The Devil Wears Prada : A Novel

by Lauren Weisberger | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0767914767 Global Overview for this book
Registered by cmbohn of Orem, Utah USA on 9/6/2004
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18 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by cmbohn from Orem, Utah USA on Monday, September 6, 2004
bought to share.

Journal Entry 2 by silverstarry from Berkeley, California USA on Saturday, September 18, 2004
Just received this from cmbohn - as promised, I will be starting a bookring!

Journal Entry 3 by silverstarry from Berkeley, California USA on Monday, October 4, 2004
FiBe started a bookray for this book, and shortly afterward cmbohn offered a copy of this book as a RABCK to be used as a bookray. Serendipity! FiBe and I split the bookray list as follows:

silverstarry's ray:
bookstotreasure (Ohio, US) rec'd 11/4/04
beaner-1 (Ohio, US) rec'd 11/19/04 sent 12/6/04
timollie5502 (New York, US) rec'd 12/10/04 sent 12/13/04
nomadbooklvr (Massachusetts, US) rec'd 12/18/04 sent 1/6/05
devon612 (Florida, US) rec'd 1/22/05 sent 2/6/05
Nik-The-Stik (Ontario, Canada) rec'd 4/4/05
iguana-girl (Ontario, Canada) rec'd 4/23/05 sent 5/4/05
RlyLv2Rd (Minneapolis, US) rec'd 5/16/05 sent 5/21/05
corry000 (Chicago, US) (asked to be skipped)
legs (Missouri, US) (received her own copy of this book)
aditey (Utah, US) rec'd 6/1/05 sent 6/29/05
jenvince (California, US) (read the book after joining this ring)
kamalamalama(Hawaii, US) rec'd 8/18/05 sent 8/21/05
sparky1 (Perth, Australia) rec'd 12/27/05 sent 1/24/06
LeafOfHumanTree (Sydney, Australia) rec'd 1/27/06 sent 2/13/06
Flicki (Niedersachsen, Germany) rec'd 5/6/06 sent 7/21/06
Sterile (Lancashire, England) (asked to be skipped)
corry000 (Chicago, US) rec'd 9/15/06 sent 12/4/06
kamalamalama(Hawaii, US) (no response)
suebo(Pennsylvania, US) (no response)
FiBe's ring has stalled, so the last two people are being added to my list:
bookworm1954 (Missouri, US) (asked to be skipped)
gidget2 (Texas, US) (no response)
new ring participants:
Bug2004 (Nebraska, US) rec'd 12/23/06 sent 1/18/07
PRCS - Canada

FiBe's ray:
Tanya04 (Crickhowell, Wales)
yowlyy (Nottingham, England)
wilmar (Leiden, Zuidholland, Netherlands)
piiku (Parainen, Varsinais-suomi, Finland)
sanjyian (Porto, Portugal)
sudokris (Bonn, Germany)
zoeking (Barcelona, Spain)
sweetpea0678 (Florida, US)
lastchancetosee (Delaware, US)
SandDanz (Indiana, US)
bookworm1954 (Missouri, US)
gidget2 (Texas, US)

Here is a link to FiBe's ray


Thanks to Eucalia who wrote these guidelines for bookrings.

A bookring is when a book is sent from one person to another through a list of members who have signed up for it, and eventually ends up safe and sound back home with the person who started the bookring—me!

Here are the guidelines for this bookring:

1. When the person before you on the list is almost done reading the book they will send you a personal message (PM) asking you for your address. If you feel that you are too busy at that time to read the book within a reasonable time period (about 1 month), ask that person to skip you and go to the next person on the list. If this happens, PM me to let me know what’s going on and, if you want, I may be able to move you down the list so you can try again later.

2. When you receive the book, make a journal entry letting everyone know where the book is. Keep in mind that there are other people waiting to read the book after you, so try not to take too long to read it. If you know you won’t be able to get to the book within a month, pass it on to the next person on the list, PM me letting me know, and I can move you down the list so you can try again later if you’d like. If you’re reading the book and it’s taking you longer than expected to finish, make a journal entry letting everyone know! Remember, there’s no such thing as too many journal entries.

