Lit Flicks: Confessions of a Shopaholic

For my fifth novel for the Lit Flicks Challenge I read Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella.  In truth I probably won't see the film until it's in the dollar theater, but I can compare what I've read and make predictions based on the trailers I've seen!

Becky Broomwood is a finance writer at a finance magazine in or about London.  She's also a compulsive shopper.  Some people eat when they are depressed, Becky shops.  She's also in debt and overdrawn.  But yet, she continues to shop.

What ensues are ridiculous lie after ridiculous lie and ridiculous justifciation after justification on why she needs a $200 pair of jeans or a $300 scarf.  In fact, the first 200 pages I did not really like Becky much, and I thought maybe this book should become required reading for many Americans I know.  It would go something like this ... See how ridiculous you are?  Buying things you can't afford?

In the end of our novel she gets in some scrapes and as is the way with most Chick Lit, all is well in the end.  Which I happen to like in my quick reads.  This is recommended beach reading if you can get past the fact that a woman that can't afford to buy bread or pay rent is paying thousands of dollars for clothes as if it's nothing.

What do I think the movie will leave out?  Well ... if the trailer is to be believed I think they flatten out Luke's character and make him as shallow as Becky starts out (a particular scene in Prada) and they did something stupid with how Becky realized magic existed when she was seven and has a love affair with credit cards.  Not so much in the book.  Becky loves new things and just doesn't think of the expense.  It's not in the equation.  Because it's really an addiction.  She feels bad, she needs something new to make her feel better.  She shops for that high, the elation at finding the right outfit / shoe / purse / etc.  It's really kind of depressing actually.  Like reading about a cocaine addict only it's less messy and there's more product placement.

I worry the movie won't do well in this particular time of our American lives.  The Sex and the City age of $400 shoes and couture seems to be on the way out and simpler, more humble digs seem to be what's in style.  But hey, maybe that reality isn't true for everyone.

The book is a quick, fun, easy beach read.  There are 4 others in this series.  If they are at the used book store, they may make the TBR list!