Volume 2, No. 35 September 13, 2002
‘Blondes’ have more fun By Elizabeth Raley Stereotyping is something that I try not to do, but “4 Blondes” by Candace Bushnell, leaves me no choice. Like the unfortunate stereotype of a blonde, this book is mindless, simple and gossipy. As it is penned by the same author as “Sex in the City,” I had some reservations before reading the book. Only having seen the television show of the same name, I feared that “4 Blondes” was going to be the same way. Bushnell’s second attempt at writing is not as crass as the HBO series, but then again, I haven’t read the actual book. Like “Sex in the City,” the stories in “4 Blondes” are of an adult nature, occasionally graphic and a little naughty. Smutty actually is the word that comes to mind. Bushnell tells the tales of four different women who lead intriguing but predictable, shallow lives. Each woman — Janey, Winnie, Cecelia and an unnamed journalist — is featured in her own separate, but loosely connected, section of the book. Every story is sprinkled with bad relationships, men-chasing, evil sisters and a desire to be important. All four women are at a turning point in their lives (entering their early 30s), where they have to decide whether to continue living as they are or make changes for the better. Often this choice is between being selfish and thinking of others’ feelings. The characters seem to have one common goal in life: to be rich and liked by the right people. Scandal, sex and drugs make this book a page-turner, but the stories aren’t really ever concluded. They just sort of end and I was left thinking I wanted closure, but then realized that I didn’t care enough about the characters for it to matter that much. The women and their situations don’t induce empathy nor is it easy to relate to them. People like this do exist, so they are believable, but in a freakish sort of way. Reading these stories makes me very glad and appreciative of the fact that I am in a healthy relationship, am not strung out on drugs or too concerned with being in the right crowd. It made me feel very normal. I am also glad that no one I know is like any of the characters. It probably sounds as if I didn’t enjoy reading “4 Blondes,” but I did. I read it in a day and a half. It reads like a romance novel and it isn’t trying to be anything more than that. There is enough scandal to pique curiosity and make it fun to read. Sometimes reading something light and mindless is just the trick. Raley is a staff photographer.
Home | Accolades | What’s the Buzz | Art and About | The Reel Deal Book Marks | On the Safe Side | The Bee Line | Classifieds | Contact the Chronicle | Chronicle Archives