Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Women's Lives and Relationships Annotation: The Undomestic Goddess


Image result for the undomestic goddess


Title: The Undomestic Goddess
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Genre: Chick Lit
Publication Date: 2005
Number of Pages: 384
Geographical Setting: England
Time Period: Modern day

Plot Summary:
Samantha Sweeting is a top lawyer at Carter Spink, one of the best law firms in London and is about ready to make partner, her dream she has been working for the last 7 years. On the day she finds out she is going to make partner she decides to clean off her desk which over the years has become a mess because she doesn’t have a second to clean it up and she finds a document on her desk for a claim she never filed. When she realizes she made a mistake she freaks out and jumps on a train out of London. She has no idea where she is going she just goes and ends up in a small town. When she walks up to this house off the main road to ask for directions she is mistakenly taken for the housekeeper that Geiger was trying to hire. After accepting the job because she had nowhere else to go at the time, she meets Nathaniel the gardener. After watching her disasters attempt to make super for the Geiger the first night he asks her if she wants cooking lessons from his mother. You watch as Samantha learns to try and relax and take time for herself and find out what she wants to do next in her life.
Subject Headings:
·         Household employees
·         Workaholics
·         Mistaken identity
·         Single women
·         Women lawyers
·         Country homes
·         Men/women relations
·         Errors
·         Psychic trauma
·         Life change events
·         Secrets
·         Cooking
·         Housekeepers
Appeal:
·         Flawed
·         Funny
·         Witty
Elements of Women’s Lives and Relationships:
The mood is humorous but with an optimistic outlook. Well, Samantha has never cooked or cleaned before she was optimistic about her ability to be able to do it.
The protagonist is female and has one close friend who is always trying to get her to do things that she would normally do even though she turns them down.
The storyline reflects the issue of women in highly demanding jobs and at one point talks about feminist vs intellectuals.
The setting is contemporary and set in modern-day England.
The writing style is humorous and tells personal stories.
The pacing is unhurried but draws readers into the story.
Similar Authors and Works:
Read-alike Non-fiction
Fairly Equal: Lawyering the Feminist Revolution by Linda Silver Dranoff: for anyone who wants to learn more about women in law.
The Tao of Martha: My Year of LIVING; or, Why I’m Never, Ever Getting All That Glitter Off of the Dog by Jen Lancaster: for the one who enjoyed reading about the disasters that befallen Samantha when housekeeping.
Dishing with the Kitchen Virgin by Susan Reinhardt: This is a collection of stories about food disasters and recipes.
Read-alike Fiction
A Crowded Marriage by Catherine Alliott: both books have heroines face major turning points in their life.
Not Working by Lisa Owens: both books have flawed but likable characters who blow up their lives with sudden career shifts.
Bridget Jones by Helen Fielding: both books have a quirky protagonist who finds themselves in strange circumstances that they must overcome.


14 comments:

  1. 1. I love you called this genre for what it is: chick lit. Even though I hate the phrase, i think it's accurate for the most part. And, there are some fun chick lit books out there (I still kind of want to be Bridget Jones even though her life is a mess).

    2. This actually sounds like a fun book I would enjoy reading. I love the not a domestic goddess angel, and the fish out of water fun. It also sounds like a cute romance, without being too much.

    I wonder why this book appeals to me when some of the others people have written about do not; i'm guessing it's because i find it flippant and silly instead of trying too hard?

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  2. Laura,
    This book sounds fun and entertaining from reading your description. Perhaps a quick, light, entertaining read? I couldn't get past the fact, though, that Samantha just ran away from her problem. I wish it were that easy in real life. I read a Publisher's Weekly review and found that she, in fact, can not just escape her past and discovers a terrible secret kept by the law firm (https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-33868-4). I was relieved that she didn't manage to just run away from the problem and now am intrigued enough to actually read the book! Thank you!

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  3. Hi Laura! So, did you like the book? I have to admit this is not a genre I am interested in so it's good to read you annotation and get an idea of what to suggest. One of your recommendations sounds interesting, Dishing With the Kitchen Virgin. Have you read that one?

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    1. I did enjoy this book a lot. I have not read Dishing with the Kitchen Virgin but the description sounded interesting and I want to read it at some point.

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  4. Laura,

    I like that you describe this book as being humorous! If I'm going to read a book in this genre, that's generally what I prefer. And, even though the topic of starting over can be a scary one, it also means that the person reading it won't end up feeling overwhelmed by the negative aspects which every story must have (otherwise it's not really a story, is it?). Great job!

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  5. Those were some good read-alike suggestions. I thought the book by Jen Lancaster was an especially good recommendation. It seems to align really well in its description with the themes of Kinsella's book. Did you find that on NoveList perhaps?

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    1. The Jen Lancaster wasn't a direct read alike but I used some of the subject heading and search just nonfiction and this is one of the titles that came up.

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  6. Laura,

    I appreciate that you mention the story line and pacing being unhurried but still compelling. I feel that this is the perfect combination. Often, I feel like authors think that they need a fast paced novel to hold a readers interest, but for sure if I pick up a book like this, sometimes I just want a lazy read that is not throwing in unnecessary action and pacing twists and turns all the time. As long as it pulls me in, I am good with however the author chooses to pace their story line.

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  7. Hi Laura! I'm glad you picked a Sophie Kinsella for this genre! I always find her books eye-catching on the shelves, because they are so bright and colorful, and have a fun font. I've been meaning to read her whenever I'm in the mood for Chick Lit, but somehow I always end up getting distracted by other books, haha. Have you ever read Kinsella's Shopaholic series? How do they compare to her stand-alone books?

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    1. I have not read the Shopaholic series but have wanted to. I did read another of her stand alone "Twenties Girl" and it was really good. I plan on reading the Shopaholic series when I have time.

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  8. I guess I'd never thought of Sophie Kinsella's books as women's lives and relationships before! This week definitely gives me a new view on the genre, as it always felt like the slooow books with women sitting around drinking coffee--and that's not for me. I think I'm like Emily above. :) But Sophie Kinsella books are cute! And a part of the genre I can get behind! Chick lit is exactly what the brain needs sometimes, eh?

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  9. This sounds hilarious! I can totally imagine her running through the city in a panic. I can't imagine the thought process of "well, I guess I'm here so I'll take the housecleaning job ..." once she finds herself in the small town. What happened when the real housekeeper showed up??? Thanks for your annotation; it's very well-written - and it cracked me up! ~Anna

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  10. I quite enjoyed your annotation! This is my favorite thing about this class- I am discovering that it is good to sometimes get out of my comfort zone (horror genre) and read things that are funny and light. It sounds like there are many funny events that occur in this book!

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  11. Excellent annotation! Full points!

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