3. When you’re done (or almost done) reading the book, send a PM to the next person on the list asking for their address. Even if you think you already know that person’s address, it’s a good idea to double-check to make sure their address hasn’t changed—and also make sure the list order hasn’t changed since you checked it last. If the next person on the list doesn’t respond to your PM within several days, try again. If you still get no response within one week, PM me to let me know what’s going on and then skip this person and try the next person on the list.

4. After you’ve finished the book, journal a quick review of it for us letting us know what you thought of it!

5. Send the book to the next person on the list and post a journal entry letting everyone know it’s on its way. Sit back, relax, and watch the journals as the book completes its journey!

I now require bookring participants to use delivery confirmation when shipping within the U.S. It only costs an extra 60 cents!


Journal Entry 4 by silverstarry from Berkeley, California USA on Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Mailed this to bookstotreasure today!

Journal Entry 5 by Bookstotreasure from Aurora, Ohio USA on Thursday, November 4, 2004
It took awhile for this book to get to me in the mail due to the post office! I have decided not to read the book and will pass it on to the next person on the list.

Journal Entry 6 by bugandbean from Columbus, Ohio USA on Friday, November 19, 2004
yay! My first ring book received, oh boy oh boy. Looks fun, will read it quickly and get it going.

Journal Entry 7 by bugandbean from Columbus, Ohio USA on Wednesday, December 1, 2004
Well. I hate to be the one to start this out, since I really don't have anything nice to say, and I'll look like the negative, unfriendly one if everyone else likes it, kind of like today when I told my daughter's pre-school teacher that I thought their photographer doesn't take good pictures and she said I was the first person in 20 years to ever say that. But really, the lighting was terrible, and the props - a plastic cell phone? - horrors! But I digress.

I honestly don't know why I finished it - I just kept going, thinking it would all be worth it in the end. I was wrong.
I wasn't an English major, so I don't know the right words to describe the problems I had with the book, but I'll try. It was so irritating. The premise - of selling your soul to a job and a nightmare of a boss (a character so one-dimensionally written, I found myself wanting to roll my eyes at her) - is not something I can relate to, and have a hard time believing. The tone was shrill, the dialogue mind-numbing (again, the eye-rolling). I don't know anything about the author, but I would guess this is her first book, and she tried really, really, really hard. Too hard. It reminds me of my short stories in college - and almost as bad!
SO! *smiling brightly* Next!

Mailing soon.

Journal Entry 8 by bugandbean from Columbus, Ohio USA on Thursday, December 2, 2004
As an addendum to above's entry.
I went to bed last night feeling that I hadn't been quite fair to the poor book, after all, I did read the whole thing, so it must have had *something* going for it, right? So here's my peace offering.
Her narrative voice is way better than her dialogue. At times I was interested in what would happen next. The whole fashion world thing was fun to imagine, and if it's really like this book, I am so glad I'm not a part of it. And that's the moral of the story.
So now I feel a little better!
Mailing 12/06/04

Journal Entry 9 by timollie5502 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, December 10, 2004
Received this in the mail today - I've been looking forward to it! Will start this weekend.

Journal Entry 10 by timollie5502 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA on Monday, December 13, 2004
Well, I'm going to have to completely disagree. It may be mostly based upon where I am in my life - which is at my first full-time job after college. I have stayed here through thick and thin, and there have been many, many times when I have gone home to my husband crying saying that I can't wait until we go somewhere else. While Andrea felt trapped based upon the promise of her dream job after 12 months, I have felt trapped as we have a free house to live in - part of the perks of my job. I really enjoyed reading this book, as a struggling woman in her 20's. I look forward to more from this author.
I'm mailing it out today to the next person.

Journal Entry 11 by wingAnonymousFinderwing on Saturday, December 18, 2004
Just got this book in the mail from timollie5502....will read it during the holiday season.

