Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Ok, I have to start out by saying this is not my normal type of literature. For one its about shopping and unless its fabric or crafty type stuff, I'm not a good shopper. But I decided to ignore this fact and instead focused on all the recommendations and good reviews this book had gotten. What on earth were those people thinking?

Rebecca Bloomwood is a young shopping loving person that lives in London in one of its most popular neighborhoods. She lives for for shopping and frequently comes home with her special finds that she really can't afford. That's ok though, she's going to win the lottery, or marry rich, or some other scheme that appears throughout the book will give her loads of cash. Problem is reality means that she is still a journalist for a financial magazine (not a good fit at all) and isn't very good at much else. But when she starts being chased by Visa and the bank she has to find a way to get herself out of debt and maybe find love in the process, or a good pair of shoes, it doesn't really matter to her.

I have to say that there really aren't any good characters in this book. They are all shallow and conceited and Rebecca herself is the cream of the crop. While I'm sure the author tried to instill something in her worthwhile, I'm of the opinion that she failed. Not only is Rebecca a compulsive liar, she also takes advantage of those who care about her and only want the best. She can't even tell them the truth. To top it off when she does finally do something nice, it is still more for her than to help anybody else. To see her rewarded for these heinous behaviours was almost more than I could bear.

The writing itself is ok. Kinsella chose to use letters (from debt collections) interspersed with the novel and also included lists of costs obtained by Rebecca as well to illustrate her debt and spending habits. She puts a good deal of detail in and that is commendable. In fact, the only reason I'm giving the book two stars is because I actually learned a little bit about designer clothes from the book. It also is a pretty good description for people affected by compulsive behaviors like shopping.

I don't think I'll be taking a look at the rest of the series. I'm not sure my blood pressure could handle seeing Rebecca up to her exploits and behaviors in more books. I suppose this is good fluff reading for some, but I'll take a pass.

Confessions of a Shopaholic
Copyright 2001
350 pages