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)

Made time slip away

I used this book to start off my exercise regime over xmas. As I hate to exercise, I would only allow myself to listen to the book when I did so, which made me get up and go, just to find out what Miranda had done next! I loved it, and it made time fly by. I highly recommend it!

You can't make this stuff up

This book brings back memories of a brief stint I had just after college, temping as a secretary at a famous furrier on 5th Ave and 57th in Manhattan. There I was, wearing my cotton dresses sewn from Simplicity patterns, with a similar tyrant manager. They stuck my Selectric typewriter in the refrigerated room where they hung the fur coats. In fact, they put nestled me under the fur coats, where I shivered and typed, on weekdays and weekends, unless I was called out to take dictation or take a taxi to some swanky restaurant to pick up lunch for the models and customers. My ultimate revenge was to say no when the manager asked me to stay on. I kept wishing that there was some aspect of Miranda's behavior that would prove this was a work of fiction, but alas, the working wounded will recognize the tyrant boss.

Thought provoking

Love the main character but hated the story. It did not feel like I was reading a story but observing someone in their daily life.

Then I realize, the main character changed from a normal person to the brain washed assistant.
Who finally woke up and found her priorites.

Very thought provoking how it could happen to anyone.

enjoyable

This was a very good book. It kept my attention and kept me from doing the things I should have done for a couple of days. The narrator was great. The story was good, although the main character was a little whinney. I liked it and would reccomend it to you!

Disappointing

The premise was good, but it just didn't go anywhere for me. The ending fell flat.
I was disappointed

Great book!

So well read. He such a good buck you felt like you were actually living with Andrea experiencing her life. I loved her internal monologue. I definitely plan on listening to it many many more times

Beach book

Very funny and entertaining until about half way through. That's when the material became a bit stale and the "moral to the story" began to take shape which made me want to turn it off. But I listened all the way through thanks to the excellent narration. Despite the fact that it ran out of gas I can still recommend it as a good choice for a light summer read. My feet still hurt from imagining a never ending work day in five inch heels!

Awesome booki

I was really sorry to have this book and really enjoyed it well read well written truly love the book

perfect listening.

the Miranda voice was well done -
all the accents really. I enjoyed it immensely. never seen the movie or read the book. great for reality check

Funny light book

The Devil Wears Prada was a light, sarcastically funny book about how a job can end up ruling your life. Even though the whole thing seems like it might be far fetched I bet there are many young people new to the work place in cities like New York and Los Angela's that can relate. Although the narrator Bernadette Dunn's voice seems to be a bit older sounding, when the books starts out, then a 23 year old young woman she does mix the right amount of wit and sarcasm and some innocence to her voice for the part and you quickly identify her voice as the character Andrea's. The books is not this intellectual read, but this is not what you should be going into this looking for. It is a light and fun book and I listen to it in my car to and from work and it often made me laugh out loud. Enjoyable!