Girl Next Cubicle: Chick Lit Challenge

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Chick Lit Challenge for April: The Other Woman by Jane Green

I own several of Jane Green’s novels, but because I read them way, way back I’ve forgotten how utterly enjoyable her style is. Good thing I picked The Other Woman for this month’s challenge, because it completely made up for the somewhat disappointing reads I chose for the first three months.

The Other Woman is the story of Ellie Black, a woman in her mid-thirties who, like most women her age, wants to keep career and romance on the same level of success. The ultimate superwoman, right? Well, work eventually took a backseat to married life as Ellie found herself planning for her wedding—make that having her wedding planned by her mother-in-law. Said mother-in-law did not stop there, no she did not, as she continued the assumption of the stand-in wife and mother roles upon the birth of Ellie’s baby son.

The entire story was tremendously personal and real, and I literally found myself gritting my teeth whenever Linda, the mother-in-law from hell, would show up on any page. I wanted to kick Dan’s ass for having no backbone. Though Ellie’s friend Lisa turned out to be the token bad girl, I actually found her genuine in her badness; she was consistent throughout, despite the warm moments she shared with Jane which almost always seemed forced. I had a complete change of mind as I was convinced by Ms. Green regarding Linda’s being misunderstood, and how she only wants to please everyone. In her case, it’s eagerness that wins over logic, which often triggers uncomfortable moments between her and Ellie.

In the end, I liked that Ellie finally discovered her own sense of self, independent of her husband, son, and career. She eventually chose to go back to her marriage, but without learning valuable lessons regarding love, relationships, and giving people another chance.

Chick Lit Challenge for March: Dating Big Bird by Laura Zigman

I picked up this book because I found the title intriguing and kind of quirky. Dating Big Bird? I suddenly conjured images of the fluffy yellow mascot I used to fawn over on TV, except in my mind he’s all grown up and has become a ladies’ man. Of course, the book wasn’t about that, but about a single woman’s quest to find the perfect mate, the right guy who would help her create a cute little girl or boy. There was actually an explanation in the story regarding the use of the ‘Big Bird’ character, but it has totally escaped me.

Ellen is over thirty-five, single, and does the marketing for one of the biggest designers in the country. Her biggest goal—which I was reminded of practically on every page—

is to have a child of her own, or else she would probably steal her sister’s young daughter Nicole. Her steady date, Malcolm, has had a traumatic past that has made him averse to sex; so what’s a girl to do? She eventually decides to go with a sperm donor, gets pregnant, and, to satisfy chick lit’s requisite happy ending, reunites with an enlightened Malcolm.

I applaud the author for tackling a serious issue in a light-hearted style, but honestly I found the narrative boring. Every action and movement was about the feasibility of getting pregnant, which kind of got old halfway through. I would have wanted to see how the different aspects of Ellen’s life—work, love, family—come together to help her achieve her objective, but these just sort of provided the background and environment. I think the only part that had me turning pages faster was when she had the brainchild of gifting her intimidating—and pregnant—boss with a necklace that carried the title ‘Mammo”, which symbolized all empowered mothers. Ellen herself is not that interesting; her colleagues had better personalities and wittier lines. Then again, if you’d like really light reading—don’t get your hopes up if you expect it to reveal deeper insights—and are at that stage when having a baby would be the best thing ever, read this book.

I’ve read somewhere that the author’s earlier work, Animal Husbandry, is quite good. J

Chick Lit Challenge for February: How To Be Single by Liz Tuccillo

I haven’t read Tuccillo’s He Just Not That Into You, and have only caught a few parts of its film version on HBO. If I were to make the decision to read that more successful book based on my opinion of How To Be Single, I’d say forget it.

The premise seemed interesting enough, and the promise that Julie, the protagonist, would be traveling around the world to get insights on female singlehood (in the late 30s to 40s) sounded like a globalized Sex and the City, complete with a cast of friends—Alice, Georgia, Serena, and Ruby—that echoed the fabulous relationships of the iconic SATC girls. Sadly, I found none of this to be engaging in the way the story was turned out. I expected a more mature outlook on being single in this context compared to those in chick lit featuring twentysomethings; after all, this is supposed to be about women who have lived at least one notable chapter in their lives, thus singlehood should be taken on a different level.

