearing, funny but also poignant. I liked her erudite use of language, she can turn a phrase with the best of them.
For any out there who don’t know what this is all about, quick summary: college grad with aspirations of being a writer lucks into “the dream job” as the personal assistant to the editor of Runway magazine, a thinly disguised roman e clef about Vogue magazine and Weisberger’s time there. Most notably it is about her off-the-charts difficult boss, Miranda Priestly.
Fans of the film, and especially of Streep’s superb portrayal of Miranda (she was nominated for an Oscar but that award went to Helen Mirren) will know about the diabolically aloof and condescending editor. But Streep’s performance and Frankel’s direction gave us a more human character. For all her cold heartedness, Streep’s Miranda is ultimately approachable and strangely likeable. Weisberger’s Miranda is a Nietzschean machine, ruthless to the core, reminiscent of Jack London’s Death Larson (the more purely evil brother to Wolf Larson).
Ironically, Weisberger’s Andy is not as likeable. While Anne Hathaway’s role gave us a vulnerable and dynamic portrayal, Weisberger’s protagonist is not just seduced by a demanding job with a domineering boss, but she is demonstrably self-centered to boot. And the whining about the fashion job got old by the end of the novel making me want to scream “fer Chistsakes either work or quit!”
More than the surface story, though, this book made me wonder about our propensity towards hero worship. Why do we put up with arrogance and pitilessness? Weisberger notes how teenage girls (and grown women) fall over themselves for Miranda, Runway and fashion in general. Why? And guys, you’re not off the hook either. How many boys and men (and men who act like boys) will damn near grovel for sports stars? For all the ridiculous sums paid for a Louis Vuitton product, how many testosterone and beer soaked males drop big bucks for tickets and sports apparel? Why would we stand in line and pay hard earned money to people who care nothing for us and don’t even pretend to?
Weisberger also makes me think about and question our work ethic. Andy’s new job takes all of her time and energy and causes riffs in her relationships with family and friends. Certainly work and a career is vitally important, but so are bonds of affection and through Andy we can get a glimpse at priority and what is important.
Good book.
OK, I know what you’re saying, “you’re that knuckle dragging redneck from Tennessee, what’re YOU doing reading about high fashion in New York and Paris”???
Fair question. I’d say it’s important to read different books, try on diverse genres from talented writers I’ve never explored before, think outside the box. My wife bought the 2006 David Frankel film starring Meryl Streep and I’ve seen it multiple times and liked it. The book seemed interesting, fresh and vibrant.
And it was. Lauren Weisberger’s prose is witty and endearing, funny but also poignant. I liked her erudite use of language, she can turn a phrase with the best of them.
For any out there who don’t know what this is all about, quick summary: college grad with aspirations of being a writer lucks into “the dream job” as the personal assistant to the editor of Runway magazine, a thinly disguised roman e clef about Vogue magazine and Weisberger’s time there. Most notably it is about her off-the-charts difficult boss, Miranda Priestly.
Fans of the film, and especially of Streep’s superb portrayal of Miranda (she was nominated for an Oscar but that award went to Helen Mirren) will know about the diabolically aloof and condescending editor. But Streep’s performance and Frankel’s direction gave us a more human character. For all her cold heartedness, Streep’s Miranda is ultimately approachable and strangely likeable. Weisberger’s Miranda is a Nietzschean machine, ruthless to the core, reminiscent of Jack London’s Death Larson (the more purely evil brother to Wolf Larson).
Ironically, Weisberger’s Andy is not as likeable. While Anne Hathaway’s role gave us a vulnerable and dynamic portrayal, Weisberger’s protagonist is not just seduced by a demanding job with a domineering boss, but she is demonstrably self-centered to boot. And the whining about the fashion job got old by the end of the novel making me want to scream “fer Chistsakes either work or quit!”
More than the surface story, though, this book made me wonder about our propensity towards hero worship. Why do we put up with arrogance and pitilessness? Weisberger notes how teenage girls (and grown women) fall over themselves for Miranda, Runway and fashion in general. Why? And guys, you’re not off the hook either. How many boys and men (and men who act like boys) will damn near grovel for sports stars? For all the ridiculous sums paid for a Louis Vuitton product, how many testosterone and beer soaked males drop big bucks for tickets and sports apparel? Why would we stand in line and pay hard earned money to people who care nothing for us and don’t even pretend to?
