Confessions of a Shopaholic

            The first novel I read by Sophie Kinsella was The Undomestic Goddess. This novel tells the story of a hard-working London Lawyer with an IQ of over 180 who is forced to flee to a small town and become a housekeeper. The main character was a strong, determined woman equipped with witty comebacks and a bank account big enough to replace all the clothes she ruins on her first attempt at laundry.

            Unfortunately, the powers that be decided that the first novel of Kinsella’s to make it to the screen would be Confessions of a Shopaholic; which, although still demonstrates the wit and talent of the author, features a selfish, dense main character who lost my interest by the third chapter.

            The movie itself is made even worse by the change the main character from English to an American. Being an American, I tend to like us, but I’m also a purist. The main reasons I love the Kinsella books are their British humor and that element of propriety that makes Britain-based characters so charming. The bitter irony is that the changes were obviously made to attract a larger audience, and the film ended up at a humiliating 25% on Rotten Tomatoes.

            That is not to say the film is not worth watching, necessarily. I love me some Hugh Dancy, and Isla Fisher is adorable. The plot is not overly predictable (unless you’ve read the books, obviously) and it’s a nice little story if you aren’t expecting too much out of it.

            I might even have been too harsh with the book; I just prefer strong characters that I can aspire to be like, and I hate shopping. I would much rather read something like Can You Keep a Secret or Remember Me?, also by Sophie Kinslla.