Journal Entry 12 by wingAnonymousFinderwing on Tuesday, January 4, 2005
At first, I wasn't too sure about this book. It didn't grab me the way chick lit usually does but then before I knew it, I was done! I liked that Andrea appeared real around all the fakeness. I think I would have liked to know about Miranda but then I thought about how much like Andrea I felt not knowing too much about the boss as I read the book. Feeling like a stranger with her just like Andrea did. PMed Devon 612 for address.

Journal Entry 13 by wingAnonymousFinderwing at Postal Release in Charlestown, Massachusetts USA on Thursday, January 6, 2005
Released on Friday, January 07, 2005 at about 12:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at Postal Release in Charlestown, Massachusetts USA.

RELEASE NOTES:

On it's way to devon612 in Florida.

Journal Entry 14 by devon612 from Longwood, Florida USA on Saturday, January 22, 2005
Received 2 days ago from nomadbooklvr. I've received 2 other bookrings the day before that so I'm getting to them ASAP.

Thanks for the postcard nomad!

Journal Entry 15 by devon612 from Longwood, Florida USA on Sunday, February 6, 2005
I really enjoyed this book. Glad I finally had the chance to read it.

Sending to Nik-The-Stik next!

Journal Entry 16 by wingAnonymousFinderwing on Monday, April 4, 2005
Just received - thanks a lot!! I have been really wanting to read this one :)

I plan to start it tonight or tomorrow & will journal again when finished.

Oh - and thanks for the great postcard, devon612! :)


Journal Entry 17 by Nik-The-Stik from London, Ontario Canada on Monday, April 4, 2005
Oh, for Pete's sake!! You'd think I was a BC Newbie, or something, eh?!? LOL I can't believe I just made that journal-entry above, before logging in! Doh!! Sorry for any momentary confusion :) It was ME, tho, Nik-the-Stik! LOL

Journal Entry 18 by Nik-The-Stik from London, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Loved it, loved it, loved it!!

What a great novel! At first I didn't know what to expect of it, but Andrea & her daily commentaries quickly grew on me... to the point where I couldn't wait to pick the book up to see where it was headed next. Without offering up any spoilers, I will just also comment that I loved the place where the story took her to, in the end.

As an added bonus, I found myself (haven't decided whether consciously or subconsciously, yet...) taking an extra minute or two of time in the morning, trying to pick out a little nicer of an outfit to wear to the office..... nothing anywhere NEAR Prada or D&G quality, mind you - lol. I also found myself a little more appreciative my more 'lax' office environment & reminded myself not to take it for granted ever again! Because although I don't think I've experienced anywhere close to a "Miranda", I've worked enough years already to know there are some real nutters out there! :)

Thanks again for sharing this one! I thoroughly enjoyed it :)

This will be going to iguana-girl as soon as I get in touch with her.

Journal Entry 19 by iguana-girl from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Saturday, April 23, 2005
Picked up this book yesterday from Nik-The-Stik. I've started to read it and it seems very fun.

Journal Entry 20 by iguana-girl from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Sunday, April 24, 2005
I just finished this book, what a quick read! I did however, have a very hard time reading this book - not because of the content - it was funny and crazy, the stuff of classic chicklit - but because of the typesetting! The letters were so small and hard to read - I found myself litterally holding the book 6 inches from my face to read it properly. And, having read most of it today, my head hurts - but that's my own fault for not being able to put this book down!

Thanks for sharing, I've contacted RlyLv2Rd and I'll send the book off shortly!

Journal Entry 21 by iguana-girl from Ottawa, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, May 4, 2005
Mailed today to RlyLv2Rd in MN.

Journal Entry 22 by RlyLv2Rd from Viroqua, Wisconsin USA on Monday, May 16, 2005
It has arrived! Just finishing up The Art of Mending, and it is on to this one! Thanks for sending it, I look forward to some lighter reading.

Journal Entry 23 by RlyLv2Rd from Viroqua, Wisconsin USA on Saturday, May 21, 2005
Well, after reading Bergdorf Blondes I was a bit skeptical that I would enjoy this book. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a quick and mostly light read. Also, after hearing some of the gossip on this industry, and the mavens that rule it, I would hazard a guess that some of this stuff isn't too far off track.

