Sex and the City
by Candace Bushnell | Nonfiction | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: 0446673544 Global Overview for this book
ISBN: 0446673544 Global Overview for this book
2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by CatharinaL from Pirkkala, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Today's find at the book-swap shelf at Main Library Metso, Tampere. TBR
I thought the novel was much more entertaining, witty, and poignant than the TV show; and I liked the TV show, too. I like it when the text is superbly polished and the 'bite-size chunks' flow like a dream, and when the content/message far exceeds my expectations (not 'oh-so-zeitgeisty' but 'zeitgeisty' — majorly).
Re: finger on the pulse of a generation, reading this makes me wonder what, if anything, has in fact changed since the late 1990s / early 2000s. I may be stuck on a past decade, but I haven't seen a change in values — the only noticeable thing being, what was portrayed as the essence of 'City' then is 'Anyplace' now, no longer perceived as caricatured or particularly provocative. Any woman thinks of (or at least can imagine) herself as a budding Carrie or Samantha; and what used to be quirky or funny or downright outrageous about the show now belongs to everyday gossip.
I can't really tell whether I like the fact that (even) the (female) characters in the book are mere names, not personalities. The TV show had a different viewpoint and introduced us to the sex lives of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte; who were all very outspoken, all fashionably disillusioned and postmodern, all more or less idolized, and all defined Personalities with an Image to flaunt. And I was thinking, maybe the most likable feature of the show was the characters and an "evolving" plot — a feature that IMO then made the show go stale after too many seasons. But could the show have been successful at all if it had been loyal to the style of the book, if it had been a collection of mere impersonal anecdotes and no coherence, empty of any props; using today's terms, emulating tweets or other social media commentary? The style is what makes the book stand out brilliantly; but I don't think that same style would've carried entire seasons of a TV show.
My verdict: well worth reading and pondering on!
Reserved for bookcrossing purposes.
Re: finger on the pulse of a generation, reading this makes me wonder what, if anything, has in fact changed since the late 1990s / early 2000s. I may be stuck on a past decade, but I haven't seen a change in values — the only noticeable thing being, what was portrayed as the essence of 'City' then is 'Anyplace' now, no longer perceived as caricatured or particularly provocative. Any woman thinks of (or at least can imagine) herself as a budding Carrie or Samantha; and what used to be quirky or funny or downright outrageous about the show now belongs to everyday gossip.
I can't really tell whether I like the fact that (even) the (female) characters in the book are mere names, not personalities. The TV show had a different viewpoint and introduced us to the sex lives of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte; who were all very outspoken, all fashionably disillusioned and postmodern, all more or less idolized, and all defined Personalities with an Image to flaunt. And I was thinking, maybe the most likable feature of the show was the characters and an "evolving" plot — a feature that IMO then made the show go stale after too many seasons. But could the show have been successful at all if it had been loyal to the style of the book, if it had been a collection of mere impersonal anecdotes and no coherence, empty of any props; using today's terms, emulating tweets or other social media commentary? The style is what makes the book stand out brilliantly; but I don't think that same style would've carried entire seasons of a TV show.
My verdict: well worth reading and pondering on!
Reserved for bookcrossing purposes.
Journal Entry 3 by CatharinaL at Pirkkala, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Friday, December 28, 2018
Traveling to Komentoora next. Happy reading!
Tässäpä tiedossa englanninkielistä hupia, toivottavasti. Ainakin tv-sarja oli sitä.
