Novel #9 - The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
"The sky is an endless, evening blue and there's the smell of honeysuckle in the air. Music is burbling away gently in the background and Nathaniel's hand is resting casually on my thigh. I never felt so content in my life."
They work ridiculous hours all days of the week, these young lawyers. Six-figure salaries. It takes seven years or more of hard work to be admitted into partnership and they have to work even harder. And oh, yes, by the way, NO SOCIAL LIFE!
The setting of the novel is London. Samantha Sweeting works for a high profile law firm, works hard and her chance at partnership is at hand. Only she discovers she has made a grave mistake, a filing that has not been done for a client and this mistake would cost the client a lot of money, which in turn would cost the firm a lot more money and would earn them a bad reputation, her practice out the window and all her hard work all for naught. She goes into a meltdown, walks out of the office and takes a train somewhere outside London. Asking for directions, she is mistaken by Trish and Eddie Geiger as a housekeeping applicant, gets accepted and tadah! from high profile lawyer to low-profile housekeeper. Doesn't know a thing about housework but she learns and learns well. And falls in love with the handsome gardener for the Geigers, who is not a poor gardener but just does it on the side. How lucky can one be?
Then of course it is discovered that the non-filing has been a frame up by one of her senior partner mentors. The perpetrators are caught and dealt with, Samantha becomes partner but...she turns her back and takes the train again to Nathaniel's arms. And they live happily ever after.
-o0o-
cliché. i knew beforehand that this novel is one big cliché. why did i read it? because i work for a lawfirm. (ooops! a secret revealed.) i wanted to know how sophie kinsella's treatment is of her female lawyer character and if they work the same way as our lawyers. over the years, a lot of our bright and talented young lawyers, have left and opted for inhouse practice because their main complaint is "lifestyle" or lack thereof.
the book is an easy read. if you like to read chick-lit, it's a feel-good book. but in reality, hardworking, high profile lawyers no matter how young, and especially the highly self-confident ones, don't just walk out of their career because of one mistake. first of all they don't own up to their mistakes (well, hardly ever). they find someone to blame, like the poor, hardworking assistants (a dying breed!), for example, or the law clerks. they're lawyers they know how to get out of things like that. in reality, no matter how screwed up your desk is, there's no reason to forget a filing. it's always logged on the calendar. lawsuit? just hire a lawyer for lawyers (there is such a thing)! for the most part though, most successful lawyers are good with balancing their professional and personal lives.
don't waste your money and buy the book. go to your local library and just borrow it.
Well, I would read the book for similar reasons -- since I worked for lawyers for 9 years many moons ago, early in my work career.....and everything you said in your last paragraph is so totally true -- !!!! But sounds like an easy read, sweet love story and all that jazz. And your photo is wonderful......definitely an endless evening blue sky.........perfect!
@cscecil - it's a feel-good story. with so many bad things happening around us, a book like this probably could relieve you of some of the stress. i remember when jacqueline susann was all the rage in the 60's; same phenomenom. thank you, CS.
@pamfromcalgary - thank you, pam. it's difficult to review a book you're not in love with. my only relevant connection to it is the lawfirm aspect; the bad guy, the senior partner, how kinsella described him i actually imagined one of the nice lawyers in the office. and the way the others were described, i could picture some of our lawyers.
gorgeous shot here Ms Summer, love the perspective and the wispy leaves, the soft flower in the foreground. really sweet, peaceful and dreamy.
don't think I will read this one, no offence but I get completely obsessed with books like this and can't put them down, reading ovr breakfast lunch and dinner until I am done, exhausted and spent. Nup, just can't do it! lol
phew! love the picture!! great perspective- the book, well...not really up my alley but you do have me siding with the housekeeping job...lol. I won't go into my lawyer jokes, sure you've heard them all..haha!
before i went on to college, i did my executive secretarial training at a law office and loved it; but went on to working at a raceway and loved that, too. i enjoy fiction, the jump into unreality. fantastic photo.
@jannkc - yup, jann. very light reading indeed. thanks, jann.
@danig - a writer needs to read other writer's work, that's my only motivation for reading it. anyone who comes to my house and sees my books would say "oh, you read this, too?" hahahaha. don't know whether i should get embarrassed or what. thanks, DG.
@roth - i never get tired of lawyer jokes. i, in fact, have about 2 volumes of "court jesters" a book of jokes about lawyers. thanks, sue.
@catsmeowb - my writing mentor told me that it's good to read something like this, once in a blue while; that way, too, i get exposed to the styles of other writers. thanks, camille.
@samdan - thanks, lesley. i first saw this framing from one of your photos!
August 11th, 2011
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
@pamfromcalgary - thank you, pam. it's difficult to review a book you're not in love with. my only relevant connection to it is the lawfirm aspect; the bad guy, the senior partner, how kinsella described him i actually imagined one of the nice lawyers in the office. and the way the others were described, i could picture some of our lawyers.
don't think I will read this one, no offence but I get completely obsessed with books like this and can't put them down, reading ovr breakfast lunch and dinner until I am done, exhausted and spent. Nup, just can't do it! lol
@steeler - thanks, howard. but doesn't it look like it's under the sea, too? i should've put on some bubbles!
@altadc - thank you, alta. it's one of my lucky shots!
@patticake - thank you, patti. kinsella does write well; just not a fan of cliches in plots. :-)
@danig - a writer needs to read other writer's work, that's my only motivation for reading it. anyone who comes to my house and sees my books would say "oh, you read this, too?" hahahaha. don't know whether i should get embarrassed or what. thanks, DG.
@roth - i never get tired of lawyer jokes. i, in fact, have about 2 volumes of "court jesters" a book of jokes about lawyers. thanks, sue.
@catsmeowb - my writing mentor told me that it's good to read something like this, once in a blue while; that way, too, i get exposed to the styles of other writers. thanks, camille.
@samdan - thanks, lesley. i first saw this framing from one of your photos!