Weisberger also makes me think about and question our work ethic. Andy’s new job takes all of her time and energy and causes riffs in her relationships with family and friends. Certainly work and a career is vitally important, but so are bonds of affection and through Andy we can get a glimpse at priority and what is important.
Good book.
February 6, 2018
Should've skipped the reread.
October 15, 2007
this book blows. it's poorly written, the author uses the same words over and over, characters just do things at random and don't seem to have identifiable personalities of their own. if i was still in 5th grade and decided to write a book about working at a fashion magazine when i'm all grown up, this is what it would be like. i hate that the girl who wrote this is probably a millionaire. i'd like to hit her with a rock. as far as i can figure, it gets one star because she bothered to type it instead of giving it to us in the original crayon on big white pieces of paper format.
January 26, 2021
It's been a long time since I've had a chance to add a new book to my "the movie is better" shelf, so at the very least, I owe The Devil Wears Prada credit for that.
(seriously, I could talk to the screenwriter of the movie for literally hours about the process of adapting the book and how she arrived at some of the brilliant choices she made)
I can't get over how night and day the two versions are. To show just one example: the character of Christian, in the book, functions purely as a temptation for Andy, teasing the reader with the threat that she'll cheat on her boyfriend (who, in the book, is so tooth-achingly perfect that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and find out that he's been having an affair the whole time or something). And she . But in the movie he actually has a function outside of just being the guy Andy might cheat on her boyfriend with - the book still has the challenge where Andy has to get a copy of an unpublished Harry Potter book for Miranda, but she just finds some rando at a publishing company to get it for her. Having Christian be the connection that gets her the book in the movie version was, frankly, a stroke of brilliance and I bet Lauren Weisberger is really mad that she didn't think of that.
The sad truth about The Devil Wears Prada is that it could have functioned perfectly well as an in-depth magazine article. Because ultimately, this novel is attempting to shine a light on the toxic work culture at Vogue, and specifically to show the world that Anna Wintour is straight-up abusive to her underlings. But when the book came out, all of that got lost as people just scrambled to read all the dirt about what it was like working inside the hallowed halls of one of the most influential fashion magazines running today. There were probably (and probably still are) plenty of garbage people who considered "Andy" ungrateful, and thought that she should be forced to pay her dues by working a shitty job for a shitty boss. What people lost sight of - including Weisberger herself, because she's mostly concerned about how her job affected her and isn't interested in seeing the bigger picture - is that no one should ever have to go through what Andy goes through in this book.
The sad thing is that I don't think Anna Wintour ever faced any significant backlash for how she's portrayed in this book. If anything, The Devil Wears Prada actually benefited Wintour, because it made her a household name. (We would not have The September Issue without The Devil Wears Prada) Which, when you think about it, is really fucked up: that Wintour became more famous thanks to a book that portrayed her, in no uncertain terms, as a horrible human being, and there were never any real consequences for all of that ugliness coming to light. There is almost certainly some girl at Vogue working today who performs all of Andy's former duties, but that person is probably an unpaid intern now.
And how did this all shake out for "Andy", aka Lauren Weisberger, who wanted to write for the New Yorker and scoffed at the idea of Vogue having "literary articles" (a skepticism that goes unchallenged in the book, because the screenwriters had to scrape five book characters together in order to create the movie's version of Nigel)? At the end of the book, Andy publishes a magazine article about a recent college grad who gets hired at a super demanding job, and almost loses herself in the process. Weisberger tries to lampshade this by having Andy's family joke about how closely this skews to her real life, but it seems to be a pretty accurate estimation of Weisberger's post-Prada career. A quick look at her author page shows that she managed to wring two sequels out of her star-making novel, and most of her other books seem to follow the same formula of a simple, good-hearted girl who gets swept up in a world of glitz and glamour that she's fully unprepared for.
For better or for worse, Weisberger has built her career off of that one terrible year she spent at Vogue. Anna Wintour made Weisberger's writing career, and Weisberger gave Wintour widespread fame. They deserve each other.
