From Amazon.com
Gigi Levangie Grazer has written one previous novel (
Rescue Me), helped pen the screenplay for
Stepmom, and, not least, is married to Hollywood uber-producer Brian Grazer (he of the wacky hair and the not-so-wacky partnership with Ron Howard). At first glance, Mrs. Grazer appears to be a complete parvenu as a novelist.
Maneater rips off every girl-power/shopaholic source from early Tama Janowitz right up to
Sex and the City. Her prose can be ungrammatical, her plot hopelessly predictable, and her characters paper-thin. But Grazer has a secret weapon: her preternaturally acid powers of observation. When she writes about the freaky mores of Hollywood, the book exerts an irresistible pull. Thirtyish LA It girl Clarissa Alpert reflects on her shallow, jobless, mateless (but fabulous!) life, and decides it's high time she was married. She and her four best friends (hello, Sarah Jessica Parker and company) hatch a plan to snag the cutest, hottest young producer in town. What ensues is hardly new territory, but the book is enlivened by Grazer's amazing ability to nail down pop culture ephemera. To wit: "Clarissa was sentimental--she liked saving messages from old friends and C-level celebrities. She had an answering tape collection that dated all the way back to babydoll dresses, sparkle dust and Hole." Her eye for detail--and her refusal ever to make Clarissa lovable, or even likable--make
Maneater a hypnotic read. This is fiction-as-gigantic-chocolate-bar. Halfway through, you feel a little off color, but there's no way you're going to stop.
--Claire Dederer
--Ce texte provient d'une édition qui n'est plus publiée ou qui est non diponible.
From Publishers Weekly
No other actor could capture the voice of spoiled L.A. golddigger Clarissa Alpert as perfectly as Thurman does here. She effortlessly evokes the petulance, sense of entitlement and "Ohmigod, wait 'til I tell you..." Valley Girl shallowness of this hilarious anti-heroine. Thurman effectively differentiates all the character voices, including Clarissa's coterie of colorful girlfriends. She offers a hint of British accent for Simon, Clarissa's pretentious, faux-English ex-boyfriend; a light Spanish accent for Alejandra, Clarissa's Brazilian mom; and a smarmy, false sincerity for the Hollywood movers and shakers who populate Clarissa's world. The story itself is frothy fun with a wicked satirical edge. As soon as she hears of Aaron Mason, the hottest movie producer in town, Clarissa decides to land him and his bankroll for herself, and begins phoning florists and caterers to plan their wedding-before they even meet. Her machinations are successful-or so she thinks. It turns out her quarry has been scheming just as shrewdly, motivated by his own agenda. Perfect for a long road trip or a lazy weekend at the beach, Grazer's entertaining satire is sure to spice up any occasion.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
