Because She Can by Bridie Clark

Because She Can Reviews

• 
  Laurie

  I don't know about this book. It was recommended by Vogue, so... The main plot idea is basically stolen from The Devil Wears Prada - super evil boss who makes everyone's life a living hell and expects people to do things that are impossible. Except this book takes place in the book publishing industry. I actually didn't think Vivian Grant (the devil in Because She Can) was as awful as Miranda Priestly. I mean, okay, it sucks to be loaded up with tons of work and very tight deadlines, but at least Vivian never asks Claire (our heroine) to get a copy of a book that hasn't even been published yet (although, I bet it would be easier for Claire than Andy because of Claire's book publisher relationships... I digress).
  
  There is also a love triangle, which I felt was a bit underdeveloped. Claire starts dating some rich guy who she was in love with in college (he barely knew she existed back then) and the whole thing just seems... weird. I kept waiting for a bombshell - she's pregnant! he's cheating on her! his mom is only using their relationship as a way to get revenge on her mom who used to be her BFF and now lives in Iowa! But no. There really was nothing. You'd have to read the book to understand what I'm talking about. It's too hard to describe, but I really don't know if I want you reading this book.
  
  The book wasn't TERRIBLE, but it wasn't amazing. It's a quick read. I liked that the chapters were all titles of books. That was sort of clever. It's books like these that make me think that I should really just hurry up and churn out my novel b/c if Because She Can and books like it can get published, then certainly my stuff can too.
• 
  Karen

  Echt een heerlijk boek!
• 
  Colleen

  I read this book on a recommendation, and enjoyed it (though not as much as I had hoped to before reading). Readers familiar with The Nanny Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada will recognize the basic plot: crazy boss gradually turns down to earth employee a little insane before employee remembers she is a good person and makes a break to follow her heart.
  
  Claire Truman lands a fabulous job working for a famous publisher Vivian Grant (a thinly disguised Judith Regan) only to discover that her new boss is certifiable. Assistants rarely last a month, editors are subject to profanity-laden tirades, and books are almost a sideline at the publishing house. Add in a troubled relationship with her fiance, and you have all the makings of a bestseller.
  
  The book is well written, and I enjoyed the inside dirt on the world of publishing (though I recommend Olivia Goldsmith's The Bestseller if you want more focus on the publishing end). All in all, this was an enjoyable book club read, and worth a 3.5 star rating.
  
• 
  Brittany Risko

  I liked this book enough, but I found some things I didn't really like about it:
  1. Her weird obsession with Randall pre them dating
  2. Vivian is an absolute bitch, which I realize was intentional but dang
  3. Randall's mom
  
  I read this book really quickly but was pretty disappointed at the end of it.
• 
  Demi Stroet

  Reads quickly. Like a funny version of the devil wears prada.
• 
  Noelle

  When I think of classic chick lit novels, three things come to mind: men, career, and materialism. Bridie Clark's first novel Because She Can gives us at least two of those in a quick, entertaining, and, at times, stressful read. The story revolves around Claire Truman, your average New York editor trying to make it in the publishing world. After her beloved boss and mentor retires and her less-than-mediocre boyfriend dumps her, Claire's life takes a dramatic turn when she runs into non other than Pabst Blue Ribbon Randall Cox, her college crush and an absolute heartthrob. Not only do they hit it off right away, but Randall gets her an appointment with Vivian Grant, one of the best publishers in the business. While a certifiable lunatic, Grant gives Claire an offer she simply can't refuse. This nerve-racking and demanding job takes a toll on Claire's weight, sleep, and social life as the boss from hell gives her outrageous tasks and impossible deadlines, all leading up to a delightful yet predictable ending.
  
  Those that have read this novel may thing, "Wait! Haven't I seen this plot before?" I agree at times the plot seems to be taken directly from Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada. Both have romance, comedy, and the crazy boss no one wants to work for. Yet, found that the surface plot was all that these two novels shared. Bridie Clark has taken a well-known story and shaped it into a creation all her own.
  
  One refreshing aspect of Because She Can is the non-materialistic protagonist. So many chick lit novels deal with shopping and spending exorbitant amounts of money on things the heroine not only doesn't need but can't afford. Claire Truman is the least materialistic character I have seen in the genre to date. She prefers small, personalized gifts rather than flashy expensive ones. Her clothes, bearing labels from more affordable designers, was plain, black, boring, and often wrinkled from a night spent in the office. While shopping related money troubles can be entertaining, Claire's absent fashion obsessions makes her a more relatable and likable character.
  
  While only a minor aspect of this novel, I found Clark's use of classic novel titles as headings to her chapters a fun little additional to a novel set in the literary world. Love in the Time of Cholera, The Awakening, And The Sound and the Fury set the reader up for what to expect in each chapter while also reiterating the importance of books to the heroine.
  
