Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell
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Book Reviews of Sex and the City
Book Review: Uninteresting Read
Summary: 2 Stars
I love the show (I've seen all the re-runs a million times!) but the book was just not good. I was really disappointed. It is very difficult to follow, and there is no real "flow" to the book. The characters are very unlikeable and nothing like the characters on the show. I kept reading the book, hoping that it would get better, but it never did. I will stick with watching re-runs of the show.Book Review: Sex and the uninteresting...
Summary: 1 Stars
I got this book yesterday. I sat down and read it in one go, as I'm a huge fan of the show and was sure I'd enjoy it.
Well, I didn't. The chapters jump all over the place. Yes, I know they are pieced together from columns, but even if you try to just read one little piece, it's not a complete anything. It's like she starts in the middle of an in-joke, hops from thing to thing, and ends abruptly, and starts over with something else. I couldn't keep up with what was going at all.
The characters are unlikeable. Watching the show, even though I didn't approve of Sam's bed hopping or Richard's smarminess, I appreciated them as interesting characters and wanted to see what happened to them. These characters are flimsy, throwaway. They want to seem like they are living THE life, but in fact their lives seem worthless and boring even. Drugs are very rampant in this book, and the sex is of the "Paris Hilton" type, where people do it just to cause a stir, and they only care about themselves, which is ironic because they don't even really enjoy it. On the show, yeah sometimes the girls had one night stands, but it was just somehow more meaningful and interesting.
The book does start to get better at the end, as Carrie and Mr. Big's relationship unravels, but it's too little, too late.
I didn't expect it to be exactly like the show. I started reading it with an open mind. But the simple fact is that it's rubbish. I am really amazed that someone read this and said "This is wonderful! Let's make a TV show about it!" I'm glad they did, and that better writers were put on the job, because the end product was one of my favorite shows. But, yeah, it's garbage.
Book Review: This is one case where the show was better than the book
Summary: 1 Stars
I have the complete S&TC series on tape/CD plus the 2008 Movie and am anticipating the 2010 Movie and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE all the girls, guys, and locations in S&TC! So it was natural that I complete my collection by purchasing the book that started it all. I read the book from cover to cover in one evening (that's how easy it is to read) but I must say - this is definitely one case where the show is much better than the book. I can hardly believe someone would think this would have been good to make into a TV show - but I guess that's the genius of Darren Starr because Candace Bushnell's book certainly has no genius qualities about it. True, the show follows the book and the characters somewhat - at least for the first season anyway albeit not in the same context - but these people in the book --- they're so completely complicated and dark and kinda dumb and definitely NOT fabulous - but I guess that's Manhattan for you, not much of anything really 'funny' about it - just neurosis, shallow sex and lots of talk about models, bars and restaurants in New York and The Hamptons. I just wasn't that into it - the best part was comparing it to the show and knowing how much better it is in film than in print.
Sarah Jessica, Kim, Cynthia and Kristin made the story what it is -- FAB-U-LOUS!!! Certainly not this cheap rag of a book. I'm not disrespecting Candace Bushnell, I applaud her - I admire her for getting what she got out of this - who here could say as much? I just thought the show was executed a lot better than the book and I'm glad I only paid a penney for it.
Book Review: Intensely Disconnected from the Show
Summary: 1 Stars
I have to agree with everyone that said the screenwriters HBO hired to makeover this book were absolute geniuses. They'd have to be, with source material like this!
I've seen every episode at least once (some from season four several times) and the movie twice, so I was eager to jump into the novel. Except it's not even a novel, but rather a discordant bunch of anecdotes that aren't entertaining or amusing in the least. Sure, I was expecting differences...different occupations, different looks, maybe even different names...but I still expected the core of the book to be a story about our four favorite girls, however changed they might be from the show. What a terrible disappointment! I finished the first three chapters and gave up a few pages into the fourth--I've read textbooks that were more interesting!
My heart goes out to all of the readers who bought this book--I received a copy through my library's interloan program, so I only feel vaguely guilty for not being able to finish.
I also agree with those who say they'd rate this book zero stars if they could; it's just not worth the paper it is printed on. Honestly, I can't believe that Sarah Jessica Parker agreed to have her picture on the cover of the edition I read--the crap inside shouldn't be connected to her good name.
Book Review: Shockingly superficial "people"
Summary: 1 Stars
Personally I found this book awful... I didn't even finish it. The book lacks the humor and sweetness of the show, which was already pretty far outside my life experience. I never wanted to be those women, but they were fun to watch. By comparison, the characters in the book are completely soulless, joyless, & selfish. It made me really grateful for my wonderful husband! I feel sorry for anyone who genuinely relates to this book.