The Devil Wears Prada

            The closest I have ever been to living in a “real” city is Charlottesville, which is still rural and tourist enough to fall far short of cities like Chicago or New York City. I have been to the Big Apple, though, so I can use those vague memories from a decade ago to fill in whatever scenic elements Lauren Weisberger leaves to the reader’s imagination in The Devil Wears Prada. Thankfully, the scenes are clearly depicted, so one does not have to rely too much on one’s own memories. It’s a nice balance.

            The book is entertaining, the characters well-crafted, and the plot engaging. From the beginning, the reader is able to understand the main character’s motivations, although it is also easy to see why her friends and family are so baffled by her drive, and concerned by her withdrawal.

            I had a little trouble with how quickly her friends and family protested her new working conditions—Weisberger might have jumped the gun a little. Also, most of their protestations of concern seemed to show more concern for themselves than for Andrea. All is forgiven in the ending chapters, however, with the gloriously satisfying conclusion.

I own three incarnations of The Devil Wears Prada: the paperback, the audiobook, and the movie. I listened to the audiobook first (those things are great for long drives, aren’t they?) which is an abridged version. Rachel Leigh Cook narrates, and does it well. There are a few passages for which she has to assume an accent, and she handles them nicely.

The movie was a bit of a letdown; although, to be fair, that’s probably because I forgot to separate the two. The movie removed from the book has the same elements of character development and satisfying moments of triumph for the main character. I felt that the cast was amazing—with one exception: I could not buy Simon Baker as Christian. It’s sad when such a small role can throw off an otherwise exemplary cast. I am completely in love with Stanley Tucci, and even though his character tended more toward the type of characters he usually plays than the character in the novel, it was a pleasing difference. Stanly Tucci excels as the shoulder to lean on and the wind beneath the main character’s wings, and it was nice that Andy wasn’t quite as alone in her struggles as her novel counterpart was.