Kaethe

Oh, I think this is just the thing to turn my feminist ire to after I finish Delusions of Gender: How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference. Why, yes, I'm annoyed by the way the NYT scorns women writers, particularly when they write for women readers.***And may I just say, smugly, that I was right? Perfect timing. Baratz-Logsted takes Pride and Prejudice, sets it in the modern world of 21st century publishing, and creates a memorable protagonist in Mercury Lauren, a popular writer of chick lit, who can't get no respect. Mercury could be one of her own satirical creations: she's a wack job in private life, but also a serious and hard-working writer. Unlike the myriad tales of earnest male writers suffering for ennui and thwarted promise, Mercury isn't angsting about her talent or her sales. She's good at what she does, and has the steadily-growing royalties to prove it. But because the writing of women for women is widely disparaged in the US, she is constantly assailed by men (including her own brother) who've never read Chick Lit and can't imagine it has anything to say to men. As much as I loved the goofy I Love Lucy hijinks, and I did, I loved even more that it was a romantic comedy in which the male lead had to prove himself deserving. Don't let the writer's light touch fool you: there's plenty of meat on those petite bones. Funny, sexy, and with something to say about the human condition, it's a delightful read.

Personal copy 

*******

It surprises me how often I pick the same book at the same time of year. Often within days.