(seriously, I could talk to the screenwriter of the movie for literally hours about the process of adapting the book and how she arrived at some of the brilliant choices she made)
I can't get over how night and day the two versions are. To show just one example: the character of Christian, in the book, functions purely as a temptation for Andy, teasing the reader with the threat that she'll cheat on her boyfriend (who, in the book, is so tooth-achingly perfect that I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and find out that he's been having an affair the whole time or something). And she . But in the movie he actually has a function outside of just being the guy Andy might cheat on her boyfriend with - the book still has the challenge where Andy has to get a copy of an unpublished Harry Potter book for Miranda, but she just finds some rando at a publishing company to get it for her. Having Christian be the connection that gets her the book in the movie version was, frankly, a stroke of brilliance and I bet Lauren Weisberger is really mad that she didn't think of that.
The sad truth about The Devil Wears Prada is that it could have functioned perfectly well as an in-depth magazine article. Because ultimately, this novel is attempting to shine a light on the toxic work culture at Vogue, and specifically to show the world that Anna Wintour is straight-up abusive to her underlings. But when the book came out, all of that got lost as people just scrambled to read all the dirt about what it was like working inside the hallowed halls of one of the most influential fashion magazines running today. There were probably (and probably still are) plenty of garbage people who considered "Andy" ungrateful, and thought that she should be forced to pay her dues by working a shitty job for a shitty boss. What people lost sight of - including Weisberger herself, because she's mostly concerned about how her job affected her and isn't interested in seeing the bigger picture - is that no one should ever have to go through what Andy goes through in this book.
The sad thing is that I don't think Anna Wintour ever faced any significant backlash for how she's portrayed in this book. If anything, The Devil Wears Prada actually benefited Wintour, because it made her a household name. (We would not have The September Issue without The Devil Wears Prada) Which, when you think about it, is really fucked up: that Wintour became more famous thanks to a book that portrayed her, in no uncertain terms, as a horrible human being, and there were never any real consequences for all of that ugliness coming to light. There is almost certainly some girl at Vogue working today who performs all of Andy's former duties, but that person is probably an unpaid intern now.
And how did this all shake out for "Andy", aka Lauren Weisberger, who wanted to write for the New Yorker and scoffed at the idea of Vogue having "literary articles" (a skepticism that goes unchallenged in the book, because the screenwriters had to scrape five book characters together in order to create the movie's version of Nigel)? At the end of the book, Andy publishes a magazine article about a recent college grad who gets hired at a super demanding job, and almost loses herself in the process. Weisberger tries to lampshade this by having Andy's family joke about how closely this skews to her real life, but it seems to be a pretty accurate estimation of Weisberger's post-Prada career. A quick look at her author page shows that she managed to wring two sequels out of her star-making novel, and most of her other books seem to follow the same formula of a simple, good-hearted girl who gets swept up in a world of glitz and glamour that she's fully unprepared for.
For better or for worse, Weisberger has built her career off of that one terrible year she spent at Vogue. Anna Wintour made Weisberger's writing career, and Weisberger gave Wintour widespread fame. They deserve each other.
July 23, 2007
Not bad, I suppose—especially interesting when compared to the film adaptation, which I'd seen first.
The movie was no great shakes, really, although the cast did a solid job with what they'd been given. Still, I sought out the book because I felt that, as with most film adaptations, a lot of depth had probably been jettisoned, and rightly so, in the translation to the screen. After all, a novel can tackle a lot more than two hours of screen time can.
Imagine my surprise to find that the movie had more depth than the novel did. One of the most charming and fully-realized characters (relatively speaking, here) in the movie was nothing more than a throwaway gay joke in the book. And whereas there's growth and change among most of the major players in the movie, the novel pays only lip service to "your characters must change by the end of the book," and then only to the protagonist, whose "change" is telegraphed from page 1. The boss, the "devil" of the title, remains exactly the same from beginning to end—possibly intentionally, but I thought the Hollywood treatment of her, though formulaic, was more satisfying.
These things would have cheesed me off more if I hadn't discovered that the whole thing was written by a 22-year-old, because lord knows I never could have written something as impressive as this at that age, so I'm willing to cut a great deal of slack. And the truth is, it is an enjoyable read on a page-to-page basis, even if the whole book isn't altogether satisfying. Empty calories.
The movie was no great shakes, really, although the cast did a solid job with what they'd been given. Still, I sought out the book because I felt that, as with most film adaptations, a lot of depth had probably been jettisoned, and rightly so, in the translation to the screen. After all, a novel can tackle a lot more than two hours of screen time can.
