Gente guapa

by Rebecca Campbell

«¿Cómo podría ocurrir nada bueno en un sitio llamado East Grinstead?» Katie Castle lo tiene muy claro. A sus veinte años, es demasiado inteligente y hermosa, y tiene demasiado estilo como para seguir viviendo en East Grinstead con sus padres, esas personas vulgares que no se codean con la beautiful people de la ciudad y ni siquiera conocen la edición francesa de Vogue. El primer paso para abandonar su gris existencia es estudiar en la Escuela de Diseño de Londres, el lugar ideal para aprender técnicas tan útiles como ligar con chicos gays y mujeres heterosexuales y entrar en las discotecas sin pagar. Pero una chica que sobrevive con cincuenta libras a la semana y que tiene un diploma sin ninguna utilidad no tiene muchas posibilidades a la hora de encontrar trabajo en Londres, a menos que se llame Katie Castle y pase casualmente por delante de la tienda de la diseñadora Penny Moss, justo cuando acaban de colgar un cartel con una oferta de trabajo.

Conseguir el empleo no le será difícil; tampoco le costará ningún esfuerzo conseguir un rápido ascenso, y mucho menos enamorar al hijo de su jefa. Katie ha hecho realidad el sueño de su vida: convertirse en una chica fashion de Londres. Ahora celebra fiestas a las que acude la gente más extravagante de la ciudad, sus nuevos amigos visten de Dior y además está inmersa en los preparativos de su boda. Pero, ¿qué pasaría si en unas horas Katie lo perdiera absolutamente todo y tuviera que rehacer su vida lejos de la gente guapa?

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Fashion, Humor, London, Romance, Contemporary

311 pages, Hardcover

First published February 26, 2002

About the author

REBECCA CAMPBELL was educated at the London School of Economics and the London College of Fashion. She and her mother, Paddy Campbell, run a clothing design firm that sells throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom.

There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really witty, fun book! Sometimes you just need to read something that makes you laugh all the way through. You go from hating the main character, to liking her, to pitying her, and sometimes even being ashamed of her! The author did a good job of keeping it real. There was no sugar coating on this one.

[Ciara · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly? this book was dreadful. i only gave it two stars because i read it while i was at the clinic awaiting my abortion, & i greatly appreciated its mind-numbing qualities. i mean, i sat & rotted in the waiting room for like seven hours that day. it's the tale of a very unlike-able narrator who works in some fashion--i think she is an assistant to a designer or something. & she's engaged to the designer's kind of nerdy nature-loving son. but then she has a one-night stand with the driver at the designer's manufacturing center or something & her life goes to hell. she gets fired, her fiancee dumps her to go study eagles on some scottish island, she has to move in with a college friend who is a total schlub, & then she wrecks that by boning her friend's crush or something, i don't know. she's just not sympathetic, i don't know what the author was really going for here. somehow she pulls herself together & comes up with her own fashion design ideas or something, & she wins everyone over again & gets back with her fiancee & happy endings for everyone (ew, not like that). i actually don't even remember how it ended because i read those parts post-abortion when i was too crampy to enjoy proper brain functioning & memory control. i'm surprised i even remember the part about eagles on a scottish isle. in sum, you can safely skip this one.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a chick lit novel by Gissing or Zola.

