Не дърпай дявола за опашката

by Bridie Clark, Брайди Кларк

Животът на Клер Труман процъфтява. В един паметен миг в Ню Йорк тя успява да си намери доходна работа в една от най-добрите издателски къщи, която я изстрелва нагоре от позицията й на помощник-редактор и утроява заплатата й. По силата на същия този страхотен късмет Клер се превръща от грозното патенце в гадже на мъжа, по който си пада вече от десет години: невероятно успешния и страхотен Рандъл Кокс (който всъщност е много свестен тип). Перфектният мъж плюс перфектната работа - по всичко личи, че мечтите на Клер напълно се сбъдват. Но да се върнем в реалността. Не минава много време, преди Клер да осъзнае, че работи за най-големия тиранин в света на книгоиздаването: невероятната експлоататорка Вивиан Грант, която произвежда на конвейeр бестселъри, а те влизат в топлистите на Ню Йорк Таймс с приблизително същата скорост, с която травмираните й асистенти, облени в сълзи, се изстрелват от офиса й. Съвсем скоро Клер попада на издателски оперативки, които приличат повече на бойно поле, присъства на промоция на книга, проведена в стриптийз клуб, и наблюдава как Вивиан закопава един след друг своите подчинени и ги тласка към кабинета на психотерапевта. И докато работата на Клер започва да отнема все повече от времето й (и от мислите й), отношенията й с Рандъл започват да се обтягат. Още повече се влошават нещата от това, че Клер прекарва все повече с Люк Мейвил, красив, многообещаващ писател, на чиято кариера тя се е захванала да помага. При положение че личният й живот е на кръстопът, а професионалният буквално я подлудява, Клер няма как да не започне да поставя под съмнение своето щастливо бъдеще. Кариерата й се движи с бясна скорост, но дали мястото, където я отвежда, е по неин вкус и дали ще е доволна от това, в което ще се превърне?

Пъблишърс Уийкли

Героинята в този пародиен роман тип "шефката ми е ужасно неприятна личност" е Вивиан Грант от Грант Букс - голяма клечка в книгоиздаването, "най-вироглавата и безскрупулна жена", която една редакция може да си представи. Тя оказва физически и вербален тормоз над своите подчинени, има връзка със заместник - кмета на Ню Йорк Сити (който се облича като гей) и е направила цяло състояние от производството на бестселъри, вдъхновени от таблоидите. Упоритата новоизгряваща литературна редакторка Клер Труман вече е чула всички слухове, но въпреки това приема да работи в Грант Букс и бързо открива, че Вивиан напълно заслужава репутацията си на безцеремонен, свърхвзискателен, гневен тиранин. Клер се опитва да симулира някакво подобие на живот (тя е сгодена за мъжа мечта Рандал Кокс, който се превръща от отличника на колежа в отличника на Голдман Сакс, въпреки че всъщност е влюбена в Люк Мейвил, чувствителен писател и недооценен гений), но проклетата Вивиан я върти на шиш (и постоянно я критикува) по 27 часа в денонощието.

Авторката Б. Кларк, която е работила в Реган Букс, ни представя тъмната страна от архетипа на вулгарния и злобен шеф...

Ейми Сон, автор на My Old Man and Run Catch Kiss

Романът на Кларк за младата редакторка, която работи за издателка, дошла от ада, е толкова забавен, че те кара да се смееш с глас, скандален и твърде реалистичен за света, който описва.

Пъблишърс Уийкли

Кларк разкрива изцяло вулгарния и злобен шеф... дяволско четиво.

Лайбръри Джърнъл

Истинското попадение... Тази книга тип "Дяволът носи "Прада" правдоподобно описва и предизвиква интерес към света на издателите.

Буклист

Изключително увлекателна и забавна... чак се просълзяваш от смях.

Световната критика вече обяви раждането на нов поджанр, издънка на модерното течение в съвременната литература, познато като "чиклит". Той е наречен "асистънт лит" (assistant - от англ. , асистент, помощник, служител) и като най-касови негови представители се сочат нашумялата "Дяволът носи Прада" (книгата и филмът по нея са бече познати на българската публика), "Дневниците на детегледачката" (едно от най-продаваните заглавия в САЩ през последните години) и "Не дърпай дявола за опашката" на Брайди Кларк (романът, който буквално взриви медийния свят със своята поява, и който ИК "Кръгозор" ще има удоволствието да представи на читателите в България на 12.07.2007). Критиците посочват, че авторите на "асистънт лит" запазват динамиката, реалистичните образи и неподправения хумор в своите текстове, но прибавят към сюжета една нова линия, която вълнува огромна част от публиката - отношенията между шеф и подчинен. Главните героини в тези романи са пробивни млади дами в началото на кариерата си, които се борят за изява пред своите шефки-вещици, и чиито планове за живота далеч надхвърлят клишираното "ще стана щастлива в мига, в който срещна Подходящия". Събитията в офиса и професионалното израстване явно са тема, която присъства в мислите и сърцата на голямата част от съвременните читателки, те успяват да открият собствените си проблеми в сюжетите и да разпознаят себе си в героините от тези книги. С това литературните критици обясняват феноменалния успех на романите от направлението "аси...