Imagine my surprise to find that the movie had more depth than the novel did. One of the most charming and fully-realized characters (relatively speaking, here) in the movie was nothing more than a throwaway gay joke in the book. And whereas there's growth and change among most of the major players in the movie, the novel pays only lip service to "your characters must change by the end of the book," and then only to the protagonist, whose "change" is telegraphed from page 1. The boss, the "devil" of the title, remains exactly the same from beginning to end—possibly intentionally, but I thought the Hollywood treatment of her, though formulaic, was more satisfying.
These things would have cheesed me off more if I hadn't discovered that the whole thing was written by a 22-year-old, because lord knows I never could have written something as impressive as this at that age, so I'm willing to cut a great deal of slack. And the truth is, it is an enjoyable read on a page-to-page basis, even if the whole book isn't altogether satisfying. Empty calories.
August 18, 2007
The only reason I waste words on this piece of trash is that it holds the distinction of being THE WORST BOOK I EVER READ. The title was held previously (for a good 15 years previously) by "The Bridges of Madison County," and it took some DOING to surpass that awfulness.
I could write for three days about how much I hated this book. I still can't believe I finished it, and the only explanation I have is that it was kind of like not being able to look away from a trainwreck. Actually, "trainwreck" is a compliment to this thing. It assumes that it was, at some point, on track.
Not so. Bleah.
I could write for three days about how much I hated this book. I still can't believe I finished it, and the only explanation I have is that it was kind of like not being able to look away from a trainwreck. Actually, "trainwreck" is a compliment to this thing. It assumes that it was, at some point, on track.
Not so. Bleah.
July 22, 2021
2.5 Stars
The movie was far better. Yes. Way better.
The writing was more of a rant than a story. Irritating at times.
Andrea had the best job in the world, she worked as Miranda's Junior Assistant who made her life a living hell. She ran around fulfilling Miranda's absurd demands while charging everything to the office - her travels, coffee and food.
Emily, Miranda's Senior Assistant worships her boss for her position and power but sometimes even she takes a dab at her for being utterly irrational. Emily falls sick so Andrea had to fill in her place, it's there she realised that her job was not worth her other relations. Resigned and brought back all the expensive stuff which she later sells.
P.S. I can watch the movie a hundred times but wouldn't be able to read this book again. Nope. Never. The movie had its own charm and glamour which the book totally lacked.
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The movie was far better. Yes. Way better.
The writing was more of a rant than a story. Irritating at times.
Andrea had the best job in the world, she worked as Miranda's Junior Assistant who made her life a living hell. She ran around fulfilling Miranda's absurd demands while charging everything to the office - her travels, coffee and food.
Emily, Miranda's Senior Assistant worships her boss for her position and power but sometimes even she takes a dab at her for being utterly irrational. Emily falls sick so Andrea had to fill in her place, it's there she realised that her job was not worth her other relations. Resigned and brought back all the expensive stuff which she later sells.
P.S. I can watch the movie a hundred times but wouldn't be able to read this book again. Nope. Never. The movie had its own charm and glamour which the book totally lacked.
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September 5, 2007
This book was terrible, and I'm someone who enjoys chick lit. The Devil Wears Prada is a roman-a-clef by Lauren Weisberger, a mediocre writer who takes herself too seriously. The plot is just a series of bad decisions made by the novel's unlikeable protagonist Andy Sachs, who thinks the best way to become a writer for the New Yorker is by becoming an assistant at a Vogue style magazine for a year. Andy spends most of the novel whining about her mundane entry-level job and stealing designer clothes from the sample room. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the author has a worrying lack of knowledge about fashion, publishing, and human behavior in general.
Sure, it's a quick read, but there are better things you could do with your time. Like staring at the wall, or counting the dots on the ceiling.
Sure, it's a quick read, but there are better things you could do with your time. Like staring at the wall, or counting the dots on the ceiling.
July 25, 2021
Videorecensione: https://youtu.be/UpyKxD9q6gQ
November 29, 2019
Η ταινία μου άρεσε περισσότερο από το βιβλίο... 🙊
Ίσως λόγω του καστ δεν ξέρω.
Ο χαρακτήρας της Μιράντα ήταν καλύτερα δομημένος στη ταινία. Μου φάνηκε πιο ανθρώπινος, περισσότερο κατανοητός. Στο βιβλίο, από την άλλη, ήταν απλά κακομαθημένη, ρηχή γυναίκα.
