The not-Anna Wintour character in this much-hyped my-boss-is-famously-unpleasant roman clef is not-Judith Regan--or, to be positive, is Vivian Grant of Grant Books, "the most hotheaded, ruthless woman" in publishing. She physically and verbally abuses her staff, is having an affair with a married New York City official (who dresses in drag) and has made a "fortune by producing tabloid-inspired blockbusters." And though up-and-coming literary fiction editor Claire Truman has heard all the gossip, she takes a job as an editor at Grant Books and quickly discovers Vivian lives up to her reputation as a foul-mouthed, ber-demanding, tantrum-throwing tyrant. Claire tries to maintain some semblance of a life (she's engaged to dreamboat Randall Cox, who went from big man on campus to big man at Goldman Sachs, even though she's really in love with Luke Mayville, a sensitive writer/unrecognized genius), but vicious Vivian keeps her within spitting (and swearing) distance 27 hours a day. Clark, who worked at Regan Books, nails the dark side of the vulgar, spiteful boss archetype, and though the plot is as shopworn as the characters, those in the Page Six and Lloyd Grove set will appreciate this devilish read. (Feb. 12) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Because She Can
Narrated by Lynde Houck
Bridie ClarkUnabridged — 8 hours, 57 minutes
Because She Can
Narrated by Lynde Houck
Bridie ClarkUnabridged — 8 hours, 57 minutes
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Overview
Life is really looking up for Claire Truman. In a New York minute, she lands a plum job at a top publishing house, catapulting her out of editorial assistant status and tripling her salary. In the same stroke of good luck, Claire goes from loser magnet to girlfriend of her decade-long crush: the fabulously successful and gorgeous Randall Cox (who's a nice guy, to boot). The perfect guy, the perfect job . . . it seems like Claire's dreams are all falling neatly into place.
Enter reality. It doesn't take long before Claire realizes she's working for the publishing world's most ruthless tyrant: the outrageously abusive Vivian Grant, a woman who churns out New York Times bestsellers with nearly the same frequency as she sends traumatized assistants flying out of her office in tears. Soon Claire is in staff meetings that feel more like war zones, at a book party thrown at a strip club, and watching Vivian run her employees into the ground and into therapy.
As Claire's job steals more and more of her time and soul, her relationship with Randall begins to feel the strain. It doesn't help that Claire's been spending overtime with Luke Mayville, a handsome, brilliant novelist whose career she's helping to launch.
With her love life at a crossroads and her work life driving her crazy, Claire can't help wondering if her future will have a happy ending. Her career may be on the fast track, but does she like where it's taking her . . . and who she might turn into?
Editorial Reviews
Iowa native Claire Truman is an editor in New York, fulfilling her lifelong dream. When her kindly mentor retires, an old college crush, the gorgeous Randall Cox, puts her in touch with cutting-edge editor Vivian Grant (supposedly based on notorious publishing diva Judith Regan, for whom debut author Clark once worked). Although warned of Vivian's legendary temper and mistreatment of employees, Claire sees the job as a steppingstone. But Vivian's insane demands and vicious rages soon exhaust Claire-and she also tires of editing smutty ghostwritten books. Still, Claire is determined to stick it out, especially once she begins editing a fabulous book by Luke Mayville, her mentor's nephew. Even while her love life with Randall is running suspiciously smoothly, Claire can't ignore her underlying attraction to Luke. There are no surprises in this plot, and it would be nice if Claire were to find her backbone sooner, but Clark keeps things moving along. The real hook, however, is the likely publicity, and therefore interest, in this Devil Wears Prada for the book-publishing world.-Lisa Davis-Craig, Canton P.L., MI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
In Clark's debut novel, an ambitious young editor is stretched to the limit when she takes a job with a monstrous book-publishing diva. (N.B.: The author once worked for book-publishing diva Judith Regan.)When her fatherly mentor, Jackson Mayville, retires, 26-year-old Claire Truman realizes it's time to move on, as much as she has enjoyed her rewarding, if underpaid, stint at a top-tier New York publishing company. The same day Jackson gives her the news, she runs into an old college crush, Randall Cox, who gets her an interview with Vivian Grant, the stunning publisher of the high-profile and extremely lucrative Grant Books. Amazingly, Vivian hires Claire on the spot, offering to triple her current salary, in an offer that only seems too good to be true. The catch is that Vivian is a raving she-devil, with a horrible reputation for verbal abuse, unfair demands and capricious behavior. She is also carrying on an illicit affair with a married city official and prone to graphic descriptions of her own sex life. But in spite of all the warnings from her colleagues, Claire takes the gig, reasoning that if she holds out for a year she will learn a ton, and be poised for great things. And for a time, through dedication and luck, Claire remains in Vivian's good graces, while embarking on a romance with financier Randall, who she ends up moving in with and getting engaged to. She also acquires a novel by Jackson's talented nephew Luke, a sweet guy who seems a much better fit for Claire than the workaholic mama's boy she's with. Needless to say, Claire's resolve to stay at Grant Books is repeatedly tested, with Vivian viciously lashing out at her in public, pitting her against another editor andthreatening to pull the plug on Luke's book. Vivian's self-absorbed malevolence reaches its lowest (and least believable) point when she interrupts Claire's wedding day to talk business. That Vivian never rises above caricature is a disappointment. Funny in parts, especially in the gleeful anarchy of some of Vivian's more sociopathic rants, this boss-from-hell derivative closes with a rather conventional love triangle. Predictable Devil Wears Prada clone. Agent: Daniel Greenberg/Levine Greenberg Literary Agency
Mary Birdsong is the perfect narrator for this comic romp around the New York publishing scene. When boss-from-hell Vivian Grant begins to have speech patterns reminiscent of Claire Truman’s future mother-in-law, listeners are all but doubled over with laughter. Claire, the young protagonist, is unsure of herself, sounding peppy and innocent one minute, nervous and chiding herself the next. Musical interludes add their own comic twist. There’s good material for Birdsong to work with. Clark meshes literary history (entitling chapters after classics: The Bell Jar and The Sound and the Fury) with memorable sound bites from a high-tech lifestyle. The full book might be overkill, but this abridged version can’t help but delight anyone who’s ever fantasized about working in New York or brushed up against social climbers. R.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940169326413 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Penguin Random House |
| Publication date: | 02/13/2007 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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