Journal Entry 24 by aditey from Glendale, Arizona USA on Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Got this in the mail today! I'll be reading it over the weekend while traveling and passing it on to the next bcer!

Journal Entry 25 by aditey from Glendale, Arizona USA on Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Definitely a fun and fast read. I really liked the New York scene that the author set here, and the education on fashion. I didn't love the technique she used of listing-to-be-descriptive... Some of her lists of items where half a page long!

You can skim the lists, though, and come out with some good, clean, fun. I'm sending this out as soon as I get the next address!

Released 18 yrs ago (6/28/2005 UTC) at Book Ring in book ring/ray, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Kamalamalama via airmail. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 27 by kamalamalama from Mountain View, Hawaii USA on Thursday, August 18, 2005
rcvd in the mail but unfortunately i was on a 3 mo. road trip Y& forgot about it...so I'll have to pass on reading it,since I dont want to hold up this ring any longer..MAHALO for being so understanding..will send it on its way as soon as I get info on next in line..

Journal Entry 28 by kamalamalama from Mountain View, Hawaii USA on Sunday, August 21, 2005
off in the "sea turtle" mail to next in line on ray...who is LeafofHumanTree in Australia

Journal Entry 29 by silverstarry from Berkeley, California USA on Tuesday, December 27, 2005
This book was sent to sparky1 instead of LeafOfHumanTree, but no worries! Since they are both in Australia, I will adjust the participant list accordingly and the book will continue its journey!

Journal Entry 30 by wingAnonymousFinderwing on Sunday, January 1, 2006
Received as part of Bookray via a loooooong trip from Hawaii. Will read and pass on ASAP.

CAUGHT IN PERTH WESTERN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA

Journal Entry 31 by Sparky1 on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Sorry, I forgot to log in when I received this originally!

Released 18 yrs ago (1/23/2006 UTC) at To the next participant in Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Off across the Nullabor Plain to LeafOfHumanTree in Sydney via Express post.
I really enjoyed this book...kinda surprised myself!!! Thanks Silverstarry.

Journal Entry 33 by LeafOfHumanTree from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Friday, January 27, 2006
Received yesterday, thank you.

Journal Entry 34 by LeafOfHumanTree from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Friday, February 3, 2006
What a great title for a novel! If only the writer had put more effort into the prose, plot, character development and structure. This novel seems like a lost opportunity to me. It works as a gossipy, disposable beach read, the equivalent of a weekly Who Cares? or No Idea magazine, but it could have been so much more. It could have been a witty and wickedly satirical account of the false glamour of publishing, fashion and ambition. At the very least, it could have been written with more discipline and imagination.

It's ironic that the narrator of this thinly-disguised autobiographical 'novel' wants to become a 'serious' writer and keeps reminding us that she loves writing and wants to move from 'Runway' fashion magazine to 'The New Yorker', when The Devil Wears Prada is such a trashy piece of lazy writing. The prose and plot of The Devil Wears Prada are clichéd, clumsy and banal. Structurally, the novel plods lazily towards its inevitable conclusion. I stopped feeling empathy for the narrator, who became selfish and self-deceiving and who was, in her own way, as snobby as the anorexic fashion victims around her and ruthlessly ambitious. The novel's conclusion and sentiments are saccharine and in the end, the narrator is smug about her new-found success and lacks empathy for her successor as personal slave to the boss from hell, which makes her not much better than the monsters she left behind.

The book is hypocritical in its intent and vicarious thrills. Readers are invited to admire the glamour and luxury the narrator encounters and pretends not to care about - but compulsively catalogues - whilst booing at the witchy boss from hell and sighing over the temptation of the attractive, arrogant Bright Young Thing whom the narrator is favouring over her long-suffering boyfriend. Since the author has sold this shoddily-written revenge novel for profit and fame, it's harder to respect her fictional doppelnganger, the narrator. I'd respect her more if she'd taken some care with the writing.

