Book Review - Cecily von Ziegesar's Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
Published by: Poppy
Publication Date: 2003
Format: Kindle Edition, 224 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy
I picked this up first because I love the trashiness of the show, but second because it was only $2.99 on the Kindle and I wanted to read a book on it right away. My love of the Kindle has been confirmed with reading this book, my love of the book series, not so much. I really enjoy the tv show, which does surprise people, because it's a trashy teen show and I am more of the refined BBC broadcasting girl (yeah I know that phrase is repetitive, but it works). The naked facts are these, I grew up watching and loving Dallas, and Gossip Girl is, in essence, Dallas for teens, set on the Upper East Side. So, being a book girl, and one who really has to read the original book of an adaptation at one point or another, either before or after (sometimes simultaneously, like with Vanity Fair, but that got annoying, especially having to stop watching and then read a bit, and then having the miniseries spoil me on a major plot point), I really had no choice in checking out Cecily van Ziegesar's book. Honestly, I didn't.
For Banned Book Week, I thought I'd do a nice topical book review, ie one of the most contested of 2008. So my analysis...it was really boring. Why even bother banning this book? What they are able to make look smooth and polished on tv with all the glitz and glamor, and surprisingly really good casting, the show has Wallace Shawn after all, is really just vapid and shallow. Of course I'm not saying that I expected Shakespeare here, but the characters had no redeemable qualities at all. Nate smokes pot all the time, they all smoke like chimneys, and Jenny has really big boobs that get mentioned, a lot. Plus the whole book was only like one episode, which I think is a smart decision, as an hour of tv it works, as a 200 plus page book, not so much! The entire plot centers around Serena's return to New York from boarding school after being expelled, not for anything lascivious, but for showing up three weeks late, and then her subsequent exile from her old posse while they prepare for the "Kiss on the Lips" falcon benefit. Much bitching about Serena, Nate being stoned and unable to choose Blair or Serena and Dan loving Serena while Jenny tries to become part of the in crowd. Nothing very new or original or interesting. One plus, it was an extremely fast read.
In the end, I think I won't be picking up any more of this series to read. While it's fun to watch these characters and revel in their tawdry little world on tv I don't think I could stand living in their world for more than an hour a week. It's better to observe them from afar and not have to actually listen to what passes for "thoughts" in their little alcohol, pot and pill soaked brains.
Also what was the picture of Serena really? Couldn't we at least have had closure on that? Cause I'm not picking up another one of these just to find out.
I never read any books of the serie, but i think i'm not going to try it! I love the show, but don't know about the books.. :)
Thank you for your honest review!
Nina said... October 2, 2009 at 7:36 AM
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BashfulToast said... October 2, 2009 at 8:25 PM
LOL! I haven't read or seen the show yet and I'm not so sure I will either. Great review!
Krista said... October 2, 2009 at 8:51 PM
The show's fun, total guilty pleasure, if you're into that sort of thing, I'd recommend the show.
Miss Eliza said... October 2, 2009 at 8:56 PM
I really enjoyed the books before the show. I haven't read the last two in the series, but when I tried to go back to the books, I was over it. The show is delightful, but the books are unnecessary now.
nomadreader said... October 3, 2009 at 8:11 PM
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