Too much of a good thing

Real-life shopaholics

I must admit that, for one time, I was into those Shopaholic novels by Sophie Kinsella. I read Confessions of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Takes Manhattan in just three days. The first book was really quite good; it was a pleasant surprise. I gave it to my female friends as gifts and most of them liked the book too. The second book was all right too, although it bordered on being overdrawn. Somehow, Becky Bloomwood's quirks in the 2nd book wasn't that catchy and hysterically funny anymore.

Nevertheless, I decided to read the third and fourth books of the series since I had quite a bit of fun with the first two. I would eventually finish the fourth book feeling dismayed at how shallow the story lines and characters have become. Kinsella was able to map out her characters and their signature traits in the first book quite effectively. After finishing the fourth, it seems that the characters have not only reached a plateau in terms of their being instrumental to the story, but that they have actually devolved into stereotypes. Becky's shopping tendecies, while whimsical in the first two books, have now become pathological. They're not even one bit funny. Kinsella, by having Becky's character marry a handsome millionnaire, has provided a ridiculous excuse for Becky to go on unbelievable shopping sprees.

There's a fifth book by the way -- Shopaholic and Baby. I've a copy somewhere, but I just haven't gotten to reading it yet. I probably never will though. Somehow, the thought of going on carefree shopping sprees seems obscene in these tough economic times when everyone wants to hang on to their cash and snip their credit cards. And you must admit, if you can't even handle your finances well, you probably shouldn't be having a baby.

How much chick could a chick lit...

Look at the cover on the right and tell me that this book ain't chick lit. I myself am having difficulty telling which category this book should belong to. I didn't buy this book because it's chick lit. (I have nothing against chick lit though, but after four Shopaholic novels by Sophie Kinsella, which became more and more unimaginative as the series progressed, I felt it was time to read more "serious" stuff.

I must admit that I wouldn't have bought this one if I hadn't come in early for an appointment and spent the time waiting in Bestsellers in Galleria. (Tip: The Galleria Bestsellers branch is a treasure. Go there.) The cover does get your attention, yes? It does strike me as glamorous. Just look at the details in the ballgowns (and what clean lines and fabulous silhouettes!). But we'll focus on fashion some other day, when I talk about Dana Thomas's Deluxe.

If you're an anglophile like me, you should get your hands on this book. And what better way to get into our mutual love of the English than to read a post-war novel about the British upper middle class. The story revolves around Penelope Wallace, who accidentally meets Charlotte Ferris in the bus. Turns out, Charlotte Ferris is your typical English 20-something aristocrat -- she's spoiled, has an allowance, gets invited to balls almost every night, and has an American boyfriend. Penelope and Charlotte eventually become close friends, with Charlotte introducing Penelope to the fabulous world of the cream of British society.

Nothing much in the way of a plot happens as you read through the book's 350 pages, but I found myself glued to the pages just to know how the upper class conduct themselves in different scenarios. The beauty of Eva Rice's writing is that she lets you in on all the dirt and sparkle in this magical era. Even the rituals of tea in the afternoons becomes significant, as this is often the time when the English make conservations that matter (and also when they trade secrets).

If not for the love angle between Penelope and Charlotte's cousin Harry, this book wouldn't count as chick lit at all. For one, the humor is sublime. It doesn't even employ a sub-plot involving a comedy of errors, much less a heroine that you root for even from the beginning despite her clumsiness and bad luck (e.g., Bridget Jones, Rebecca Bloomwood). With Rice's main character, Penelope Ferris, you get a person with grit. In the end, the book is all about her and not the snotty people that suround her.

Read this book if:

1. You know what crinoline, tafetta, and organza are.
2. You love all things British.
   
3. You like them pretty things.