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meggyeo 's review for:
The Devil Wears Prada
by Lauren Weisberger
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
i can’t believe it has taken me this long to read this.
i thought this was a really interesting look into the fashion world (it seems semi autobiographical), and in general the demands of being a personal assistant. reminds me of another book that was a memoir written by an executive assistant in private equity (Private Equity by Carrie Sun)
- spoilers -
main character was not super likeable, but i must admit i just felt bad for her (EXCEpt when she was entertaining another guy’s affections though she had a boyfriend, though the other guy was kinda a dick about it too by making advances despite knowing she has a boyfriend?? so it’s kinda messy) - a twenty three year old getting swept up in career progression, subordinate to a boss who makes way too many unreasonable demands and demands all of her time, causing her to throw aside her relationships. it seems like an all too common tale? and it really makes you think about what twenty something year old people give up for their career. the multiple repetitions of the idea that she’ll just slog it out and suffer for one year, then move on to greater things with this valuable experience under her belt, sounds so damn familiar it makes me sad.
sorry this is more a rant adjacent to the book itself, but reading the goodreads reviews for this pissed me off a little. people were hating on the main character because she should have known what she was getting into, she could have quit at anytime if it was bad, also some people felt miranda priestly should have been humanized more because she worked her way up to success and is so amazing.
like, maybe the MC should have done her homework on the demands of the job before taking it, but (at least based on how the book described the things she was put through as an assistant) there is nothing in this world that justifies a boss being unreasonable and cruel and unclear in instructions?? not “you should have known and done your homework”, not “but the boss is so accomplished and worked her way up and the book needs to talk a lot about that instead of emphasizing that she’s mean” (i’m assuming people feel this way maybe because miranda priestly is supposed to represent anna wintour) like bro some of these requests this boss made are downright ridiculous so idek why goodreads readers were so pressed to defend her 😭 they were like “omg the MC is so annoying for complaining when she’s asked to do her tasks”, tasks include: going out in the freezing ass cold for the fifth time that day to starbucks because the latte went cold (latte went cold because MC was picking up something else boss had asked for), searching all of 70s streets manhattan to find a specific antique store the boss wanted to find and had the business card of but did not deign to tell the MC the name of etc etc
wtheck i would be so mad too???
nothing ever justifies being an asshole. U can be successful and nice. sometimes it seems we give people a pass to act mean because they are rIcH and sUcceSsful and whatever (like think about how many celebrities are known for being divas, but it is all part of their image people r like Yeah, given their status it /makes sense/ that they are divas it checks out for them. Bruh.) also the notion that toxic jobs r not that bad because “u could just quit if it’s so bad” is sooo messed up.
ok granted (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT) maybe MC quitting by telling boss “fk you” at a major fashion show is over the top but given all she endured. go off queen. and given this is semi autobiographical i’m guessing weisberger wrote it for some form of catharsis maybe???
this was way too long a rant for one book. i should watch the movie i heard it’s better
i thought this was a really interesting look into the fashion world (it seems semi autobiographical), and in general the demands of being a personal assistant. reminds me of another book that was a memoir written by an executive assistant in private equity (Private Equity by Carrie Sun)
- spoilers -
main character was not super likeable, but i must admit i just felt bad for her (EXCEpt when she was entertaining another guy’s affections though she had a boyfriend, though the other guy was kinda a dick about it too by making advances despite knowing she has a boyfriend?? so it’s kinda messy) - a twenty three year old getting swept up in career progression, subordinate to a boss who makes way too many unreasonable demands and demands all of her time, causing her to throw aside her relationships. it seems like an all too common tale? and it really makes you think about what twenty something year old people give up for their career. the multiple repetitions of the idea that she’ll just slog it out and suffer for one year, then move on to greater things with this valuable experience under her belt, sounds so damn familiar it makes me sad.
sorry this is more a rant adjacent to the book itself, but reading the goodreads reviews for this pissed me off a little. people were hating on the main character because she should have known what she was getting into, she could have quit at anytime if it was bad, also some people felt miranda priestly should have been humanized more because she worked her way up to success and is so amazing.
like, maybe the MC should have done her homework on the demands of the job before taking it, but (at least based on how the book described the things she was put through as an assistant) there is nothing in this world that justifies a boss being unreasonable and cruel and unclear in instructions?? not “you should have known and done your homework”, not “but the boss is so accomplished and worked her way up and the book needs to talk a lot about that instead of emphasizing that she’s mean” (i’m assuming people feel this way maybe because miranda priestly is supposed to represent anna wintour) like bro some of these requests this boss made are downright ridiculous so idek why goodreads readers were so pressed to defend her 😭 they were like “omg the MC is so annoying for complaining when she’s asked to do her tasks”, tasks include: going out in the freezing ass cold for the fifth time that day to starbucks because the latte went cold (latte went cold because MC was picking up something else boss had asked for), searching all of 70s streets manhattan to find a specific antique store the boss wanted to find and had the business card of but did not deign to tell the MC the name of etc etc
wtheck i would be so mad too???
nothing ever justifies being an asshole. U can be successful and nice. sometimes it seems we give people a pass to act mean because they are rIcH and sUcceSsful and whatever (like think about how many celebrities are known for being divas, but it is all part of their image people r like Yeah, given their status it /makes sense/ that they are divas it checks out for them. Bruh.) also the notion that toxic jobs r not that bad because “u could just quit if it’s so bad” is sooo messed up.
ok granted (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT) maybe MC quitting by telling boss “fk you” at a major fashion show is over the top but given all she endured. go off queen. and given this is semi autobiographical i’m guessing weisberger wrote it for some form of catharsis maybe???
this was way too long a rant for one book. i should watch the movie i heard it’s better