☆☆☆☆☆/☆☆☆☆☆
"Focus on yourself -- do what you want, when you want, without having to consider anyone else's agenda.”
Lauren Weisburger's book, The Devil Wears Prada, is much more chic, sassy, and brassy than its beloved movie adaptation.
An Ivy League graduate from a small town gets a position in a prestigious fashion magazine, but she questions whether the glamorous rewards are worth working for the hellish woman that is her editor. As she struggles to keep up with her boss's demanding schedule, her career turns into a nightmare. Lauren Weisberger may have drawn a lot of her inspiration from her time working as the editor of Vogue magazine's assistant. As a result, the haughty she-devil can be based on a real-life individual, notably the esteemed editor of Vogue, Anna Wintour.
This book is incredibly relatable because as people we devolve from easy lifestyles to more difficult and grueling situations. Most people progress from their lackadaisical, carefree states into hardworking, achieving citizens. Life is made of choices. A lot of them are incredibly arduous, but the key detail of choosing is choosing something that suits you and your life.
Our protagonist soon realizes that the material things in life, often, are not the most important. She loses perspective on what's crucial in life until it's almost too late as her work goals take precedence over everything else.
Her struggle is used throughout the book to explore issues such as narcissistic power abuse, the desire to strike a deal with the devil, and finding one's path in a society where the image is everything. She stands up for herself, trying to decide whether her job or her happiness is the most important part of her life. This book delivers a hilarious take on prioritizing happiness and oneself over the materialistic greed people often have. She, back in New York, forges a new route for herself and escapes the temptation presented by her nasty boss.
Courtesy of Daniel Case's personal copy