ACCOUNTANT BY DAY

I would categorize this book as “generic self-indulgent vagina fiction”. It was highly recommended to me by a friend’s sister, but based on the title and what I knew of the movie, I didn’t really want to pick it up until I spotted it in the $1 bin at Half Price books. Upon reading the actual book, it wasn’t as terrible as I expected, but I do basically consider the main character Sidda a stupid twat. The author is working hard to show us what a Liberated Woman her female lead is, but all I got is that she’s got an OH SO TRENDY theater job where she’s REAL FAMOUS but she’s also TRENDILY SCREWED UP IN THE HEAD AND IT’S ALL MOM’S FAULT. The character Viviane and her cohorts are the only thing that really contributed much to the book, and Viviane’s scenes are more fun to read because A) they’re set in interesting historical times and B) at least she doesn’t blame all her problems on everything but herself. In one of Sidda’s scenes she reflects on a recent session with her Jungian dream analyst and then ponders a little more about how her mother basically ruined her life as far as she is concerned. THIS IS NOT FUN OR INTERESTING TO READ!

Fortunately, the book leaps around quite a bit and doesn’t remain entirely focused on the incredibly boring Sidda for the duration. If you’re a girl (or guy) with tastes that you gauge to be even remotely similar to mine, I would say that if you find this book hanging out somewhere and can pick it up cheaper than $2, it’s not a bad little book to keep around for a few days to read in the crapper. Parts of it can be thought provoking, and it’s pretty interesting to read about Viviane’s fictional childhood in the deep south during the 30s and 40s. But it’s nothing I’d pay full trade paperback price to own. In fact, I’ll probably be setting this baby free sometime soon.

By the way, I strenuously do not recommend viewing the movie. I liked the book so-so even though Sidda makes me practically SPIT WITH CONTEMPT, but the movie is pretty…not good.