Can You Keep A Secret? – Sophie Kinsella
I borrowed this from a friend, who was introduced to the author – or at least her Shopaholic series – by her brother. That’s right, I’m not the only bloke in the world that reads chic lit and enjoys it.
I’ve not read any of her stuff before, but I really enjoyed this. I particularly liked the male character, Jack, who – for once – I could really sympathise with. Yes, he’s rich and handsome, of course, but he has emotional depth: he’s been a recluse for four years since his business partner and best friend died, and when he comes back, he barely recognizes the business in which he made his name.
What else did I like about this? It’s funny. There are some great comic moments (Jack’s brutal exposure of protagonist Emma’s show-off perfect cousin is brilliant), some comic characters (the increasingly psychotic posh flatmate Jemima) and some drop-dead embarrassment moments, which nonetheless manage to be funny rather than just painful (Alan Partridge this is not).
I also liked the fact that there was a hint of realism in what the relationship between an office junior and a millionaire CEO would look like. They live in different worlds, and the novel gives a taste of that.
I like the fact that as the book goes on, Emma too reveals hidden depths. Okay, she lied about getting a C in her maths GCSE (which isn’t much of a qualification these days) and has no idea what NATO stands for, but as a marketing trainee it turns out she has real potential precisely because she’s real and unpretentious (but not unaware of the world around her). That also means that she and Jack have a real reason to relate to each other rather than just because the story needs them to.
Ok, as with pretty much any book these days it’s not particularly in tune with my ideas on sex. I suppose these days it’s something that Emma actually goes out with Jack twice before they sleep together, and that she is sensible / realistic enough to take condoms on her hot date; but it would be nice to get away from the cliché that all relationships automatically start with lots of great sex.
But the real message of this book for me is that opening yourself to other people and letting them into your secrets maybe isn’t such a disaster as it might seem. I can agree with that.
Fun, funny, but not brainless.
I’ve not read any of her stuff before, but I really enjoyed this. I particularly liked the male character, Jack, who – for once – I could really sympathise with. Yes, he’s rich and handsome, of course, but he has emotional depth: he’s been a recluse for four years since his business partner and best friend died, and when he comes back, he barely recognizes the business in which he made his name.
What else did I like about this? It’s funny. There are some great comic moments (Jack’s brutal exposure of protagonist Emma’s show-off perfect cousin is brilliant), some comic characters (the increasingly psychotic posh flatmate Jemima) and some drop-dead embarrassment moments, which nonetheless manage to be funny rather than just painful (Alan Partridge this is not).
I also liked the fact that there was a hint of realism in what the relationship between an office junior and a millionaire CEO would look like. They live in different worlds, and the novel gives a taste of that.
I like the fact that as the book goes on, Emma too reveals hidden depths. Okay, she lied about getting a C in her maths GCSE (which isn’t much of a qualification these days) and has no idea what NATO stands for, but as a marketing trainee it turns out she has real potential precisely because she’s real and unpretentious (but not unaware of the world around her). That also means that she and Jack have a real reason to relate to each other rather than just because the story needs them to.
Ok, as with pretty much any book these days it’s not particularly in tune with my ideas on sex. I suppose these days it’s something that Emma actually goes out with Jack twice before they sleep together, and that she is sensible / realistic enough to take condoms on her hot date; but it would be nice to get away from the cliché that all relationships automatically start with lots of great sex.
But the real message of this book for me is that opening yourself to other people and letting them into your secrets maybe isn’t such a disaster as it might seem. I can agree with that.
Fun, funny, but not brainless.
Labels: Reading
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