Επίσης το βιβλίο μπορούσε να είναι μικρότερο σε έκταση.
Έχει πολλές διαφορές και με την ταινία. Τέλος πάντων, αρκετά καλό αλλά μέχρι εκεί.
Ίσως λόγω του καστ δεν ξέρω.
Ο χαρακτήρας της Μιράντα ήταν καλύτερα δομημένος στη ταινία. Μου φάνηκε πιο ανθρώπινος, περισσότερο κατανοητός. Στο βιβλίο, από την άλλη, ήταν απλά κακομαθημένη, ρηχή γυναίκα.
Επίσης το βιβλίο μπορούσε να είναι μικρότερο σε έκταση.
Έχει πολλές διαφορές και με την ταινία. Τέλος πάντων, αρκετά καλό αλλά μέχρι εκεί.
November 1, 2022
The movie was better 😁
January 7, 2018
Reading crime #5000 for the month of January.
I saw the movie first.
I loved the movie.
This is the first time I have read this book.
I didn't like the book.
Before I begin I should say some nice words. While reading this book, I kept picturing the actors/actresses from the movie. It was like re-watching the movie again but in my head. I'd rather watch the movie - it was less painful.
The Devil Wears Prada was not a perfect book. It really wasn't. It was beyond terrible. It had so many flaws that I don't really want to talk about them. HA! just kidding - here come the flaws people!
Step one: When reading The Devil Wears Prada I suggest you have a bottle of wine somewhere near you. If you are of drinking age, open the god damn bottle and pour yourself an "Alaina Pour."
For example:
Step two: Take a huge sip when any character annoys you.
For example, Andrea/Andy annoyed me every time she talked. I just couldn't like her. Not even wine could make me like her. This whole not liking her made me so sad because I liked her character a hell of a lot more in the movie but that's probably due to the amazing Anne Hathaway.
Step three: Skim through the boring parts. HA - just kidding! Don't do that. Suffer instead. Enjoy Andy whining throughout the entire book. The entire time I was reading this book, I was whining about her whining and how I would rather participate in a star wars movie marathon.
SPOILER: I don't like any of the Star Wars movies. I didn't see the one that came out in December 2017 with my family and I'm pretty sure I slept during the movie before that. IN THE MOVIE THEATER. I have no regrets - best nap of my life!
PS. Sorry to all the Star Wars lovers. I tried to get into them but yeah.. I can't. More for you?
Anyways, I'm kind of sad that I read it but I'm also happy at the same time because I still haven't DNF'd a book and I got one more book off of my TBR list.
Step four: If you see this book.. walk away. NO - RUN FOR YOUR LIFE AND DON'T LOOK BACK EVER.
I saw the movie first.
I loved the movie.
This is the first time I have read this book.
I didn't like the book.
Before I begin I should say some nice words. While reading this book, I kept picturing the actors/actresses from the movie. It was like re-watching the movie again but in my head. I'd rather watch the movie - it was less painful.
The Devil Wears Prada was not a perfect book. It really wasn't. It was beyond terrible. It had so many flaws that I don't really want to talk about them. HA! just kidding - here come the flaws people!
Step one: When reading The Devil Wears Prada I suggest you have a bottle of wine somewhere near you. If you are of drinking age, open the god damn bottle and pour yourself an "Alaina Pour."
For example:
Step two: Take a huge sip when any character annoys you.
For example, Andrea/Andy annoyed me every time she talked. I just couldn't like her. Not even wine could make me like her. This whole not liking her made me so sad because I liked her character a hell of a lot more in the movie but that's probably due to the amazing Anne Hathaway.
Step three: Skim through the boring parts. HA - just kidding! Don't do that. Suffer instead. Enjoy Andy whining throughout the entire book. The entire time I was reading this book, I was whining about her whining and how I would rather participate in a star wars movie marathon.
SPOILER: I don't like any of the Star Wars movies. I didn't see the one that came out in December 2017 with my family and I'm pretty sure I slept during the movie before that. IN THE MOVIE THEATER. I have no regrets - best nap of my life!
PS. Sorry to all the Star Wars lovers. I tried to get into them but yeah.. I can't. More for you?
