Bookshelf: A Year In High Heels
The lovely folks at Harper Collins Publishers sent me a copy of A Year In High Heels: The Girl’s Guide to Everything from Jane Austen to the A-List, by Camilla Morton to review and share avec vous.
Now, une femme’s days of referring to herself as a “girl” are long since past, however I figure that it’s never too late to learn something new. “Très cool,” I thought, believing I’d sit down and light a fire in the fireplace and read it through cover to cover. But I realized quickly, it’s not that kind of book. Arranged chronologically by date to encompass an entire year, the book blends historical tidbits, juicy mini-biographies of famous women (and some men), travel notes from designers (including Manolo Blahnik, bien sur) and fashion insiders, interesting bits of trivia, plus how-to advice on topics ranging from how to podcast, to how to avoid becoming seasick, to how to learn to love opera, to how to write a letter, to how to start a business, to how to moonwalk like Michael Jackson. This is a book you pick up and read a snippet or two, and can always expect to learn something and be amused in the process. For example, did you know that the word “yacht” comes from the Dutch word “jacht” meaning to throw up violently? (Whether this is actually true or not, wouldn’t it be fun to drop that little tidbit at your next cocktail party?)
Targeting a younger, fashion- and culture-conscious woman, the writing style is like a fancy cocktail: frothy but with a bit of kick. I enjoyed the (small c) cosmopolitan Sex-and-the-City-ish humor, though I found a few instances where Ms. Morton plays a little fast and loose with facts for the sake of a good punch line. Some of the advice is practical, some a bit fantastical, and those looking for a serious how-to tome may be disappointed. Otherwise, welcome the era of the competent, Renaissance girly-girl, who in addition to managing a career can mix a Mohito, wear a Manolo, and name the characters from The Marriage of Figaro; it is for her this book was written.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 United States License.
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I will have to check it out, it sounds like a fun read.
I appreciate your generous, lively review, altho’ I’m unlikely to pick up the book — having a hard time keeping up with the reading as is!
I quite liked Anna Johnson’s “Three Black Skirts- All You Need to Survive” as a how-to for young women. You know you are beyond the intended audience when you spot factual errors in these pastiche books. You are way kinder about this type of book than I would be.
Sounds cute.
Julianne and LBR – yes, light and fun would be primary descriptors.
Arabella – so far, the only reference to Jane Austen I’ve come across is context of the etiquette of letter writing in Jane Austen’s day and how Darcy’s letter to Elizabeth would have been obviously scandalous to Austen’s contemporaries, and explains why Elizabeth did not answer it.
materfamilias and Duchesse – it’s true, we’re not the target audience. My younger self would probably have picked up this book and gleaned quite a bit from it.
Wendyb – I enjoy your historical biographies more, but you might enjoy some of the snippets in this book.
Nice cover.
Does the entry on Jane Austen explain her importance as one of the most subversive and influential writers in the English language? Or the way her name is used to sell poorly written airport fiction to women?
Runs for the door!
It looks like a light and fun read. I tend not to buy these kinds of books. Books with shoes and handbags on the covers often scare me away.
So this is a book you can read in pieces-like taking a piece of chocolate from the box ( except that I can´t control myself with the chocolate). Not bad.
Sounds a bit LITE, but also really, really fun. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book!
I loved this line.
“Targeting a younger, fashion- and culture-conscious woman, the writing style is like a fancy cocktail: frothy but with a bit of kick.”
Extremely well written book review…I look forward to more!
Some education on culture and reading trivia is always appreciated. Honestly, I think we could all do with more knowledge and a good chuckle.
Fun stuff. Just call me a pedant (or word maven, I prefer), but from:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/yacht
we get:
–noun
1. a vessel used for private cruising, racing, or other noncommercial purposes.
–verb (used without object)
2. to sail, voyage, or race in a yacht.
Origin:
1550–60; < early D jaght, short for jaghtschip hunting ship, equiv. to D jacht hunt (deriv. of jagen to hunt) + schip
[Probably obsolete Norwegian jagt, from Middle Low German jacht, short for jachtschip : jagen, to chase (from Old High German jagōn) + schip, ship.]