Lauren Weisberger

Lauren Weisberger

Weisberger in 2013
Born (1977-03-28) March 28, 1977
Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation Novelist, Journalist
Nationality U.S.
Period 2003–present
Genre Fiction
Notable works The Devil Wears Prada
Spouse Mike Cohen (m. 2008)[1]
Website
www.laurenweisberger.com

Lauren Weisberger (born March 28, 1977) is an American novelist and author of the 2003 bestseller The Devil Wears Prada, a roman à clef of her experience as a put-upon assistant to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Early life and education

Weisberger was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to a school teacher mother and a department store president turned mortgage broker father. Her family is Jewish; Weisberger was raised in Conservative Judaism and later Reform Judaism.[2] She spent her early youth in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, a small town outside Scranton. At 11, her parents divorced and she and her younger sister, Mindy, moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, with their mother.

At Parkland High School, in South Whitehall Township near Allentown, Weisberger was involved in intramural sports, some competitive sports, extra projects, and organizations. She graduated in 1995.

She attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she was an English major and a sorority member of Alpha Epsilon Phi, graduating in 1999.[3] After college, she traveled as a backpacker through Europe, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Thailand, India, Nepal, and Hong Kong. Returning home, she moved to Manhattan and was hired as Wintour's assistant at Vogue. She was there for ten months before leaving along with features editor Richard Story. While Weisberger said she felt out of place at the magazine, managing editor Laurie Jones later said, "She seemed to be a perfectly happy, lovely woman".[4]

Weisberger and Story began working for Departures Magazine, an American Express publication, where she wrote 100-word reviews and became an assistant editor. She also published a 2004 article in Playboy magazine.[5]

After mentioning her interest in writing classes to her boss, Richard Story, he referred her to his friend Charles Salzberg. She started writing a story about her time at Vogue, and completed it by trying to write 15 pages every couple of weeks. After repeated urgings, she showed the finished work to agents; it sold within two weeks.

Author

The Devil Wears Prada

In 2003, Weisberger's first book, The Devil Wears Prada, was released and spent six months on the New York Times Best Seller List. The book is a semi-fictional but highly critical view of the Manhattan elite. As of July 2006, The Devil Wears Prada was the best-selling mass-market softcover book in the nation, according to Publishers Weekly. The book is largely based on Weisberger's experience at Vogue. There is much speculation that the character of Miranda Priestly represents aspects of Anna Wintour. The fictional Elias-Clark publishing company is said to be modeled after Condé Nast.

The book calls into light the many aspects of one's first job. It also highlights the presumed insanity of the fashion world and the difficulty and pressure a person goes through when trying to balance a demanding job with an adequate social life. The book provides a comical insight into the fashion world. While this book was met with stunning success, one former employee of Anna Wintour, Kate Betts, criticized Weisberger and the book in The New York Times, saying that Weisberger and Wintour are the direct counterparts of their fictional characters and that "Andrea … is just as much a snob as the snobs she is thrown in with."[6][7] She further hints that Andrea's portrayal within the book does not suggest that she is in any way above fetching lattes. Lauren Weisberger has published a sequel of the book: Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns.

Film

A movie of the same name, based on the novel, was released by 20th Century Fox in June 2006, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. The film grossed $27.5 million in its opening weekend, amassing total U.S. sales of $125 million and total worldwide sales of $322 million, making it one of the top-grossing films of summer 2006. The film departs from the book in several ways. For example, Andrea is a graduate of Northwestern University in the film, not Brown. The film shows Miranda requesting Andrea go to Paris with her because Emily is unwell. The book, in further detail, has Emily catching mono, thus not being able to go with Miranda. Further, Lily, Andrea's best friend, is the main reason Andrea leaves Paris in the book. Lily is an alcoholic and gets into a car crash. Andrea has to decide whether to stay with Miranda or go to her friend. The movie does not include any of these details and ends with Andy and Miranda viewing one another with mutual respect. The book affords Andrea no such gratitude as she curses Miranda to her face and is consequently fired.