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Literature, Romantic Comedy

244 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Bridie Clark was born on October 7, 1977, and spent a happy childhood in West Hartford, CT. Her parents encouraged her early love of reading and writing.

In 1999, Bridie graduated from Harvard College, where she was an editor of The Harvard Crimson. She has since worked as a book and magazine editor, and written for The New York Times, Vanity Fair, New York, Quest, and Elegant Bride.

Bridie’s debut novel, Because She Can , was published in nineteen countries around the world and was reviewed and featured in dozens of magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair, Glamour UK, and USA TODAY. Her second novel, The Overnight Socialite , was published by Weinstein Books in December 2009.

In 2006, she co-wrote The Gawker Guide to Conquering All Media (Atria, July 2007) and co-founded Blue State Coffee.

Bridie lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know about this book. It was recommended by Vogue, so... The main plot idea is basically stolen from The Devil Wears Prada - super evil boss who makes everyone's life a living hell and expects people to do things that are impossible. Except this book takes place in the book publishing industry. I actually didn't think Vivian Grant (the devil in Because She Can) was as awful as Miranda Priestly. I mean, okay, it sucks to be loaded up with tons of work and very tight deadlines, but at least Vivian never asks Claire (our heroine) to get a copy of a book that hasn't even been published yet (although, I bet it would be easier for Claire than Andy because of Claire's book publisher relationships... I digress).

There is also a love triangle, which I felt was a bit underdeveloped. Claire starts dating some rich guy who she was in love with in college (he barely knew she existed back then) and the whole thing just seems... weird. I kept waiting for a bombshell - she's pregnant! he's cheating on her! his mom is only using their relationship as a way to get revenge on her mom who used to be her BFF and now lives in Iowa! But no. There really was nothing. You'd have to read the book to understand what I'm talking about. It's too hard to describe, but I really don't know if I want you reading this book.

The book wasn't TERRIBLE, but it wasn't amazing. It's a quick read. I liked that the chapters were all titles of books. That was sort of clever. It's books like these that make me think that I should really just hurry up and churn out my novel b/c if Because She Can and books like it can get published, then certainly my stuff can too.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echt een heerlijk boek!

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book on a recommendation, and enjoyed it (though not as much as I had hoped to before reading). Readers familiar with The Nanny Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada will recognize the basic plot: crazy boss gradually turns down to earth employee a little insane before employee remembers she is a good person and makes a break to follow her heart.

Claire Truman lands a fabulous job working for a famous publisher Vivian Grant (a thinly disguised Judith Regan) only to discover that her new boss is certifiable. Assistants rarely last a month, editors are subject to profanity-laden tirades, and books are almost a sideline at the publishing house. Add in a troubled relationship with her fiance, and you have all the makings of a bestseller.

The book is well written, and I enjoyed the inside dirt on the world of publishing (though I recommend Olivia Goldsmith's The Bestseller if you want more focus on the publishing end). All in all, this was an enjoyable book club read, and worth a 3.5 star rating.

[Diana Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to be completely honest... I loved this book. I just loved it. Claire is living the life I always thought I would live, a young editor with an amazing mentor, and then she accepts a job with a notorious bully named Vivian and reconnects with a guy she crushed on hard in college, and her entire life changes. I guess I loved the book because I could relate to Claire and I was truly interested in her feelings and her life. I just loved the characters, even Vivian with all her sad craziness. This is a book I will buy and read over and over with a cup of tea.

[Brittany Kollenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book enough, but I found some things I didn't really like about it:
1. Her weird obsession with Randall pre them dating
2. Vivian is an absolute bitch, which I realize was intentional but dang
3. Randall's mom

I read this book really quickly but was pretty disappointed at the end of it.

[Lyra Belarmino · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't even know why I have a copy. This book took me back to my teenage years(the 80s) reading a Sweet Dreams novel. It's so teeny bopper , it just makes me cringe. Add to that , the constant mentioning of brand names , I have had enough of the Jimmy Choos and Vera Wangs , and Hermes and Princetons like the book is used as an ad. Then there's this character that seems to be the Miranda Priestly of publishing, or even worse! Gosh, I crawled until the end.