  As a whole, I would say that Bridie Clark's first novel was a success. There were some minor problems such as editing errors and characters too closely related to famous ones. However, Clark's style and her ability to tell a story more than make up for the novel's downfalls. Working as a former book and magazine editor herself, Clark writes about what she knows. If Clark develops a more unique story but keeps her wit and style, she is sure to have an amazing novel to follow her pleasant debut.
• 
  Canan ^^

  Şeytan Marka Giyer'den sonraki en komik 'yaşlı cadı ve çömezi' hikayesi...
  
  Kitabın kapağında yazan bu yazıya o kadarda dikkat etmemenizi öneririm...
  Zira Şeytan Marka Giyer'i izlemiş biri olarak katılmıyorum...
  Burdaki yaşlı cadı ciddi anlamda cadı..hani bi süpürgesi eksik..
  Vivian..yani namı diğer cadı ve patronumuzdur kendisi...ona daha sonra değinmeliyim mutlaka =)
  
  Olay şu ki..Claire bir editör olmak istemektedir..Ama asistanı olarak çalıştığı patronu artık yaşlandığını söyleyerek, torun torba, kolunda hanımı emekli olmaya karar vermiştir.Yani kızımız işsiz kalacak gibi.
  Derken yakın arkadaşınında yardımıyla üni. aşkıyla-Randall- bir partide karşılaşır -ki hala sevmektedir kendisini- ve kısa sürede yakınlaşırlar, yanına bonus olarak Randall,Vivian ile bir iş görüşmesi ayarlar Claire..
  
  Herşeyin rayına oturmaya başladığını düşünen Claire ilerleyen zamanlarda, Vivian'ın piyasada edindiği ününün gerçekliğini kavrar..Ve Randall'a olan ilişkilerinde bir eksiklik hissetmeye başlar.Ama olsun o Randall'ı seviyordur.Ve zaten düğüne de ne kalmıştır ki?
  
  Tüm bunların yanında asistanlığını yaptığı eski patronunun yeğeni Luke vardır..Luke yanındayken bir kızarmalar aman amaa..Sanki liseli kızlar gibi..(ben lisedeyken başıma gelmedi nedense :)Ama söyledim ya o Randall'ı seviyordur ve sonuçta düğün yakın..Ama..Aması var işte..
  
  Kitap düğün gününden başlayıp bir yıl öncesine dönüyor..Claire istediğinin olmasıyla hayal etmenin farkını kavrıyor..Randall 'anne'm dediyse doğrudur' sözüne körü körüne inanmayı sonunda bırakıyor..Allah için tatlı adamdı ama...(aması kitapta ;)
  
  Neyse efenim..Vivian Şeytan Mar. Giy.'deki cadımızın aksine sonuna kadar çirkinliğini sürdürüyor..Kızı düğün günü bile gelinliğinin içinde çalıştırıyor..Neden istifa etmiyor derseniz..Bir yıl dayanma sözü vermiştir kendisine.Çok fena halde sinir oldum yani...
  
  Bu arada yazık be editörlere ;) Çok çalışıyorlarmış cidden :)
  
  
• 
  Ladyslott

  This is another of the boss from hell books, a la The Devil Wears Prada, but not nearly as well done as that book.
  
  Claire Truman has taken a job at Grant books working for foul mouthed, tyrannical, possibly certifiably insane Vivian Grant (the author worked for the famously ill tempered Judith Regan). Although she takes the job knowing all the rumors about Grant, Claire is nevertheless stunned to find out they are all true. She has however decided to stick out the job for one year, in order to learn as much as she can and beef up her resume. In the course of that year she also re-connects with her old college crush, and becomes enmeshed in a whirlwind romance with him, while also harboring an unrequited love for the author whose book she is editing.
  
  Claire as portrayed in this book is a wimp who seems to let everyone run her life: her boss, her boyfriend, his mother. She never stands up for herself, and frankly I got weary of her long before the end of the book. You can probably guess the outcome from the bare facts I have laid out, and the book was predictable and none of the secondary characters came to life for me. The foul language was also a bit over done with the F word dropped what felt like every other paragraph. I would rather read a book with a stronger female character that was not as offensive as the very strong but loathsome Vivian Grant.
• 
  Cathy

  The only reason I'm giving it such low stars is because this book seemed to have trouble deciding whether to focus mainly on the main character, Claire's, drama at work dealing with her evil boss, Vivian Grant or ont he relationship (or lack thereof) between Claire and her hubby-to-be Randall. It felt like there could have been a lot more detail about each scenario and solid character development had the author chosen a more finite focal point. Too bad...the story had a lot of potential..I assume it was written on the heels of the success of the Devil Wears Prada (of which of course there can be only one!).
  I would still check out more books by Ms. Clark and see what she comes up with in a second novel.
• 
  Diana Townsend

