The Devil Wears Prada a Novel

by Lauren Weisberger

Book Overview

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - SOON TO BE A MUSICAL STARRING VANESSA WILLIAMS - The iconic novel that inspired the hit movie starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway--a gloriously wicked story about... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767914767
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.9" x 0.8" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

A Fashion Story plus Book vs Movie

Andrea Sachs arrives at Elias Clark for her interview with little to no knowledge of the person she would work for or the magazine she'd be serving. Still, she gets the job and starts a year of paying her dues, hoping to eventually become a writer rather than the editor's second assistant. She works side-by-side with Emily, who does take her job as first assistant deadly serious. Immersed in the fashion world, Andrea learns a bit (though not nearly as much as she's ready to take credit for by the end) about fashion, about running a magazine, and about demanding bosses and impossible tasks. Though she's hired on as Miranda Priestly's assistant, and though it means a big step towards realizing her journalistic dreams, Andy is not at all committed to making the most out of this year. Cue pages and pages of alternating descriptions of what it is like to work at a fashion magazine and live in New York City with constant complaining and criticism of every character introduced in the book. Her exhausting negativity makes it hard to feel sorry for her in any way, especially since it seems like it's the people in her life who are suffering more than anything. While Alex is a close second behind Andy for characters I do not like in this novel, he is getting the shaft as much as her parents and best friend and has the right to be disgruntled about it. I'm a longtime fan of the movie version of The Devil Wears Prada. Even though Andy Sachs is also not my favorite character in the movie, Anne Hathaway makes her more tolerable. There's no charming actress to save the character on the pages of this book. I'd say this is one of the few times that for me, movie exceeds book (and by a large margin). I'm not even sure I'd rate this novel a 3 if I didn't love the movie so much. Andy is quite insufferable in print. I agree Miranda Priestly is the boss from hell - again, worse in print than on screen. However it's hard to have sympathy for Andy when she's so busy pitying herself.

Perfect

Wow what a deal.. This was a brand new sealed dvd. I didn’t realize that when I ordered it

Wrong Item shipped

I ordered both the book and the Audio and received 2 books in the mail.

More Than Meets The Eye: Bigger Than The Movie

I think most reviewers missed the bigger picture of this book, which, unlike the movie, goes well beyond the specific topic of the fashion industry. Anyone who has ever had a nightmare supervisor, or has ever stayed with something for way too long without knowing why, will identify. One reviewer felt there was a lack of transition from disaster to disaster; maybe so, but that actually adds to the reality of a situation in which there is no logic: the boss from hell is always unpredictable and the reasons one stays in hell never make sense. I liked Andrea Sachs and empathized with the complete nonsense with which she chose to deal, over and over with no apparent way out. Besides that, the book was a good laugh. One a million authors for sure wish they had written! And because of the breadth of the book, I'm sorry, I know I am in the minority on this, but: its MUCH better than the movie!

Fluff at its finest!

I loved this book! No, it's not terribly substantial and, yes, it is somewhat mean-spirited, but if even 25% of the things described in this book took place during Lauren Weisenberger's employ by Anna Wintour, I'd say that whatever Ms. Weisenberger wants to dish out, Ms. Wintour should take and be glad it's not more. Besides, does anyone think this book is meant to be taken seriously? Yes, there were times when I wanted to smack Andrea in the head and say "Get a life and a real job!" but not so much that it interfered with my enjoyment of the book. I found myself humorously horrified at the extent to which the Miranda Priestly character reigned with terror over her subordinates as well as open-mouth astonished at the number of people who took her abuse as "part of the job." If these were real people, I'd recommend therapy...and fast. That said, I've just finished the unauthorized biography of Wintour, "Front Row" by Jerry Oppenheimer, and it appears that much of what is set forth in "The Devil Wears Prada" is closer to the truth than one might want to believe. There is outright confirmation of Wintour's attitude, demeanor, and treatment of others that runs directly parallel to the actions of Miranda Priestly in "The Devil Wears Prada." So, if you're interested in a fun, easy read, I'd recommend "The Devil Wears Prada." If you're interested in Anna Wintour and plan to read both books, however, you should definitely read "The Devil Wears Prada" first. Somehow, I can't imagine it's quite as funny once you've read "Front Row" and realize how close to reality "The Devil Wears Prada" might actually be.

The Truth!

I read this book about 3 years ago. There are a lot of people writing that this book is somewhat unbelievable and ridiculous scenarios but you truly have to be in the situation to understand that these type of things DO happen. I worked at company where there is someone exactly like the character of Miranda. Many of the assistants in my company had read the book. This person is so much like the character of Miranda that we would always use Miranda as a code name whenever we would speak about her in either our conversations or instant messages. The book is RIGHT ON. Good for all of you who never have to experience this type of boss. Especially the part in the book where Miranda comes in and throws her coat on the assistants desk. The woman at my job used to do EXACTLY that - coat, box, anything she didn't care what you were in the middle of working on. Beleive it or not people, some people are just THAT rude. Great Book! Can't wait for the movie!

The #1 Chick Lit Book of All Time

It absolutely is! It has quite a dramatic, almost painful humor. Quite simply, "The Devil Wears Prada" is an extremely well-written parody of bosses-from-hell with perfect comedic timing. I'd say even the ending was pretty good on this one. I rarely read books twice, but I did read this one twice and enjoyed it just as much the second time around if not more. Even if you're not a big chick lit fan, you may enjoy this book (and it may turn you into a fan of this genre).