November 'Book Club' Column
Written by: Jody

Book Column is one of Portrait Magazine's more recent monthly columns. Each month Jody will bring you the low down on the latest and greatest teen and young adult books!

The Devil Wears Prada DVD cover

Through history the devil has been portrayed in many different ways. Take an entirely red half human, half beast with horns on the head; add some wings and you have got the perfect image of Satan. Lauren Weisberger however, decided to go for a totally different look. Her description of the devil? A love for Starbucks coffee, everything Prada, Gucci pants, Gap skirts, Jimmy Choo sandals and Hermes scarves.

In her book ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Weisberger portrays the devil in the form of Miranda Priestley, the editor of fashion magazine Runway, one of the most popular magazines around.

When Andrea Sachs gets offered the job as Ms. Priestley’s junior assistant, she can’t possibly say no. Especially not since it is apparently ‘a job a million girls would die for’, at least, that is what everyone keeps telling Andrea. The fact that she has never heard of Miranda Priestley, has never read Runway magazine and would not be able to tell the difference between a Prada and a Gucci bag, not even if her life depended on it, should not be a problem, right? In Miranda Priestley’s world, however, it is not just a big problem; it is a matter of life and death.

As soon as Andrea enters the world of fashion, she wishes Miranda Priestley would have never been born in the first place. Only the thought of knowing that Miranda could be her step up to becoming an acknowledged writer keeps Andrea going. As time goes by she realises being Miranda Priestley’s junior assistant is not just a job; it is a way of life. Besides working 14 hours a day and answering Miranda’s phone calls 24 hours a day, Andrea tries to find time for her boyfriend, best friend and family. However, this turns out to be more difficult than she thought. The question: is it all worth it in the end?

Lauren Weisberger’s novel is packed with bitchy comments, comic situations and definitely gives a new dimension to the stereotype of the ‘boss from hell’. Not only is this book a fun read, it is a must read for all the chick lit lovers out there. ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ has been an international bestseller since it’s release and has also recently been turned into a film, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway.

Lauren Weisberger has also written one other novel, called ‘Everyone worth knowing’, which was released in 2005.