Anyways, I'm kind of sad that I read it but I'm also happy at the same time because I still haven't DNF'd a book and I got one more book off of my TBR list.
Step four: If you see this book.. walk away. NO - RUN FOR YOUR LIFE AND DON'T LOOK BACK EVER.
January 15, 2021
This starts out pretty slow and it is very heavy on the details but it failed to impress me. The pacing doesn't really get better throughout the book.
I didn't really care about any of the characters honestly. Parts of it, I really enjoyed and others parts just annoyed me. Writing was okay. I liked the movie better than the book in this case.
3 stars
I didn't really care about any of the characters honestly. Parts of it, I really enjoyed and others parts just annoyed me. Writing was okay. I liked the movie better than the book in this case.
3 stars
August 9, 2021
2.5 stars
In The Devil Wears Prada, an aspiring writer, just out of college takes up the challenging job of an assistant to the editor of a top fashion magazine aka a despicable, demanding and she-devil incarnate boss.
The beginning was slow, the middle dragged and the ending was equally boring. It was so repetitive, I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again.
Chances are you've watched the movie adaptation of this featuring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. If you haven't and are thinking of reading the book first, do yourself a favor and just go watch the movie. Because this is one of those rare, rare cases where the movie is better, actually much better than the book. Only the premise of both are same but otherwise there's a huge difference between the storylines as well as the execution and I'll say it again, the movie is far better.
I only kept reading hoping it'll get better, but sadly it never did.
Wouldn't recommend the book, will definitely recommend the movie!
**A free finished copy was provided by Random House. All opinions are my own**
In The Devil Wears Prada, an aspiring writer, just out of college takes up the challenging job of an assistant to the editor of a top fashion magazine aka a despicable, demanding and she-devil incarnate boss.
The beginning was slow, the middle dragged and the ending was equally boring. It was so repetitive, I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over again.
Chances are you've watched the movie adaptation of this featuring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. If you haven't and are thinking of reading the book first, do yourself a favor and just go watch the movie. Because this is one of those rare, rare cases where the movie is better, actually much better than the book. Only the premise of both are same but otherwise there's a huge difference between the storylines as well as the execution and I'll say it again, the movie is far better.
I only kept reading hoping it'll get better, but sadly it never did.
Wouldn't recommend the book, will definitely recommend the movie!
**A free finished copy was provided by Random House. All opinions are my own**
August 12, 2007
i was reading this book at the same time i was working in a very similar environment as andy, the main character. i laughed and cried with her because i could relate to her character so much. miranda liked her perrier placed everyday on a certain side of her desk. my old boss, mehmet, liked his evian room temperature from the bakery across the street. miranda would dump her coat and bags on andy every morning. mehmet would hold out his arms for me to put his YSL coat on and bow his head down for me to put his burberry rain hat on top before he would scurry out of his office trailing his louis vuitton luggage behind him on his way to paris. and we were both told a million girls would kill for this job!
May 29, 2022
Protagonist, Andy Sachs recently graduated from college and thus after a nice period of relaxation and partying she feels obliged to submit some resumes and applications to anything that may be remotely aligned with her studies (she wants to get her first job after college over with, assuming that first job can be the worst). After applying at a ton of companies she gets one call back at "Elias-Clark" who just so happens to be the publisher of one of the most famous fashion magazines in the world. "Runway". And guess what? She gets it! She is the second assistant to one of the most famous and infamous editors in the fashion world. Miranda Priestly.
This is a job that "A million girls would die for". Unfortunately Miranda Priestly is probably the meanest task master on this planet. However, Andy has been lead to believe that if she can survive one year of working for this villainess she will have her ticket signed for any job in the publishing business (she dreams of writing for the "New Yorker") But can she put everything in her life (boyfriend, friends and family) on hold to make it through this one year?
I surprisingly (this is certainly not my genre, I'm not even sure what genre it is), really enjoyed this story. I think it had all to do with the author Lauren Weisberger's ability to keep the characters relevant and congruent throughout the story. Everything they did was on par for their personas. And totally followed their character development. You may not like who, they are but they feel real.
Indeed the story covers the highly esoteric parlance of fashion and fashion brands and it tends to repeat these details, but overall it's a really good and congruent story.
3.5 to 4 stars.
