The Devil Wears Prada

By: Lauren Weisberger

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2003 Lauren Weisberger (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Miranda's behavior is so insanely over-the-top that it's a gas to see what she'll do next, and to try to guess which incidents were culled from real life." (Amazon.com)
"Weisberger has penned a comic novel that manages to rise to the upper echelons of the chick-lit genre." (Publishers Weekly)

i just love

I wouldn’t say that I’m a bigger reader, I’m really not. I truly just read two books once a year and it’s some Shakespeare play or some other God awful book my teacher wants us to enjoy. But this book really got me.

I read and listened to this for a reading assignment I’m doing and I am about to write a three page essay on it. But I have seen the movie countless times ever since I was little, I feel like it’s one of those movies that gives a girl her right of passage to being a woman. Like Legally Blonde or the Notebook. That being said:

This book constantly had me hooked, for the past two weeks it’s taken me to finish I have been looking forward to it all the time. The writing is amazing, I love the humor and the way they describe Andy. Andy reminds me of Rory Gilmore in all the worst ways though, mainly the way to not accept that she might be wrong and is hurting the people around her. Or that even though her life is just so very hard other people have problems too. It was so easy to follow along and I just love the narrator. The ending was very comforting and I enjoyed that, there’s no reason to leave us on a cliffhanger—very sweet and wholesome.

But I really would suggest this book to anyone.

Loved it!

This book was so much better than the movie! I listened to it over a week. It was great!

Boss from hell alert!

I was a huge fan of the movie so I decided to read the book. There a quite a few differences between the two which only adds to the novel. While the narrator is not the most dynamic...the story is amazing. It is definitely worth a listen!

Little bit disappointing

It was interesting at beginning but end of the story is disappointing. You waiting for more interesting ending with such characters.

best listen so far!

This is definitely my favorite listen to date! The characters are colorful, sincere, and absolutely believable (and unbelievable!) - even the walking nightmare, Miranda Priestly. It's a great and entertaining story of a college graduate's first job, and the expectations and pitfalls of "paying one's dues" in starting a career. I could not put this one down, and continually listened until I had to recharge my iPod! Great NYC flavor, excellent narration style, and an ending that was better than expected (and not as predictable as I expected). You won't be disappointed!

Great commuter book...

I loved this book! It was a pleasure to listen to while commuting to work each day...it was not only fun to listen to, but after hearing about how horrible the 'job a million girls would kill for' was on a daily basis, it made me appreciate going to work a little more than I might have normally. The book is filled with humor and I actually found myself dreading finishing it, as I enjoyed listening to the everyday escapades of Andrea and all the other characters that made up Runway magazine! If you are looking for a lighthearted, funny and entertaining diversion, I recommend this great 'listen'....

Enjoyed the Movie More than the Book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to a friend because I enjoyed the story.

What three words best describe Bernadette Dunne’s voice?

For basic narration, Ms. Dunne has a smooth, clear voice. Character voicing left a lot to be desired. All the male characters seemed to have Russian accents, and the female characters, other than Miranda and Andrea, seemed to be constipated Valley Girls.

Who was the most memorable character of The Devil Wears Prada and why?

Miranda, naturally.

Fun listen.

A guilty pleasure. This book is not great literature but fun. I've heard the narrator on another audio book and she's terrific.

Amazing

I didn't understand all the hype around this book and the movie. So I downloaded the book and was obsessed. I absolutely loved this book, the characters, the craziness. It was fantastic! Perfect for when you just need to read something to get your mind off of things!

Delightful

This book was so delightful that I found myself wishing for more traffic in my daily commute just so I could listen longer. Andrea, the main character, lands a job working for the editor of a popular fashion magazine. A job that, she is constantly reminded, "a million girls would die for." But, of course, Andrea isn't one of them because she doesn't care about fashion, and even those million girls would think twice if they knew what a loon Andrea's boss was. It's light and funny, and a great escape from your own job's frustrations because at least your own boss cannot possibly be this insane! Particularly perfect listening for your commute to and from work each day.