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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Ok, I have to start out by saying this is not my normal type of literature. For one its about shopping and unless its fabric or crafty type stuff, I'm not a good shopper. But I decided to ignore this fact and instead focused on all the recommendations and good reviews this book had gotten. What on earth were those people thinking?
Rebecca Bloomwood is a young shopping loving person that lives in London in one of its most popular neighborhoods. She lives for for shopping and frequently comes home with her special finds that she really can't afford. That's ok though, she's going to win the lottery, or marry rich, or some other scheme that appears throughout the book will give her loads of cash. Problem is reality means that she is still a journalist for a financial magazine (not a good fit at all) and isn't very good at much else. But when she starts being chased by Visa and the bank she has to find a way to get herself out of debt and maybe find love in the process, or a good pair of shoes, it doesn't really matter to her.
I have to say that there really aren't any good characters in this book. They are all shallow and conceited and Rebecca herself is the cream of the crop. While I'm sure the author tried to instill something in her worthwhile, I'm of the opinion that she failed. Not only is Rebecca a compulsive liar, she also takes advantage of those who care about her and only want the best. She can't even tell them the truth. To top it off when she does finally do something nice, it is still more for her than to help anybody else. To see her rewarded for these heinous behaviours was almost more than I could bear.
The writing itself is ok. Kinsella chose to use letters (from debt collections) interspersed with the novel and also included lists of costs obtained by Rebecca as well to illustrate her debt and spending habits. She puts a good deal of detail in and that is commendable. In fact, the only reason I'm giving the book two stars is because I actually learned a little bit about designer clothes from the book. It also is a pretty good description for people affected by compulsive behaviors like shopping.
I don't think I'll be taking a look at the rest of the series. I'm not sure my blood pressure could handle seeing Rebecca up to her exploits and behaviors in more books. I suppose this is good fluff reading for some, but I'll take a pass.
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Copyright 2001
350 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
Rebecca Bloomwood is a young shopping loving person that lives in London in one of its most popular neighborhoods. She lives for for shopping and frequently comes home with her special finds that she really can't afford. That's ok though, she's going to win the lottery, or marry rich, or some other scheme that appears throughout the book will give her loads of cash. Problem is reality means that she is still a journalist for a financial magazine (not a good fit at all) and isn't very good at much else. But when she starts being chased by Visa and the bank she has to find a way to get herself out of debt and maybe find love in the process, or a good pair of shoes, it doesn't really matter to her.
I have to say that there really aren't any good characters in this book. They are all shallow and conceited and Rebecca herself is the cream of the crop. While I'm sure the author tried to instill something in her worthwhile, I'm of the opinion that she failed. Not only is Rebecca a compulsive liar, she also takes advantage of those who care about her and only want the best. She can't even tell them the truth. To top it off when she does finally do something nice, it is still more for her than to help anybody else. To see her rewarded for these heinous behaviours was almost more than I could bear.
The writing itself is ok. Kinsella chose to use letters (from debt collections) interspersed with the novel and also included lists of costs obtained by Rebecca as well to illustrate her debt and spending habits. She puts a good deal of detail in and that is commendable. In fact, the only reason I'm giving the book two stars is because I actually learned a little bit about designer clothes from the book. It also is a pretty good description for people affected by compulsive behaviors like shopping.
I don't think I'll be taking a look at the rest of the series. I'm not sure my blood pressure could handle seeing Rebecca up to her exploits and behaviors in more books. I suppose this is good fluff reading for some, but I'll take a pass.
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Copyright 2001
350 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2011
Fun read as college-student-ramen-diet me could relate to Rebecca’s struggles. Way better than the movie!
While this book is very popular and I loved "Can You Keep A Secret?" by the same author, this book bored me. The main characters inability to manage her life and expenses should have been funny but it just annoyed me. I am very conscious of how I spend my money and every time she bought something new it made me cringe. I can see how other people could really enjoy this book but for me it took a great amount of effort to continue reading. I made it to around page 100 and gave up. I may try again later but it is highly doubtful. Overall, the book was well written but the characters and the storyline did not appeal to me.
Es war genau das, was ich erwartet hatte: Leicht und schnell zu lesen, nicht wirklich tiefgehend, aber trotz der Vorhersehbarkeit doch unterhaltsam. Zwischendurch war ich etwas genervt von der Protagonistin und leider war die Entwicklung der Liebesgeschichte - selbst im Kontext des Genres - insgesamt zu konstruiert und daher unglaubwürdig. Insgesamt aber eine nette Lektüre für Zwischendurch.
Selfish, self-centered, pathological liar of a character! While it tidied it all up in a little happy ending, I never liked Rebecca and really didn't care if she got her act together!
I've lost count of how many times I read this book growing up. Confessions of a shopaholic holds such a soft place in my heart, yo! One of my all time favorite! A book guranteed to make me laugh out loud.
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I‘ve been a big fan of the movie since I was younger so I was really looking forward to read the book, but I found that the movie is soo much better as I find that Becky is just quite obnoxious in the book and the pages on pages of her thinking about what to buy were quite boring and annoying after a while.