[Demi Stroet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads quickly. Like a funny version of the devil wears prada.

[Noelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I think of classic chick lit novels, three things come to mind: men, career, and materialism. Bridie Clark's first novel Because She Can gives us at least two of those in a quick, entertaining, and, at times, stressful read. The story revolves around Claire Truman, your average New York editor trying to make it in the publishing world. After her beloved boss and mentor retires and her less-than-mediocre boyfriend dumps her, Claire's life takes a dramatic turn when she runs into non other than Pabst Blue Ribbon Randall Cox, her college crush and an absolute heartthrob. Not only do they hit it off right away, but Randall gets her an appointment with Vivian Grant, one of the best publishers in the business. While a certifiable lunatic, Grant gives Claire an offer she simply can't refuse. This nerve-racking and demanding job takes a toll on Claire's weight, sleep, and social life as the boss from hell gives her outrageous tasks and impossible deadlines, all leading up to a delightful yet predictable ending.

Those that have read this novel may thing, "Wait! Haven't I seen this plot before?" I agree at times the plot seems to be taken directly from Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada. Both have romance, comedy, and the crazy boss no one wants to work for. Yet, found that the surface plot was all that these two novels shared. Bridie Clark has taken a well-known story and shaped it into a creation all her own.

One refreshing aspect of Because She Can is the non-materialistic protagonist. So many chick lit novels deal with shopping and spending exorbitant amounts of money on things the heroine not only doesn't need but can't afford. Claire Truman is the least materialistic character I have seen in the genre to date. She prefers small, personalized gifts rather than flashy expensive ones. Her clothes, bearing labels from more affordable designers, was plain, black, boring, and often wrinkled from a night spent in the office. While shopping related money troubles can be entertaining, Claire's absent fashion obsessions makes her a more relatable and likable character.

While only a minor aspect of this novel, I found Clark's use of classic novel titles as headings to her chapters a fun little additional to a novel set in the literary world. Love in the Time of Cholera, The Awakening, And The Sound and the Fury set the reader up for what to expect in each chapter while also reiterating the importance of books to the heroine.

As a whole, I would say that Bridie Clark's first novel was a success. There were some minor problems such as editing errors and characters too closely related to famous ones. However, Clark's style and her ability to tell a story more than make up for the novel's downfalls. Working as a former book and magazine editor herself, Clark writes about what she knows. If Clark develops a more unique story but keeps her wit and style, she is sure to have an amazing novel to follow her pleasant debut.

[Canan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Şeytan Marka Giyer'den sonraki en komik 'yaşlı cadı ve çömezi' hikayesi...

Kitabın kapağında yazan bu yazıya o kadarda dikkat etmemenizi öneririm...
Zira Şeytan Marka Giyer'i izlemiş biri olarak katılmıyorum...
Burdaki yaşlı cadı ciddi anlamda cadı..hani bi süpürgesi eksik..
Vivian..yani namı diğer cadı ve patronumuzdur kendisi...ona daha sonra değinmeliyim mutlaka =)

Olay şu ki..Claire bir editör olmak istemektedir..Ama asistanı olarak çalıştığı patronu artık yaşlandığını söyleyerek, torun torba, kolunda hanımı emekli olmaya karar vermiştir.Yani kızımız işsiz kalacak gibi.
Derken yakın arkadaşınında yardımıyla üni. aşkıyla-Randall- bir partide karşılaşır -ki hala sevmektedir kendisini- ve kısa sürede yakınlaşırlar, yanına bonus olarak Randall,Vivian ile bir iş görüşmesi ayarlar Claire..

Herşeyin rayına oturmaya başladığını düşünen Claire ilerleyen zamanlarda, Vivian'ın piyasada edindiği ününün gerçekliğini kavrar..Ve Randall'a olan ilişkilerinde bir eksiklik hissetmeye başlar.Ama olsun o Randall'ı seviyordur.Ve zaten düğüne de ne kalmıştır ki?

Tüm bunların yanında asistanlığını yaptığı eski patronunun yeğeni Luke vardır..Luke yanındayken bir kızarmalar aman amaa..Sanki liseli kızlar gibi..(ben lisedeyken başıma gelmedi nedense :)Ama söyledim ya o Randall'ı seviyordur ve sonuçta düğün yakın..Ama..Aması var işte..