I found the descriptions of the boss-from-hell's behaviour repetitive but cathartic, however, having encountered some monsters in publishing myself. I even think anyone wanting to work in publishing should read this book (not for the writing, but as a cautionary tale of the pyschopathology of 'glamorous' industries - I recognise the power games, hypocrisy, etc, from my own experiences), but there are better books one could read instead.

Conclusion: A fairy-floss, throw-away read, that leaves you feeling the way gossip and fashion magazines do: Trees died for this?

[On a side note, I wish the designer/typesetter and editor had chosen a better typeface, as this novel is very hard on the eyes.]

Journal Entry 35 by LeafOfHumanTree from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, February 12, 2006
Posted via sea mail today, 13 February 2006, to Flicki in Germany.

Journal Entry 36 by Flicki from Aurich, Niedersachsen Germany on Saturday, May 6, 2006
Yay! This book arrived today - along with a living beetle! Well, probably the beetle was not sent the whole way but hitchhiked up from Bavaria or something. At least I have seen insects like that before and suppose it will not change the whole European fauna. :-)

Anyway, thanks a bunch! :-)

Journal Entry 37 by Flicki from Aurich, Niedersachsen Germany on Wednesday, July 5, 2006
Oh, dear, I'm sorry for delaying this bookring! I couldn't make this in a reasonable time because I have unreasonable amounts of work. :-( But I have started actually reading the book by now and promise to be as quick as possible! Sorry everybody!!!

Journal Entry 38 by Flicki from Aurich, Niedersachsen Germany on Friday, July 21, 2006
Yay! I'm through with it! :-) Sorry once again for the delay.

I quite enjoyed the book because truly I didn't manage to start it earlier because I had to work about as much as Andy does in the book and it was quite comforting not to feel entirely alone. :-) Being a teacher's trainee, my work is a tad different, though, but still... the situation is not so unsimilar with people being there only to judge you... hmpf... .

Sterile wants to be skipped so I'll send the book off to corry000 some time next week. Thanks so much for sharing and for your patience! :-)

Journal Entry 39 by corry000 from Chicago, Illinois USA on Friday, September 15, 2006
Received yesterday. I'm looking forward to reading it. I'll probably start next week, since I still have one book to finish. Thanks for including me in the ring.

Journal Entry 40 by corry000 from Chicago, Illinois USA on Thursday, October 5, 2006
I enjoyed this book more than i thought i would. It was very funny and quick read. Miranda was really annoying and many times I wanted to strangle her. i could never work for a person like that, no matter what opportunities they offer.
Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 41 by corry000 from Chicago, Illinois USA on Saturday, October 21, 2006
I feel really bad holding this book so long. i have read it almost a month ago and i have been trying to get an address to pass it along, but I'm either not getting responses or I'm getting responses that people want to be skipped. I Pm'd the last person on the list... Hopefully it works.

Journal Entry 42 by silverstarry from Berkeley, California USA on Saturday, December 16, 2006
Will be sent to Bug2004 on Monday!

DC# 0306 0320 0003 2277 2038

Journal Entry 43 by Bug2004 from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Saturday, December 23, 2006
Re'cvd book today! Just about done w/ my current book, will start this one up next. Thanks...I am excited to have re'cvd my first bookray!!!! :)

Journal Entry 44 by Bug2004 from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Finally!

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but it seemed to drag on. In fact, I put it aside several times, just because I found myself growing bored w/ some parts.

I loved the NY vibe and I loved Andrea...such a smart, funny character. I thought the ending was well done.

Thanks so much for sharing...I'm grateful for the chance to see what all the fuss is about. :)

I will get this to the post office tomorrow!!

Journal Entry 45 by Bug2004 from Omaha, Nebraska USA on Thursday, January 18, 2007
Book mailed off to PRCS in Canada this morning.

I was informed that Delivery Confirmation is not available for international mail...hope this is correct! Should be there in 4-7 days, or so I am told. Happy travels!!!!!

Journal Entry 46 by PRCS on Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Last on bookray so will be able to take my time reading this book/ and will set it free some where
although have not decided yet !!!

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