  I am going to be completely honest... I loved this book. I just loved it. Claire is living the life I always thought I would live, a young editor with an amazing mentor, and then she accepts a job with a notorious bully named Vivian and reconnects with a guy she crushed on hard in college, and her entire life changes. I guess I loved the book because I could relate to Claire and I was truly interested in her feelings and her life. I just loved the characters, even Vivian with all her sad craziness. This is a book I will buy and read over and over with a cup of tea.
• 
  Joanna

  Think The Devil Wears Prada, set in the world of books. Back when I worked in book publishing, I had several fabulous bosses. Except for one boss who was an absolute nightmare (doesn't everyone have one of those at some point?). So needless to say, I could relate to this story.
  
  I listened to the audiobook version, which I recommend. Mary Birdsong (how fitting) is an excellent narrator, and she brings a host of disparate characters to life. I especially loved her take on the tyrannical, vindictive boss Vivian, whom I actually found as hilarious as she was terrible/insane. Fun stuff.
  
  
• 
  Tuğba

  Loved this fun book but I think the only disappointment I had with the book was at the end. I really wanted more of a declaration from Luke. It just wasn't as grand of an finale as I wanted.
• 
  Maria

  O carte drăguță, asa cum este si stilul in care este încadrată. Colectia chic, are povești amuzante, usor de citit si cu poveste drăguță. Cartea seamănă cu diavolul se îmbracă de la prada, putin cu sex and the city, si putin cu am nr tau de kinsella. Este un amestec asa, dar nu m a plictisit si nici nu mi a parut rau ca am citit o. Chiar dacă m a enervat personajul principal pt ca mi se parea ca nu avea "oua", i am inteles alegerile si chiar m am amuzat de reactiile ei. E o carte de 4 stele, dar nu vreo capodopera. Pt stilul ei este o carte bunicică.
• 
  Jules

  Very similar to The Devil Wears Prada, but in the book industry instead of fashion. The author once worked for Judith Regan and one assumes that's where the boss from hell impetus came from. I actually liked this book better than Devil. Yes, it is predictable, and yes it seems like once the author got to the last chapter or two she was pooped and so decided to wrap it up quickly. However, I enjoyed the read.
• 
  Maranda Carvell

  2.5 stars. Not-great-not-bad light story, but the audiobook leaves a lot to be desired. The main character is in her 20s but the narrator sounds like she's in her 50s, and there is is jarring (terrible) music at the beginning and end of the chapters.
  
  The resolution left a lot to be desired; the story lines resolved but there didn't seem to be any purpose to the character's journey.
• 
  Ethan

  This book is exactly what you expect it to be. Well... almost exactly. I found it odd that there were tons of stories about Vivian throwing things, but Claire never actually witnessed her being physically violent. In a way, the whole books treats horrible people as inevitabilities. I'm pretty sure people with anger issues actually tend to have a hard time getting far in any business.
• 
  Sarah

  Ondanks dat dit boek was wat ik even wilde stelde het alsnog weinig voor. Het grootste gedeelte is hetzelfde: vrouw met een te drukke baan en niet geschikte vriend. De laatste twee hoofdstukken zijn daardoor wel weer leuk maar komen te laat. Verder wel weer zin om meer chicklits te lezen (it's the season), iemand tips?
• 
  Bridget

  It was a slower start for me (at least to listen), but I absolutely was absorbed in everything by the end of everything.
  
  Randall gave me the creeps and I was so excited that the book didn't end with her living "happily" ever after with him, but also upset that I had to deal with him as long as I did.
• 
  Paolo Nardi

  
  http://speloncalibro.blogspot.it/2008...
• 
  Helene Passy

  An OK holiday read. Bit expected, but well written.
• 
  Heather Nielsen

  It's a variation The Devil Wears Prada in a book setting. It was enjoyable, very much a beach read. The audio book added music for different setting changes.
• 
  Inge (Inge1990)

  Ik wilde het verhaal uitlezen maar het is een aftreksel van de duivel draagt prada. Maar dan met boeken.
  Dat is ook het enige verschil zo ongeveer. En dat maakt het meteen ontzettend saai
• 
  Fabyana Camargos

  Gostei, mas não amei. Achei que a relação entre alguns personagens pudessem ser um pouco mais desenvolvidas. E senti algumas situações previsíveis e outras tiradas do nada, levando a nada.
• 
  Christy

  The kind of book that gives chick lit a bad name. I should have known better than to pick it up. Ironic, because one of the central themes is publishing bad but marketable work.
• 
  Quintin Reitzel

  Excellent! Need to look up some more Bridie Clark books!
• 
  Shelly Whitcomb

  Enjoyed this book. Love the story and characters! I listened to it on audible and the reader had s great voice to listen to.