Kitap düğün gününden başlayıp bir yıl öncesine dönüyor..Claire istediğinin olmasıyla hayal etmenin farkını kavrıyor..Randall 'anne'm dediyse doğrudur' sözüne körü körüne inanmayı sonunda bırakıyor..Allah için tatlı adamdı ama...(aması kitapta ;)

Neyse efenim..Vivian Şeytan Mar. Giy.'deki cadımızın aksine sonuna kadar çirkinliğini sürdürüyor..Kızı düğün günü bile gelinliğinin içinde çalıştırıyor..Neden istifa etmiyor derseniz..Bir yıl dayanma sözü vermiştir kendisine.Çok fena halde sinir oldum yani...

Bu arada yazık be editörlere ;) Çok çalışıyorlarmış cidden :)

[Ladyslott · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another of the boss from hell books, a la The Devil Wears Prada, but not nearly as well done as that book.

Claire Truman has taken a job at Grant books working for foul mouthed, tyrannical, possibly certifiably insane Vivian Grant (the author worked for the famously ill tempered Judith Regan). Although she takes the job knowing all the rumors about Grant, Claire is nevertheless stunned to find out they are all true. She has however decided to stick out the job for one year, in order to learn as much as she can and beef up her resume. In the course of that year she also re-connects with her old college crush, and becomes enmeshed in a whirlwind romance with him, while also harboring an unrequited love for the author whose book she is editing.

Claire as portrayed in this book is a wimp who seems to let everyone run her life: her boss, her boyfriend, his mother. She never stands up for herself, and frankly I got weary of her long before the end of the book. You can probably guess the outcome from the bare facts I have laid out, and the book was predictable and none of the secondary characters came to life for me. The foul language was also a bit over done with the F word dropped what felt like every other paragraph. I would rather read a book with a stronger female character that was not as offensive as the very strong but loathsome Vivian Grant.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason I'm giving it such low stars is because this book seemed to have trouble deciding whether to focus mainly on the main character, Claire's, drama at work dealing with her evil boss, Vivian Grant or ont he relationship (or lack thereof) between Claire and her hubby-to-be Randall. It felt like there could have been a lot more detail about each scenario and solid character development had the author chosen a more finite focal point. Too bad...the story had a lot of potential..I assume it was written on the heels of the success of the Devil Wears Prada (of which of course there can be only one!).
I would still check out more books by Ms. Clark and see what she comes up with in a second novel.

[lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you want a quick, easy,light book this is it..The title i think is a bit of a contradiction as the main character,Claire, is working for a tyrant.Therefore, Claire can not do anything!!! Her boss reminds me of the boss in The Devil wears Prada, however the boss in this book is in the book publishing buisness.. So, Claire has it tough at work.when will her boss explode??? when will she have a tantrum??? will Claire be in the line of fire????.however.on a happy pleasant note..her love life couldn't be better...or could it???? will she survive????

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think The Devil Wears Prada, set in the world of books. Back when I worked in book publishing, I had several fabulous bosses. Except for one boss who was an absolute nightmare (doesn't everyone have one of those at some point?). So needless to say, I could relate to this story.

I listened to the audiobook version, which I recommend. Mary Birdsong (how fitting) is an excellent narrator, and she brings a host of disparate characters to life. I especially loved her take on the tyrannical, vindictive boss Vivian, whom I actually found as hilarious as she was terrible/insane. Fun stuff.

[Naghmaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book because I could relate to the characters in this book. SHE Reminded me of my own boss. There were too many similarities.

[Tuğba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved this fun book but I think the only disappointment I had with the book was at the end. I really wanted more of a declaration from Luke. It just wasn't as grand of an finale as I wanted.

[Aya Lawliet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Per prima cosa lasciatemi esprimere la mia soddisfazione di fronte a un romanzo non certo scevro di sesso ma miracolosamente privo di scene di sesso: se ne leggono così tante di inutili e/o cringe (o entrambe le cose) che la loro assenza, soprattutto là dove più te ne aspetteresti, come in questo caso, diventa un toccasana. Passando alla trama vera e propria: è vero, nel secolo di Miranda Priestly, Vivian Grant non è nulla di originale. Ma è anche vero che ogni recensione è soggettiva, e visto che il mondo editoriale mi è molto più vicino di quello della moda, questa "versione" non mi è affatto dispiaciuta (al massimo mi ha spaventata: lavorare in una casa editrice è uno dei miei sogni, ma una realtà come la Grant Books ucciderebbe la passione di chiunque!). L'unica vera pecca che riscontro in questo genere di libri è che, a conti fatti, "quella stronza del capo" non è poi quell'elemento narrativo centrale spacciato dal titolo e dalla sinossi. Così come vale per Andy (parlo del romanzo della Weisberger, lasciate stare il film che è molto diverso), anche quella di Claire è più che altro una storia romantico-relazionale, così che la sfera lavorativa scivola sullo sfondo in modo sempre più tangibile: ci può anche stare, ma a questo punto perché darmi una premessa fuorviante? Da lettrice mi aspettavo di poter empatizzare dalla prima all'ultima pagina con una brava lavoratrice alle prese con un lavoro impossibile – e identificarmici: era questo il motivo per cui ho intrapreso la lettura – ma alla fine mi sono ritrovata a leggere più che altro della vita sentimentale della protagonista, con quello stesso lavoro impossibile relegato a pura cornice narrativa, e addirittura subordinato alla stessa, nel senso che è il love interest di turno a trovare quel lavoro a Claire. Non so, mi aspettavo di più.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

