review - trading up
"Trading Up"
By Candace Bushnell
(Hyperion)
Candace Bushnell has managed to ride the wave of Sex and the City with great success - which means that this insufferably bland and self-indulgent book is going to be read by every woman with extra time between her massage and wax. In "Trading Up," upscale New Yorkers with caricature names air-kiss and backstab with reckless abandon - and the best at this is 33 year old Janey Wilcox. She's a trite and shallow Victoria's Secret model who exists only to "trade up" - that is, become even higher society and more powerful in whatever (usually seductory) manner she can.
Bushnell fails to infuse her supposed heroine with any humanity, except for during the flashback to her early modeling days in Paris. If this is supposed to convince the reader why Janey is such a bitch, it fails. Also noted are Bushnell's particular focus on dates and times: this shallow NYC is pre September 11, she seemingly wants to remind us (why else two mentions of the view of the twin towers from Selden's office?) But with a cast of characters so devoid of emotion, why does it matter?
"Trading Up" is a complete pooper, not even a proper beach read.
By Candace Bushnell
(Hyperion)
Candace Bushnell has managed to ride the wave of Sex and the City with great success - which means that this insufferably bland and self-indulgent book is going to be read by every woman with extra time between her massage and wax. In "Trading Up," upscale New Yorkers with caricature names air-kiss and backstab with reckless abandon - and the best at this is 33 year old Janey Wilcox. She's a trite and shallow Victoria's Secret model who exists only to "trade up" - that is, become even higher society and more powerful in whatever (usually seductory) manner she can.
Bushnell fails to infuse her supposed heroine with any humanity, except for during the flashback to her early modeling days in Paris. If this is supposed to convince the reader why Janey is such a bitch, it fails. Also noted are Bushnell's particular focus on dates and times: this shallow NYC is pre September 11, she seemingly wants to remind us (why else two mentions of the view of the twin towers from Selden's office?) But with a cast of characters so devoid of emotion, why does it matter?
"Trading Up" is a complete pooper, not even a proper beach read.
posted by Ann at 7:28 PM
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