Television

In October 2006, Fox television acquired the television rights to the book, and a television series of the same name had been expected to be developed by Fox in 2007. Weisberger has since appeared on the television talk shows Tout le monde en parle and The Today Show.[8]

Everyone Worth Knowing

Weisberger's second novel, Everyone Worth Knowing, based upon the trials and tribulations of the New York City public relations world, was published in fall 2005. It received generally unfavorable reviews. The New York Times Book Review described it as "fatuous, clunky." USA Today called it "lackluster imitation," and Entertainment Weekly said it was "ho-hum rehash."[9] Despite debuting on The New York Times Best Sellers List at No. 10, it dropped off the list in two weeks and was noted for its disappointing sales. Publisher Simon & Schuster paid Weisberger $1 million for the novel.[9] The audio book was read by actress Eliza Dushku.

In some European countries this novel was released as Gossip and Gucci.

Chasing Harry Winston

Chasing Harry Winston is Weisberger's third novel, which was released on May 27, 2008. It was released in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2008. The main characters are three best friend New Yorkers, Emmy, Adriana and Leigh, who are facing the horror of turning 30. Recently dumped Emmy promises to make a drastic change and find guys from every continent for casual affairs. Beautiful Brazilian Adriana in turn tries to leave her old lifestyle of sleeping around and living off daddy in order to get a Harry Winston ring on her finger before the first wrinkles start showing. Leigh, the one with the perfect life, does not know what she needs in order to be happy and to be able to relax.

In September 2008, it was announced that Universal Pictures had picked up the rights to the book. It was also announced that the movie will be translated into French, Dutch and Italian.

In some European countries this novel was released as Chanel Chic, and in Italy the title is Un anello da Tiffany & Co (A ring from Tiffany & Co). In France the title is Sexe, diamants et plus si affinités (Sex, Diamonds, and maybe more...)

The book was panned by critics and was voted "#1 Worst Book of 2008" by Entertainment Weekly.[10]

Last Night at Chateau Marmont

Last Night at Chateau Marmont was released in August 2010.[11] It debuted at No. 9 on the New York Times Bestseller List on September 5, 2010.[12]

Revenge Wears Prada

Revenge Wears Prada, a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, was released on June 4, 2013. It debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Short Stories

Her short story "The Bamboo Confessions" is included in the anthology American Girls About Town, and is about a New York City backpacker who travels around the world and begins to view her love life back home in a different light.[13]

Personal life

Weisberger lives in New York City.

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "'Prada' nips at author Lauren Weisberger's heels – USATODAY.com". usatoday.com. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ Lauren Weisberger interview | www.somethingjewish.co.uk
  3. ↑ "Alpha Epsilon Phi – Famous Phis". Alpha Epsilon Phi. Retrieved March 13, 2007.
  4. ↑ Oppenheimer, Jerry; Front Row: The Cool Life and Hot Times of Vogue's Editor In Chief, St. Martin's Press, New York, 2005, ISBN 0-312-32310-7, 328.
  5. ↑ "About Lauren", from LaurenWeisberger.com. Retrieved January 29, 2007.
  6. ↑ "Anna Dearest" (Betts's review) Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  7. ↑ "When personal assistants attack!" (Interview with Weisberg discussing Betts's piece) Retrieved April 21, 2001.
  8. ↑ "Lauren Weisberger". IMDb. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Kinetz, Erika "Devil's in the Follow-Up" New York Times, November 6, 2005. Retrieved January 28, 2007.
  10. ↑ "Books: 5 worst of 2008". ew.com. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  11. 1 2 (August 11, 2010). Book Review, Entertainment Weekly
  12. ↑ (September 5, 2010). Best Sellers:Hardcover Fiction, The New York Times
  13. ↑ Sharon E. Schulz-Elsing. "American Girls About Town -- book review". curledup.com. Retrieved October 4, 2015.

External links

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