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Summary and Reviews of The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

The Devil Wears Prada

by Lauren Weisberger
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • First Published:
  • Apr 1, 2003, 360 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Apr 2004, 320 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

As an assistant to the most revered--and hated--woman in fashion, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.

A delightfully dishy novel about the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses.

Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job "a million girls would die for." Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child.

The Devil Wears Prada gives a rich and hilarious new meaning to complaints about "The Boss from Hell." Narrated in Andrea's smart, refreshingly disarming voice, it traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda's children in Paris by private jet, to locating an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, Andrea is sorely tested each and every day—and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.

Chapter One

The light hadn't even officially turned green at the intersection of 17th and Broadway before an army of overconfident yellow cabs roared past the tiny deathtrap I was attempting to navigate around the city streets. Clutch, gas, shift (neutral to first? Or first to second?), release clutch, I repeated over and over in my head, the mantra offering little comfort and even less direction amid the screeching midday traffic. The little car bucked wildly twice before it lurched forward through the intersection. My heart flip-flopped in my chest. Without warning, the lurching evened out and I began to pick up speed. Lots of speed. I glanced down to confirm visually that I was only in second gear, but the rear end of a cab loomed so large in the windshield that I could do nothing but jam my foot on the brake pedal so hard that my heel snapped off. Shit! Another pair of seven-hundred-dollar shoes sacrificed to my complete and utter lack of grace under pressure: this clocked in...

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Reviews

Media Reviews

Booklist - Kathleen Hughes
Weisberger's characters are all uniformly shallow and two-dimensional, and she seems to be worshiping this lifestyle at the same time that she is supposedly skewering it.

Publishers Weekly
Andy's mishaps will undoubtedly elicit laughter from readers ... Weisberger has penned a comic novel that manages to rise to the upper echelons of the chick-lit genre.

Library Journal - Stacy Alesi
This chic read is sure to take the fashion world by storm, although the literary world may find it lacking. si

Kirkus Reviews
Weisberger writes with humor and authority, but her plot circles like a whirlpool—and by the time Andrea's ready to face some hard choices, it's difficult to care.

Reader Reviews

K.K latest fashions

the devil wears - PRADA
This book is amazing in all ways, it's a fashionable but comedy book. I mean what does a women want more than that?
Olivia

Excellent
This book might take a little while to develop, however once it does get to the main plot it proves an excellent read. As a reader a person can laugh and feel frustrated along with the narrator, Andy. She provides an inside look into the fashion ...   Read More
Ashley Payne


I think that Lauren Weisberger did an incredible job. The book is hilarious and I have enjoyed every minute of it!!!!!!!
Ruth

As an executive assistant (way outside of fashion) I can so relate to the insanity. I love that book. Its original, fun, easy to read AND it is ever so true.
I will give copies to my exec collegues for christmas.
Unbelievable but true: none of that ...   Read More

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Read-Alikes

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