O carte drăguță, asa cum este si stilul in care este încadrată. Colectia chic, are povești amuzante, usor de citit si cu poveste drăguță. Cartea seamănă cu diavolul se îmbracă de la prada, putin cu sex and the city, si putin cu am nr tau de kinsella. Este un amestec asa, dar nu m a plictisit si nici nu mi a parut rau ca am citit o. Chiar dacă m a enervat personajul principal pt ca mi se parea ca nu avea "oua", i am inteles alegerile si chiar m am amuzat de reactiile ei. E o carte de 4 stele, dar nu vreo capodopera. Pt stilul ei este o carte bunicică.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very similar to The Devil Wears Prada, but in the book industry instead of fashion. The author once worked for Judith Regan and one assumes that's where the boss from hell impetus came from. I actually liked this book better than Devil. Yes, it is predictable, and yes it seems like once the author got to the last chapter or two she was pooped and so decided to wrap it up quickly. However, I enjoyed the read.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very similar to The Devil Wears Prada, but in the book industry instead of fashion. The author once worked for Judith Regan and one assumes that's where the boss from hell impetus came from. I actually liked this book better than Devil. Yes, it is predictable, and yes it seems like once the author got to the last chapter or two she was pooped and so decided to wrap it up quickly. However, I enjoyed the read.

[Maranda Carvell · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Not-great-not-bad light story, but the audiobook leaves a lot to be desired. The main character is in her 20s but the narrator sounds like she's in her 50s, and there is is jarring (terrible) music at the beginning and end of the chapters.

The resolution left a lot to be desired; the story lines resolved but there didn't seem to be any purpose to the character's journey.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is exactly what you expect it to be. Well... almost exactly. I found it odd that there were tons of stories about Vivian throwing things, but Claire never actually witnessed her being physically violent. In a way, the whole books treats horrible people as inevitabilities. I'm pretty sure people with anger issues actually tend to have a hard time getting far in any business.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ondanks dat dit boek was wat ik even wilde stelde het alsnog weinig voor. Het grootste gedeelte is hetzelfde: vrouw met een te drukke baan en niet geschikte vriend. De laatste twee hoofdstukken zijn daardoor wel weer leuk maar komen te laat. Verder wel weer zin om meer chicklits te lezen (it's the season), iemand tips?

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a slower start for me (at least to listen), but I absolutely was absorbed in everything by the end of everything.

Randall gave me the creeps and I was so excited that the book didn't end with her living "happily" ever after with him, but also upset that I had to deal with him as long as I did.

[Timmie Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a mix of humor and romance, showing how Claire struggles to balance her stressful job with her personal life. She learns a lot about herself, her ambitions and how to stand up for what she wants. If you enjoy stories about career challenges and personal growth, with a bit of romance, try to read this book :)

[Helene Passy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK holiday read. Bit expected, but well written.

[Heather Nielsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a variation The Devil Wears Prada in a book setting. It was enjoyable, very much a beach read. The audio book added music for different setting changes.

[Inge (Inge1990) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik wilde het verhaal uitlezen maar het is een aftreksel van de duivel draagt prada. Maar dan met boeken.
Dat is ook het enige verschil zo ongeveer. En dat maakt het meteen ontzettend saai

[Fabyana Camargos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gostei, mas não amei. Achei que a relação entre alguns personagens pudessem ser um pouco mais desenvolvidas. E senti algumas situações previsíveis e outras tiradas do nada, levando a nada.

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The kind of book that gives chick lit a bad name. I should have known better than to pick it up. Ironic, because one of the central themes is publishing bad but marketable work.

[Quintin Reitzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Need to look up some more Bridie Clark books!