Read The Journals of Eleanor Druse which is the Stephen King novella of Kingdom Hospital. It's unfinished, presumably because the ending will be on the show, but since it looks like the show might be getting cancelled, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if you're one of those people who will go crazy wanting to know what happens. I personally enjoyed it anyway, because it ends in a good spot and reveals a lot of cool things that go hand in hand with what happens on the show/mini-series (which Kyle and I love).
Also read Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. They're making a movie of this and I can see why- it's a very cute and entertaining book. It's one of the most obvious Bridget Jones knock-offs I've ever read, but at least it's a GOOD knock-off. I liked the characters and I actually cried when Emma's (the main character) parents finally said they were proud of her (something she'd been hoping for for ten years).
That being said, I'm getting a little tired of all these Bridget Jones clone characters. I mean, is every single woman in London a simple, sweet girl obsessed with clothes, dieting, celebrity magazines, and having long Walter-Mitty like fantasies?
The reason people liked Bridget Jones so much because she was such an original- unlike most leading ladies, she doesn't have her life together. She's not an heiress, and princess switched at birth, or a beautiful, brilliant lawyer. She's just an average girl with average intelligence who drinks too much and worries about turning 30- charming.
But it's just not charming anymore because it's not original anymore. Now that every single heroine is an exact copy of her, she is no longer an anti-heroine but just your run-of-the-mill heroine.
Not only that, but sometimes these Jones clones just sound like whiny pussies. They're always like "Oh God, my life is such a horrible mess! I can't cook a glamorous dinner party or pack a suitcase and this weekend I have to wear an AWFUL pink bridesmaid dress!!!"
Boo-hoo.
I mean, maybe it's because I read a couple of these books right AFTER reading Dave Pelzer's TRUE tale of his mother abusing him in the worst child abuse case on record in California.
It was a little hard to sympathize with bridesmaid's dress woes after reading something like that.
Or maybe it's because I have kids, and for me, if I have the chance to even peep at the morning paper I feel lucky- if I have only cleaned up one poopy diaper and one pile of dog/baby barf before 10 am, it's a good morning- if I can afford a new Old Navy T-
shirt (which will promptly be barfed on anyway), I feel rich- I have very little sympathy for young gorgeous women who can read every issue of Marie Claire or Cosmo, drink capuccinos and have croissants at cafes for breakfast, and afford clothes from designer shops.
But hey, the grass is always greener, right?
3 comments:
I take it your upcoming reaction to the movie "Bridget Jones Diary 2" will be unfavorable?
I did not read the book, but I thought Renee's character (or portrayal) did not make the movie. I think she can be obnoxious. Her character probably was not written that way, but for the movie, it was Colin Firth's character (portrayal) and Hugh's pompous ass character that made it more enjoyable. I liked the offset of the two main male characters. If there was only one opposite Renee, I think the movie would have been too much to bear.
You're totally right on with the Bridget Jones knock-off thing. I can't stand going to the book store in the strip mall by my house because there's this giant rack of "chick lit." Basically it's fifty books that want to be Bridget and don't come close.
I'm glad you liked David Sedaris! He's the funniest writer of this generation (I think.) If you like him, you might like Augusten Burroughs. He's written two memoirs -- "Running with Scissors" and "Dry"... both funny. He's a lot darker than Sedaris but just as irreverantly funny.
And, I've finished the Firefly DVD set. Gotta say that Adam Turyk's (or whatever his name is) audition tape was the best extra I've seen on a DVD in a long time.
Ok first of all, holy crap I remembered my blogger login that Kyle created for me like 4 years ago and I probably haven't used in at least 2 years.
Second, after this post I don't know if you will want to borrow Bergdorf Blondes but I will give it to you anyway. On the whole Bridget Jones thing and chick lit. The problem is too that the more popular authors for this genre are English, automatically drawing the comparison. My next planned book is The Other Side of the Story which is over 500 pages but is still a funny, female driven book. But the author is Irish so it may still have that Jonesish quality, we will see.
One last thing, I just finished Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block. Block is one of the funniest writers, so funny that I often laugh out loud even in if I am reading it in public. This book is the first of many about the main character Bernie Rhodenbarr a professional burglar. Has the same witty banter of Gilmore Girls. Ok I'm done.
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