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)

LOVE!

Would you listen to The Devil Wears Prada again? Why?

Yes. For several reasons. Firstly, I love this type of chick lit. I am driving at least 3 hours daily, so I love good escapism chick lit, especially the glitz and glam ones. Anything with designer names and NYC in it, I'll buy. Also, I am an assistant and used to have a similar job to Andrea, so I totally related to this.

What does Bernadette Dunne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her voice and inflection is fantastic!

Any additional comments?

I seriously loved this book. I don't often relisten to books, but I definitely will with this one. I'm big on good narration and think Bernadette Dunne is the best!

reading for joy

nothing like hearing about someone else's bad work day to make everything else seem fairly easy . what a nice way to distract myself from reality. It's been a few years since I enjoyed the movie and it was fun to hear the original Tale.

Prada voice

The book is great. I guess I was visualizing the movie characters and their voice so the narration was a little off-putting for the male characters.

Outrageous

Great light listening. The story about the boss from hell and selling one's soul to the devil. I enjoyed Weisenberger's storytelling style especially her vivid descriptions. The reader had a pleasant voice and the recording was easy to understand.

Lots of Fun

This audiobook is full of vivid scenes, witty satire, outrageous escapades, and surprising twists and turns. I found myself really rooting for Andrea, the assistant, as she learned to cope with her wicked boss Miranda and figured out what was important to her. This is a fairly long listen, and some parts seemed a bit overly detailed. However, the story really picks up momentum in the second half, and the denouement is quite exciting and somewhat moving.

While the main thrust of the book is undoubtedly entertainment, I found some substance in Andrea's changing relationship with her job situation and the people closest to her, and the balance that many of us must strike between career, relationships, and personal aspirations.

Overall, I recommend this book heartily to anyone looking for an entertaining read with a protagonist that's easy to identify with.

The Devil Wears Prada

I enjoyed this book immensely! Light and airy, and quite funny. The narrator is the same one from "Memoirs of a Geisha". She adds so much to the reading with the various voice changes.

way better than the movie

I laughed out loud listening to this. This was hands down one the funnest books i have purchased from audible. The main character had spunk and was very likable. It was great watching her evolve into a "grown-up".

Good light fun

Excellent narration and a humorous story make this a great audiobook for a long drive. Young Andrea ends up working for the boss from hell. Her sharp observations of co-workers in the inanity of fashion journalism are great. I still think the movie is just as good as the book, in this case. But the book has a better ending!

Enjoyable Read

I enjoyed this - it was funny and spunkey :) Watched the movie on a flight to Ireland and then I read the book.....movie was cool - the book was a better read :)

Meh

The movie was better due to the fact that in the book Andy is sort of a horrible person. Listening to the book ruined the ability to like the main character. She refers to her seemingly charming brother in law as a hick and sneers at her sister for having the audacity to marry a Southerner. She also laughs at Miranda’s southern guests for their lack of NYC style. If the snob aspect wasn’t enough Andy regularly steals from her employer and acts like it’s ok because, you know, poor people exist. Somehow it’s justified in her mind to steal from a company because they spend a lot of money. She’s clueless of the fact that in
America we are free to spend our money as we see fit and that she’s not allowed to take money just because she doesn’t like how others spend it. It’s ridiculous and off putting to say the least.