This is a job that "A million girls would die for". Unfortunately Miranda Priestly is probably the meanest task master on this planet. However, Andy has been lead to believe that if she can survive one year of working for this villainess she will have her ticket signed for any job in the publishing business (she dreams of writing for the "New Yorker") But can she put everything in her life (boyfriend, friends and family) on hold to make it through this one year?
I surprisingly (this is certainly not my genre, I'm not even sure what genre it is), really enjoyed this story. I think it had all to do with the author Lauren Weisberger's ability to keep the characters relevant and congruent throughout the story. Everything they did was on par for their personas. And totally followed their character development. You may not like who, they are but they feel real.
Indeed the story covers the highly esoteric parlance of fashion and fashion brands and it tends to repeat these details, but overall it's a really good and congruent story.
3.5 to 4 stars.
January 16, 2019
It is rare that a movie based on a book is better. But here we are.
May 12, 2018
I first read this book in my first year of high school for a book report (we could choose ANY book we want, and I was obsessed with the film version of this novel at the time). Since it's been...well, years...it's about time I finally give this book a review to add it to my collection!
This book was super popular and a sequel has come out (which is currently sitting on my to-read shelves waiting for me to dig into it) in recent years. For those who don't know about the first book in this series, we are following Andrea (or Andy) who gets a job at a famous, fashion magazine (similar to Vogue) which is run by the insane workaholic Miranda Priestly. Andrea believes this is the step she needs to get into her journalism career! A job at a high end fashion magazine! But, as we all know, nothing is ever that simple.
The movie is not the same as the book, but I like the think the quality of both are insanely good! Despite being different in plot, tone and character personalities, both works were fantastic! If you haven't read the book, I highly suggest it. It's unique and dramatic!
Andrea's journey involves her changing (and sometimes growing) along the way, as she encounters all of the antics of being in the fashion world: uptight assistants, overbearing bosses, deadlines, insomnia, and work/life balance.
This book is in it's own niche market - it became really popular, but it's not for everyone. The humor is a type of special, especially since you are following Andrea's life fall apart. For me, it's a five star book! It's interesting to watch the plot spiral out of control as your begging the author to give Andrea some type of happiness in the end. But honestly? It's kind of how life is - not perfect. Andrea is NOT perfect and she's definitely not the most likable character, but I grew to like her knowing all of the horror she was going through.
Five out of five stars!!
This book was super popular and a sequel has come out (which is currently sitting on my to-read shelves waiting for me to dig into it) in recent years. For those who don't know about the first book in this series, we are following Andrea (or Andy) who gets a job at a famous, fashion magazine (similar to Vogue) which is run by the insane workaholic Miranda Priestly. Andrea believes this is the step she needs to get into her journalism career! A job at a high end fashion magazine! But, as we all know, nothing is ever that simple.
The movie is not the same as the book, but I like the think the quality of both are insanely good! Despite being different in plot, tone and character personalities, both works were fantastic! If you haven't read the book, I highly suggest it. It's unique and dramatic!
Andrea's journey involves her changing (and sometimes growing) along the way, as she encounters all of the antics of being in the fashion world: uptight assistants, overbearing bosses, deadlines, insomnia, and work/life balance.
This book is in it's own niche market - it became really popular, but it's not for everyone. The humor is a type of special, especially since you are following Andrea's life fall apart. For me, it's a five star book! It's interesting to watch the plot spiral out of control as your begging the author to give Andrea some type of happiness in the end. But honestly? It's kind of how life is - not perfect. Andrea is NOT perfect and she's definitely not the most likable character, but I grew to like her knowing all of the horror she was going through.
Five out of five stars!!
September 7, 2021
4.5 Stars for The Devil Wears Prada: Book 1
(audiobook) by Lauren Weisberger read by Bernadette Dunne.
This was fun getting to read the inspiration for a great movie. I really liked the novel but I think I like the movie a little more. It was interesting to see what changes the Hollywood writers had to make to streamline the story. I’m looking forward to listening to the next book in the series.
(audiobook) by Lauren Weisberger read by Bernadette Dunne.
This was fun getting to read the inspiration for a great movie. I really liked the novel but I think I like the movie a little more. It was interesting to see what changes the Hollywood writers had to make to streamline the story. I’m looking forward to listening to the next book in the series.
October 24, 2023
2.5 stars
May 23, 2023
I didn’t think I’d ever say this about any book, but… the movie was better
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