Book Club Kits: The Devil Wears Prada

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A delightfully dishy novel about the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses.

Andrea Sachs, a small-town girl fresh out of college, lands the job “a million girls would die for.” Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestly, the high-profile, fabulously successful editor of Runway magazine, Andrea finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, heart-wrenchingly stylish women and beautiful men clad in fine-ribbed turtlenecks and tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breathtaking ease, Miranda can turn each and every one of these hip sophisticates into a scared, whimpering child.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA gives a rich and hilarious new meaning to complaints about “The Boss from Hell.” Narrated in Andrea’s smart, refreshingly disarming voice, it traces a deep, dark, devilish view of life at the top only hinted at in gossip columns and over Cosmopolitans at the trendiest cocktail parties. From sending the latest, not-yet-in-stores Harry Potter to Miranda’s children in Paris by private jet, to locating an unnamed antique store where Miranda had at some point admired a vintage dresser, to serving lattes to Miranda at precisely the piping hot temperature she prefers, Andrea is sorely tested each and every day—and often late into the night with orders barked over the phone. She puts up with it all by keeping her eyes on the prize: a recommendation from Miranda that will get Andrea a top job at any magazine of her choosing. As things escalate from the merely unacceptable to the downright outrageous, however, Andrea begins to realize that the job a million girls would die for may just kill her. And even if she survives, she has to decide whether or not the job is worth the price of her soul.

Read an excerpt from the novel.

• This book has been on the Bestseller lists.  Do you think it deserves this distinction?
   
• This book is often classified as Chick Lit.  Discuss some of the characteristics of Chick Lit that are used in this book.
   
• Do you have any “boss from hell” stories?
   
• Do you believe that any boss could be as bad as Miranda?
   
• What do you think was the worst thing that Miranda did to Andrea?
   
• Do you think Miranda was malicious, or was she just too caught up in her own world to bother explaining?
   
• Andrea’s coworker, Emily, wasn’t very helpful or supportive.  Do you think this was realistic, or was Emily’s attitude just used to make Andrea more miserable?
   
• What did you think of Andrea’s boyfriend, Alex?  Was her too perfect?  How about her friend, Lily?  What about the writer, Christian?
   
• What is the role of Andrea’s family in the book?
   
• Towards the end of the book, the author mentions Vogue editor, Ann Wintour.  Do you think she did this to help minimize comparisons between the fictional Miranda and the author’s former boss, Ms. Wintour?
   
• Do you feel that Andrea did the right thing at the end of the book when she returned from Paris?  What about what she did with the clothes?
   
• Is there a moral to this story?
   
• If you have seen the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada,” discuss similarities and differences with the book.  What about the actors cast in the roles?  Is there anyone you would have cast instead?
   
• The author has written another book, Everyone Worth Knowing, which has received mixed reviews.  Do you think that the author may be a “one book wonder?”  Will you be reading any more books by this author?  Would you recommend this book to a friend?

The Devil Wears Prada on IMDB.

Check the catalog for availability: The Devil Wears Prada [videorecording DVD]