Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Sex and the City
Book Review: Depressing
Summary: 2 Stars
I didn't write this review to win the amazon popularity contest, but I think this odd book needs to be reviewed for non-urban, non-Americans. Meant to be witty, and written with style, I suppose this book could yet be a valuable primer for preparation for a move to New York.Actually, unlike the amusing and bright HBO series, this book was quite depressing. Full of snippets of neurotic relationships and desperate sex, the book is one tale of failure after another. Whether or not the tales are true, the book highlights a bizarre kind of pathos in human relationships.
If you are not an urban American, the humor will either be totally lost on you, or you will have to wade through the book's ludicrous and counterproductive foibles of an ill society to get the obscure laugh. Actually, I am an American who has lived in a big city there, and I still didn't read anything in the book that made me laugh out loud. It was just sad. More than a decade ago, Cynthia Heimel wrote about women and sex with a zest and hilarity that is not in evidence in Bushnell's work. (I recommend Heimel as a sane voice in the world of single women).
Yes, Sex and the City is full of titilating sex and sexiness, making this great group reading material at slumber parties for 11 year old girls (parents, you know what I really mean), but there is never a mention of a relationship based on friendship, trust, and love. Written humor's gotta have a little contrast to work well!
Compared to this book, I think most porn movies have a sweeter sense of warmth and tenderness.
Book Review: Depressing Sex in the City
Summary: 3 Stars
I was disturbed and diappointed in Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell. While I understand that much of the stories were written intending on poking fun at some of what occurs in the singles scene of New York City, I also understand that much of what was written really does happen in that same singles scene. Sadly, the stories and topics were twisted and kind of horrible. The people were mean, their ideas about life were narrow, ugly and profoundly sad. Nobody was nice to anybody else, nobody treated anyone else with a modicum of respect and frankly, nobody loved anybody else. Which is kind of depressing given that the book is about relationships and marriage. I was born and raised in Manhattan and while no place or social group is perfect, those that Ms. Bushnell chooses to spend time with, write about and therefore glorify would not be invited over to my apartment, at least not twice anyway. I have started the second book daring to hope that the characters like themselves or each other just a bit more than the not at all of her first book. But, from what I can tell, that is not likely to happen. It feels like Ms. Bushnell doesn't like herself, other women (single or married) or other men either. Look, I am not against a little darkness or sarcasm, but this book was unrelenting in its depiction of women looking for connections in the city. It actually made me think more fondly about the suburbs.Book Review: Didn't Even Finish It...
Summary: 2 Stars
I thought for sure that, since the TV show was based on Bushnell's book, "Sex and the City" would be amazing as well. Like other reviewers mentioned, the characters in this novel were not nearly well enough developed. In fact, there were way too many of them to keep track of. While I do appreciate the candid discussion of singleness, relationships, and sex, I found the ideas put forth by Bushnell weren't as developed or comprehensive as they could have been. Although single women everywhere probably experience the same fundamental issues with dating, sex, and themselves, this book takes place in an altogether unique setting...New York. It occurred to me that perhaps elements of its contents are esoteric and therefore somewhat incomprehendable to me, the Southern reader. Perhaps the format and tone of the book (fast-paced, aggressive, & pragmatic with a short attention span) are themselves indicative of The City and therefore not completely amiable to other readers.
If you are a fan of the TV show, be warned that it is nearly impossible to get those images of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte out your head while reading the novel. The characters are quite different in the book and definitely not as interesting or complex. It's evident from reading the show's inspiration that the producers did a fabulous job creating the series.
If you are interested in the elements of being a "fabulous" single female and handling all the issues it entails, take a look at "Sex and the Single Girl" by Helen Gurley Brown.
Book Review: Didnt care for this book.
Summary: 2 Stars
I am big fan of the HBO series Sex and the City. I waited years to read this book. I could have waited a few more! None of the characters in the TV series are hardly in the book, and if they are they are either 100% different from what is portrayed in the series or are vaguely mentioned. The book is a series of short stories/essays about single women and men in NYC looking for love in all the wrong places. I could not relate one bit. The men are basically losers and the women are portrayed as desperate to find mates, but since the men are losers, well.... you get the point. If you find yourself wanting to buy this book, watch the series instead. At least those characters are more "human" and real than the winers in this book. What a waste of time and effort.Book Review: Different and brilliant
Summary: 5 Stars
Funny enough, everyone of reviewers seem to be more or less right about this book, one star or five stars! Chekhov was first to observe that suicide rates for surgeons are too high among other professions. Dissecting life brings melancholy, and that seems to be anyone's problem with this book.
The book is disturbingly piercing. Candace's feminine eye for details mixes with heavy doses of masculine coolness. Candace makes no mistake about what she depicts: a mad race for egotistic fulfillment where men and women have been made equal.
I'm not an avid reader of contemprorary urbane prose. The modern narrative form is probably worn out beyond repair. But my hat is off for Candace! If you guys want a caleidoscope of '90-ies NYC upper crust larger that life - this book is for you. If you just care for a prime commercial item - you find nothing better than the TV.