Book Review: Revenge Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

10 years ago Shaili Desai 3

Revenge Wears Prada : The Devil Returns is the sequel to the very popular book ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, based on which a movie starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway was made. Revenge wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger tells the story of Andrea after she leaves Runway (and Miranda, the ‘devil’).

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The sequel starts with Andy’s marriage to Max Harrison, a suave businessman belonging to one of those old rich families in New York. Andy has now started a wedding magazine with none other than Emily and they have become almost best friends. However, the freedom she enjoys in her work seems to come under a threat as somebody from the past comes back in to her life. Her wedding day starts with a dream involving Miranda Priestly and a note sent by her mother-in-law-to-be asking Max not to marry Andy.

This book is all about Andy, nowhere is it about Miranda Priestly. I mean, yes, she does come back, as the chief editor of Elias Clark who is interested in acquiring Andy and Emily’s business. But the story is more about the implications of this and its effect on Andy and her family rather than Miranda taking revenge.

There are bound to be comparisons with The Devil wears Prada, especially since the book has enjoyed so much popularity. And so, when you compare the two, Revenge wears Prada falls short.

The book is still funny, especially the titles of each chapter and Weisberger’s tone remains cheery and smart. But Andy keeps on thinking way too much about every little thing and running away from important issues. There was strangely not much of a connect between the two books as the characters seem so much different. I felt as if all the characters had essentially changed into somebody hard to recognize. After reading Devil Wears Prada, could you have imagined that Andy would start a wedding magazine, of all things?

The book is still entertaining, yes, but it is too much about Andy and less about Miranda. The brilliant character of Miranda Priestly that Lauren Weisberger created in Devil Wears Prada is almost wasted in the sequel.

About the book: Revenge Wears Prada | Lauren Weisberger | HarperCollins | Fiction | 320 pages | Rs. 299

Note: A copy of this book was provided by the publishers, Harper Collins.