Interesting scathing " Leftbanker " book review of Sophie Kinsella's book " Confessions of a Shopaholic "

Leftbanker's Reviews > Confessions of a Shopaholic Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella Want to Read Rate this book 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars Confessions of a Shopaholic (Shopaholic, #1) by Sophie Kinsella (Goodreads Author) 352711 Leftbanker's reviewOct 05, 2007 did not like it bookshelves: novels [Vile cultural poison masquerading as a poorly-written novel. I think that a heroin addiction is less damaging to young women, and it's certainly more interesting to read about. If there is a male equivalent to women’s mindless and completely uncool pursuit of name-brand (read: expensive) fashion, it would be a dude with a mullet peeling out in a Trans Am in the parking lot of a strip club blaring a Ted Nugent anthem. Maybe that previous sentence doesn't make much sense, but it was fun to write and the imagery is worth a lot more than a thousand words. I suppose that what I'm trying to say to female compulsive shoppers and the mullet guy is just stop, please. It's for your own good. This book made me physically ill. I felt like I was in more peril reading this book than anyone on a toxic waste clean-up crew. I’d wager that this book is the hands-down favorite in every nail parlor in America. Whenever I hear women talking about Prada et al, I imagine that they are studying up to go on The Price is Right. She talks as if shopping for luggage is somehow a satisfying and rewarding way for two adults who aren't brain-dead to spend an afternoon. It's creepy. It doesn’t even have anything to do with quality; it’s simply image. Self definition through shopping, I can't imagine a more pathetic idea. I would imagine that there are lots of women who feel that their purchases somehow make them unique. Don't these nitwits realize that everything they buy is one unit out of millions? They are all just chumps for not shopping at the thrift store, but that place is just full of hipsters these days. The saddest part about this is just how many people have read this pile of offal. It always amazes me who we allow to speak in this culture, and by “allow” I mean by our tacit acquiescence to whatever crap the corporate powers force-feed us. I have written about this elsewhere in more detail, but the only aspect of our popular culture that runs strictly on merit is sports. Everywhere else fame and fortune is handed out mostly through cronyism, nepotism, or the decision is made in a boardroom somewhere. I can only wonder how many fine novels have been suppressed so that this fatuous story can make it on to the bookshelves. It also amazes me how many people praise this book because it's so easy to read. If that's all you are looking for then I suggest Dr. Suess. 53 likes · Like ∙ flag Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read Confessions of a Shopaholic.] Sign In »