[Sanela K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peta knjiga koju sam pročitala ove (2023.) godine je "Luda za modom, šta se tu može" (Slave to fashion) Rebeke Kempbel. Naslovnica mi je izgledala onako simpatična, kao i prevod naslova na naš jezik, koji je podsjećao na refren Brenine pjesme ("Luda za tobom, šta se tu može"). Očekivala sam jedan chicklit za opuštanje. Ipak, na početku je išlo teško, dolazila sam u iskušenje da odustanem od daljeg čitanja. Podsjećalo me na situaciju kada upoznate neku finu osobu, ali ona jako puno i jako brzo priča, jedva da napravi pauzu da udahne zrak. Stil pisanja je bio takav da prati misli i aktivnosti glavne junakinje i baš je puno toga bilo nabacano u kratkom vremenskom razmaku, pa bih se umorila poslije pročitane jedne stranice...
Glavna junakinja Keti Kastl je ostavljala utisak površne i egocentrične osobe koja je voljela modu i radila u modnoj industriji. Gazila je hrabro naprijed, vodeći računa samo o sebi, kako osvajanjem željenog samca, sina svoje direktorice, tako i prilikama za napredovanje. Jedna rečenica u kojoj spominje svoje kolegice to najbolje opisuje: "Njima se ne dopada način na koji sam napredovala u svojoj karijeri, ostavivši njih za sobom. One misle da ja mislim da sam sada previše dobra za njih, što ja stvarno i mislim, a i jesam.". Još par rečenica takođe dobro opisuju njen stav: "Grozno skladište u Majl Endu, mnogo žena koje tamo mučno rade i čiji su životi previše grozni da bi se o njima uopšte i razmišljalo."... "Ima samo deset minuta hoda duž Majl End Rouda do magacina, ali je to uvijek dovoljno da se oneraspoložim. Ljudi koji nemaju veze sa svijetom mode, misle da je tu se samo Milano i modne revije i piste i supermodeli. Samo kada si unutar tog svijeta vidiš eksploatatorske krojačke radionice, magacine i Majl End"...
Nakon što napravi nešto (da ne pravim spojlere) ona kao katapultom ostaje izbačena iz svega, s posla, iz stana, iz svoje veze. Borac, kakva i jeste, nakon pada i dolaska sebi, ona kreće sve iznova, od samog početka, samo ovaj put sa dosta niže startne pozicije nego prvi put. Ipak, tokom svih tih peripertija, Keti se malo ipak mijenja nabolje. Ne previše, tako da može da djeluje i realističnije nego u knjigama sa klasičnim hepiendom. Najbolje da navedem citat sa zadnjih stranica: "Ti si se promijenila, zar ne, Keti?"... "Živjeti znači mijenjati se. Ne možeš to da spriječiš. Ali, ako si time mislio na to da sam bolja, ljubaznija, pametnija, ne znam. Možda malo. A ako misliš na to da sam prestala da budem tašta i egocentrična i da sam prestala da se ponašam kao kučka i da budem zaljubljena u modu, onda ne, ne bar istinski". Tako je i bilo. Drago mi je što nisam odustala od čitanja ove knjige. Ocjena: 2 + ⭐️⭐️

[Tania · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good satire, both of the fashion world and of the whole `Brit chick lit' genre. It's a simple story of the rise and fall of Katie Castle. I loved the interaction between Katie and Peggy Moss in the first section of the book. I admit that I found the first chapter or two slow, but by the time Katie and Peggy were in Paris, I was hooked. I thought Katie was actually a well rounded character. She wasn't a nice person, by any means, but I liked that about her - she appealed to my dark side. Katie could say and do things that I'd never dream of, so the book provided a good escape in that sense. I also liked that she did have something of a conscience (albeit not a well developed one), she did learn from her mistakes, and she had a degree of self awareness. I found myself wanting to see her succeed.

The first part of the book developed the relationships well enough that I genuinely felt bad for her mistake, and I wanted to see her win back the boyfriend. Campbell manages to take a woman who is very different from most of the people who read the book, and yet make her someone we could relate to. Who hasn't messed up royally in their lives? She is able to find the insights and morals in the story. There are no profoundly original truths written here - it's all stuff we already know, on some level, but the reminders work. It's got just enough depth to be interesting, but it's not so serious that it comes across as pretentious.

The book wasn't absolutely perfect, of course. I thought some things happened too quickly and too easily, like the exposure of what Katie did, and even her ability to get back what she lost. I didn't like the ending - it was all just too easy. Some of the characters - particularly the men - were poorly developed. But those things are just minor complaints that keep the book from gaining full-fledged classic status. It's still better, funnier, and smarter than a lot of books available today. Worth a read!

[╟ ♫ Tima ♪ ╣ ♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me almost 2 months to read this thin book. It didn't grab my attention, its depth is shallow and over-written. I was more excited to finally be done with the book than with the actual ending of the book (which wasn't terrible, but didn't redeem the novel itself). This book was one from a 25 cent sale at a tiny thrift store in Shelton, WA. I figured it a perfect opportunity to grab as many random as possible. You win some, you some.

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slave to Fashion was an oversimplified novel of having it all in life (a career, love, happiness), making a poor decision (a fling), and getting it all back (career, love, and happiness).

The story progressed slowly through the first half. And the main character, Katie, comes across as a materialistic, self-serving, know-it all. It was not until the end of the story, that Katie becomes somewhat likeable as a character as she helps out the "less fortunate".

[Plum McCauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books I ever read. The predominantly negative reviews baffle me. This is THE FUNNIEST chick-lit book out there, full of fabulous one-liners and excellently drawn slapstick. I mean seriously, it's very hard to write a scene depicting physical comedy, and very hard especially to do it without being in any way corny.
This writer is brilliant. I only wish I'd come up with some of these lines myself. Maybe it takes a fellow writer to appreciate Campbell.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is funny in the silliest of ways: entertaining because of the writer's skill as opposed to the character's actions. Though the story is often predictible, you keep reading because its so damned funny!

[LisaSunshineGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly well-written cautionary tale.

