Book Review: The Devil Wears Prada

Last night I read my 29th book in my 50 book challenge. The Devil Wears Prada got bumped up on my To Be Read list since it is on everybody's wishlist at PaperBookSwap.com.

The story has a reputation of being extremely funny. I didn't laugh, even at the running joke about a million girls dying to have An-dre-ah's job. Instead my thoughts turned to something else entirely.

I began to see how renowned author Gregory Maguire could apply his special treatment of poorly understood, maligned, evil, and dislikeable characters to Miranda Priestly. His noted re-imagination of classic stories told from the point of view from the antagonist (because there are after all two sides to every story) would perfectly apply to The Devil Wears Prada.

I could imagine how Miranda would be portrayed: her forgetfulness would be attributed to a long-ago brain injury, which would explain why she kept calling Andrea by the name Emily; her temperament and moods could also be attributed to this brain injury, or perhaps some kind of disease or syndrome which would make Miranda act as she does. This affliction would be milked to have the audience feel sorry for Miranda, to understand that she is a victim caught in her own life.

Also, I can see the treatment applied to Miranda that would shed light in her hectic life of producing a well-respected magazine, plus being a trend-setter in a fast-paced, cut-throat industry. More sympathy and pity would be gained in explaining about Miranda's poverty stricken childhood and how she lives with deep internal conflict and misery for abandoning her Jewish ancestry of favor of fitting in, and that she regrets the path she has taken, etc.

True to the spirit of Maguire's treatment, Andrea would be portrayed as an ungrateful bitch who is really the villain. We would see Andrea in a dim light, revealing her evil side and total bitchiness. Rounding it out, we'd learn that Miranda is not the cold-hearted devil she is perceived to be, but truly hurts inside and longs to be understood.

I've got a stack of books to select from. I can't believe I'll be starting on my 30th book!