But page after page of Tuccillo’s novel was filled with often shallow and desperate decisions of these women, who all surprisingly lacked the finesse appropriate for their age. I’ve read praises for this book about its being real, but I personally think the realness has been highlighted to a degree that has made it, quite honestly, a farce. There’s a constant tone of paranoia that shouts out in every scene, and Tuccillo’s attempts at nuance only achieved the counterpart of small, irrelevant talk during what is supposed to be an enlightening discussion. In the end, Tuccillo decided she would preach about being single, to quote, “I think we are going to have to love ourselves. Fuck.” Of course, this was said in the context of her long-running stream of realizations, but really, didn’t we know this? Isn’t this what every chick lit and self-help book has been saying forever? And the fact that this was the discovery borne out of extreme research and experience somehow made me think that all that traveling (if that was the sole objective) was just a waste of time. And hype.

Anyway, better pick up another book to get back on track.

Chick Lit Challenge for January: Reality TV Bites by Shane Bolks

Reality TV is probably my guiltiest pleasure, and I’ve watched everything available to me. Whether it is the moving, reach-for-your-dreams tone of American Idol, the cattiness of the Real Housewives, the cheesy and downright annoying boardroom scenes of the Donald and The Apprentice, or the engaging talent of wannabes in Project Runway and Top Chef, reality TV just makes me want to stop and watch all 60-so minutes of each episode. The fact that everything is supposed to be real—save for the strategic editing angles to create interesting stories—somehow makes it strangely more authentic than the obviously more intelligent and substantial shows that come straight from writers’ minds.

It’s reality TV and chick lit—two of my greatest obsessions. So when I chanced upon Shane Bolks’ Reality TV Bites, I felt both my greatest escapes coming together to create the ultimate getaway. Here I met Allison Holloway, of the model-worthy face and figure and cosmopolitan life as a glamorous interior designer and heiress to her parents’ vast fortune. Mind you, she’s not exactly Ms. Perfect—she’s part slutty and part insecure—and this somehow makes her real. Sort of. The connection to reality TV is made when Allison’s employer, Interiors by M, is commissioned by a Japanese production company to take part in a reality show called kamikaze Makeover that curiously sounds like Extreme Home Makeover, but ridiculously exaggerated and obvious in its portrayal of media objectives regarding commercialism and ratings. Decorate the home of a struggling family for free? Yes, that’s the point. Use vibrators as elements for every room? Hit the ratings jackpot. It kind of reminded me of Iron Chef America, wherein the chefs are required to cook an entire meal using a ubiquitous ingredient, like, say, chicken feet. On top of all this, Allison got into a steamy game of flirting tag with suave Nicolo Parma, erstwhile European prince and the show’s producer. Of course, regular, sports-loving guy Dave has to be in the picture to balance the equation. In the end, Allison realizes that Nicolo just played her to get her to violate show rules, and she finally runs into Dave’s all-American arms.

The story just had to emphasize the ‘reality’ angle to parallel Allison’s life, as she resolved her commitment issues and use of sex to compensate for her troubles since childhood. However, this seemed a bit confused and convoluted, since the whole thing was clearly to prepare her for a real relationship with Dave. Though Allison redeemed herself eventually (through a flimsy resolution that revived her career and reputation), I felt that the narrative went through so many twists and turns that it became difficult to follow the logic and relevance. Also, there was this problem with the book’s writing: in some chapters, Allison kept using the word ‘fudge’ to replace a more familiar, to-the-point four-letter word, but in some parts she sounded more controlled and sophisticated. It’s almost as if the novel was written by two people.

Well, I can’t really claim that Reality TV Bites is one of the best I’ve read, but it was fun in some parts. Just don’t read it in one sitting. Better yet, I recommend you take it with you and read it while at the dentist or at long supermarket queues. Can’t get any more real than that.