The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (2003, Hardcover)

The best part of "The Devil Wears Prada" is its cover. I'm not a big fan of chick-lit to begin with, but this specimen takes the cake. The main character, Andy, is whiny and one-dimensional. I kept waiting for her to grow a spine and when she does, it's anticlimactic, making this book really boring.

What bothers me most is that readers are supposed to be sympathetic to Andy's plight of running seemingly pointless errands for a year in exchange for a job recommendation. Here's why:

1. If you hate a job, quit. Find another way to achieve your dreams. People do it every day. But don't worry about our heroine; after spending time at a job she hates and getting no published work out of the deal, she manages to land a job at another magazine!

2. While she runs errands, we're supposed to feel bad that Andy's "forced" to wear designer clothing and shoes, which she snags for free at work. We're also expected to feel sorry when she ruins the clothing and needs to change into different designer duds. Did I mention that she also gets her hair and makeup done?

3. Andy is supposed to represent normal women (you know, all us normal 5'11", 120lb women), yet I couldn't buy "affordable" Anne Klein shoes on her budget. Maybe she shops on eBay, but I doubt it. I couldn't relate to the character and didn't really care to try.

4. We're supposed to feel sympathy for someone who ignores her family, best friend (and roommate), and boyfriend because she's busy at a job she hates. Oh, but she can spend time with another guy, because it's work-related.

In fact, the only strong character in this book is the one we're supposed to hate: the boss, Miranda. When taking Miranda's attitude out of the equation, I actually admire her. I mean, she has a staff of people doing her bidding; she makes time for her kids, and she's a highly-influential female in the fashion industry. Very impressive. Most women are still trying to find that balance.

I don't recommend this book for anyone. It's just not worth the time.