My only excuse for reading this book by Shopaholic-writer Sophie Kinsella was that I bought it before I got completely annoyed with the Shopaholic series. And just because I'm in general so much wiser and so much more discerning now - nothing hrm about that I'm sure - that I don't read chick lit anymore, this book has just been collecting dust in that ever growing to-read-list. Until I recently felt I just had to read something light, silly, relaxing and possibly entertaining without being world turning and thought provoking.
As it happened I quite enjoyed the read. Rather a lot actually. It might have something to do with the fact that it was about a stressed out lawyer (check) who turned housekeeper after having made a fatal error at work. Or so she thought, since of course many things aren't always what they seem (although too predictable that bit was.)
I could so relate to a lot of the things and feelings she went through, the way she with time mellowed in her new life and got things in perspective. The way she had to keep a straight face when plebs (as in mostly her new employers) who clearly know very less than they think they know utter and act in the most ridiculous of ways. To show that you have a brain doesn't - sadly - always work in your advantage or is the diplomatic and longterm way to approach things.
Admittedly I don't play in the main character's domestically challenged league, I just celebrate the fact that a clean house is a sign of a wasted life and that any kind of idiot can live in order only a true genius master chaos (those notions are more than handy as far as I'm concerned.)
But I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a woman who didn't know how the washing machine worked thus ended up having to replace her employer's fancy clothes for thousands of £, who pretended to have trained with the award winning French chef Michel de la Roux de la Blanc but ended up ordering sandwiches for 20 instead of 2 from a catering service.
I can relate to the way she doesn't want to be useless and needing lessons for seemingly simple things but wanting to handle things on her own without asking the assistance from anyone. And working your a~~ off at work without getting any real appreciation, rather the opposite in fact from some people (although I'm pretty darn sure she at least got a more substantial appropriate salary for that a~~ off working.)
There was an intense love scene in the vegetable garden on a hot summer day and there were fresh raspberries involved and of course an interesting pleasing to the eye gardener with a sun tan. And as I've mentioned before, anything involving fresh raspberries will get my full and immediate attention of course.
The ending was a bit to easy slapdashy put together. But I suppose that comes with the genre. All and all, despite that, I thought it was a surprisingly good and entertaining book, that I recommend for some easy few hours of reading. Mustn't forget that from the book I also learnt the important lesson that you don't put dry chickpeas in the oven in order to make them melt.
Headeren din er nydelig^^
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this one, but I quite fancy seeing the film. I like this kind of books, I go to children's books for history, intrigue, thriller and fantasy. They are great! I just finished 2 really good children's books. One is Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda, which will be out in May, I think, it is about a girl who is in the Knights Templar and has to kick evil's butt. It was very, very good! The other book I just finished was sad. It was Once by Morris Gleitzman, about a little boy in Poland who is left in an orphanage by his parents. He thinks they are off to look for books for their bookshop and makes up stories about what is going on. It is set during World War Two and they are a jewish family, very very sad.
ReplyDeleteI, too, enjoyed this. Chick Lit isn't my normal read, but since I'm not normal, I gave it a try, and was glad I did.
ReplyDeleteI tend to avoid Chick Lit like a disease. Perhaps thugh osmeday when I need something fluffy to take my mind away...
ReplyDeleteANd sex in the garden sounds hot, so there you go :)
I just wrote a book review about a diff sort of fluffy book myself.
i have my phases. sometimes chick lit's in, sometimes it's out. but i haven't read this yet, 'cos i got sick of kinsella's shopaholic series after the first one or two. talking of books, i just bought my first book by a swedish author, Stieg Larsson, translated in English, of course. i'm hoping it's good as i like crime fiction too.
ReplyDeleteTack, Popp, kul att du gillar den! Och framförallt att du tog dig tid att tala om det:)
ReplyDeleteThose two sound like interesting books (nothing like H Potter I hope though...), Holler! I recently read a review of a "child" book that sounds quite intriguing too, called "Savvy" by Ingrid Law.
Well, who wants to be normal, Jan...;) Yup, sometimes one just has to challenge oneself, read something out of one's normal reading realm of literature. It might be a good surprise and if not, no need finishing it.
Go ahead, challenge yourself, Kay, pick up a chick lit (but make sure it's a reasonably good one:) and read! I read another review on Dog on it, it sounded rather nice, will check out your views on it too.
Seems like we share the view of the Shopaholic-series, LSL. Well, the first Stieg Larsson book is rather good, but I don't like his writing at all, the second in the series annoyed me (though with a good plot), I'm just about to begin the third one, just because I'm adamant to finishe the whole series...:) Hope the translation is good and that you have a nice read!