[Lori March · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Katie character ruined this story. I couldn't like her. She was close to everything I try not to be. Didn't even feel that bad about her misfortunes. Was hoping for a fun witty story but got racist, self righteous ignorance instead. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

[Jonelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't as bad as I thought.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute fluff. Enjoyable.

[Ginger Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf

[Kisha]

I dont know what i just read but it was pritty bad.

[Amanda]

Did not finish, it just did not hold my interest so I abandoned it after about 45 pages.

[KC · Rating 2 out of 5]

surreal but not on purpose

[Cynthia DiNunzio · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay book. Was not satisfied with how it started compared to how it ended.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

""

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katie Castle has it all - a great job in fashion, a fiancee/boyfriend who is the boss' son, and entry into all the exclusive parties. Then she goes astray with an Irish driver- just once - and her world falls apart when she is caught. She is fired, Ludo (boyfriend) leaves her and she is thus rendered homeless. Katie is forced to rebuild every aspect of her life from the ground up and rely on her hidden talent and skill for once. When she does, she becomes even more of a success and is able to regain what she once had and even more!

Entertaining, no question about that, but also very unbelievable. Katie's escapades just don't make sense. Plus, you are left with the very nasty moral of "if you cheat, you will eventually profit from your sin." Katie doesn't have to rot away, but the ending should have had her NOT with Ludo and NOT back working with Penny. Not that she should get revenge either, but a better moral to this story would have been "sometimes your mistakes, even if painful, can show you your true path."

[Yvonne · Rating 1 out of 5]

WORST BOOK EVER WRITTEN........This is one terrible book I picked this one up because it semed like an easy read, and it is easy but it is so awful. First I didn't like tha style of writing the aurthor used. It was conversational like the character was standing infront of me having a conversation with but I was lost in the conversation. Everytime I put the book I didn't remember what had happened the last time I read. Truly a forgettable book even other books I didn't like I could remember the storyline. This doesn't even get one star because it doesn't deserve it. I orginally thought about picking some more books by the author but after reading this one it will never pick read her again.

[Elizabeth Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super funny British chick lit. Laughed out loud, driving my husband crazy!

[Stefani · Rating 1 out of 5]

Katie Castle is selfish, materialistic & famous designer wannabe. She acomplishes somewhat of the things she wants, but she's looking for more. The one last "trip" she does prevents her marriage with Ludo fro occuring. She loses everything - her job, fiance, apartment, best friend. Not wanting to go back to her parents house she struggles to survive in London. In the end she gets everything back.

Through Katie we learn a valuable lesson - You can have all in one moment, but you can also lose it all in a second. Be careful!

Overall impressions: Pastime book.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book during my summer of light reading. It's the story of Katie Castle, a fashion manager who has it all and risks it all for a little fling before she settles down. Totally self-absorbed Katie has to hit rock bottom before she looks outside herself to help others.

I was somewhat annoyed with Katie, and the book, during the first half. However, I really enjoyed Katie's growth and "return to society." Light but enjoyable.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a total piece of fluff, this book actually had a lot of one-liners that made me laugh out loud! I read this while I was recovering from surgery and it was easy, fun, and trashy enough to read when I needed just this sort of book. I actually enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. Sure, Katie and her flock of friends and foes are of the cookie-cutter variety. But the author's wit and the quick pace of the book kept me entertained.

[Tizire · Rating 1 out of 5]

sólo recomendaría esta novela a los amantes del chick - lit y a las personas interesadas en el mundo de la moda, ya que creo que a otros lectores puede resultarles algo tediosa; yo mismo estuve a punto de dejarla al principio, aunque al final mejora considerablemente.

- ¡Si quieres saber más, sigue el enlace para leer la reseña completa en mi blog!
http://www.elladofriodemialmohada.com...

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like Sophie Kinsella's books, you'll enjoy this one, too. A very quick, read...predictable in that chick-lit sort of way. Girl works her way up...screw up...gets knocked back down and has to pick herself up and start the process all over again. You know the girl will end with the guy...but it's still a fun, frivolous read. Perfect for the beach.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is possibly one of the worst books i've read! after reading the back cover, i thought it was definitely a book that i'd enjoy. the story starts off soooo slow and i did not like the style of writing this author used. i found it hard to stay focused reading it. i stopped reading after the first 30 pages.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had it's moments, but it wasn't one of my favorites - not like I wasdying to find out what was going to happen next. If you have nothing better to read, then it's ok - but you can probably find something better.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for an online book club. I gave up on it as well. The main character was extremely self-centered and arrogant and I just couldn't get into the book. As I was in the middle of reading a couple more, I decided to call it quits on this book.