Book review

(Times of India Crest Edition, July 2, 2011)

SUMMER AND THE CITY by Candace Bushnell

Once upon a time there was a naïve, simple, small town girl called Carrie Bradshaw. She made friends, she lost them and, once in a rare while, found them again. But along the way, with each person that she met, she grew up a little, learned a little more about life and living it and found friends that could, fingers crossed, be forever. When she moved to the Big Apple, she was initially swept away by the glitz and glamour of New York City. But again, that growing up thing happened and she found herself in a place that she, over time, graduated to calling her own.

The Carrie Diaries told that story. This one takes up where the other left off – Carrie finds herself in her new friend Samantha’s apartment, the plan she was supposed to take sliding right off track and out of her mind. The older woman was kind, but in a sort of absent-minded though affectionate manner, and took Carrie to all sorts of interesting parties without keeping tabs on her or behaving in any way like an inhibiting adult. Samantha made the introductions, Carrie could do what she wanted with them.

A dream existence for any young person who wanted to live the glamorous life. But is that what college in the big, bad city was all about? Parties, getting drunk, making out, meeting famous people? Carrie was there to study, to become a writer to find herself and hone her skills. She did do a little more playing around than she had planned to, but found her groove soon enough and settled into making a career of her writing.

Along the way, she met some fascinating men. She liked one, but found that she was not important enough in his life. She was sought after by others, but did not want them to be important to her life. How she finds the balance between love and living, life and work, friends, family and professional contacts is what the books is all about.

Writing done with a happy, fluffy kind of tone, knowing itself not to be a serious, significant piece of literature is perhaps what makes the book work, as a quick read, one bought for a flight and perhaps left on the plane. There are insider jokes and insights right through, and a solid awareness that this is embroidery on an American television icon – the best-selling, high TRP Sex and the City series. And take it all with a huge pinch of salt, preferably the designer kind, and sip on a Manhattan while you read…