I finished this book a while ago, so I apologize for taking so long. And my judgement may be impaired from just how I read it, but I don't think Sophie Kinsella's "The Undomestic Goddess" was all it's cracked up to be. And from what I understood, it was her best, but maybe I understood wrong.
I love Sophie Kinsella's whimsical way of writing and her charming characters and the way everything she writes just flows. I like to read a lot of her stuff because I love her style and hope to learn from it and use it in my own writing. But, "The Undomestic Goddess"? I don't know.
The story is about a workaholic, Samantha Sweeting, who's worked herself to the bone in her law firm and is just on the verge of becoming partner. So for understandable reasons, she can't back down now. And then a series of events propels her into pretending to be a maid and cook, and being hired as such, which, of course, being focused as a lawyer, she has no idea how. She can't cook or clean or iron.
The plot idea I love. A lawyer pretending to be a domestic? It's the perfect plan for a comedy. But I don't know. . Something went wrong in the sense that it's like everything went right. Or there really weren't any surprises. Maybe that's my issue, it was all too predictable from the start, and I like being taken for a ride, not just assured that my predictions were true.
And the sex scene was unnecessary.
VIOLENCE/GORE: This is kind of a funny question for a chick lit book; did it have violence or gore? Gore, no, I can say that off the top of my head. Violence I don't even remember. I believe one character punches another, but that's about it.
LOVE/SEX: There is a sex scene and nudity. Upon further research, I believe this is actually Kinsella's worse book for that, meaning this book has her most "elicit" sex scene, which is probably why most believe it's her best. But I didn't appreciate it. And it makes Samantha sound nasty and shallow, which she admits openly in the book.
It isn't disgustingly graphic. Kinsella wraps it up quickly in about a paragraph. The foreplay is drawn out, but it's just them picking berries in their underwear and brushing up against each other every now and then, arms and hands.
I have to say something for Nathaniel. He kind of acts like a pawn in this sense. I know I'm being incredibly critical, but really. It's like he barely meets her, and sure he pretends to be strong by torturing her, but he gives her what she wants anyway and she isn't bashful about it. It just. . eck. Irritates and disgusts me.
Honestly if this was the first of Kinsella's works I read, I probably would've skipped all the other ones. But before this (and for some random reason I don't understand, I didn't review them) I read "Twenties Girl", "Remember Me?", "You have my number" (something like that) and I feel like I'm missing another. . So I guess I was lucky. Or she was, if she cares. Lol. So somebody is at least.
DRUGS/ALCOHOL: As in all her books, Kinsella mentions the casual glass of wine. And a character in the book owns a pub she helps out in. Drinks are very casual.
And there you have it.
