The Devil Wears Prada

Published:: April 15, 2003
Author:: Weisberger, Lauren
Genre:: Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Romance, Humor, Adult, Adult Fiction
Rating:: 3
date finished:: 2018-02-11
dates reread::

Description

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.

Review

Read this book to compare with the film and for once the film adaptation comes out on top. The book is solidly mediocre.

Andy is a hell of a lot less likeable in the book and Miranda isn't given any of the humanizing moments the gets in the film, leaving her as more of a caricature than anything believable. Andy's friends are less assholish than in the movie but the boyfriend ends up just as dull and disappointing. And while Andy's exit from Runway is more satisfying in the book (with a literal "fuck you" to Miranda Priestly), the story ends with her being served her dream career on a platter, rich after selling purloined merchandise and it all feels a little unearned.

The real bright spot of the book is Lily's story. She goes through some real shit while her best friend is preoccupied with her job and I kinda wish they'd kept some of it for the film instead of the catty woman against woman shit they pull.

Overall it's certainly A Book. Glad I read it but won't reread. I'll stick to reading fanfic based on the film, all of which is much higher quality than the book.

Planted: Wednesday 18 June 2025
Last tended: Sunday 13 July 2025