Customer Reviews

Chambermaid: A Novel

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Chambermaid is a creative caricature of many first professional jobs: weirdo co-workers, ego-maniacal bosses and on-the-job experiences that are nothing like the job description one applied for. As a bonus, the reader is treated to the narrator's experience as a young Indian woman in search of love while balancing her neuroses as a competitive recent law school grad. Read this book for what it is, a work of FICTION that draws on the real-life experiences of the author. As for whether Chambermaid accurately reflects clerking for a Federal Judge, I say, "Who cares, it's a novel!"

If your looking for a great book to take on your summer vacation, this is it! It was very funny and I found myself laughing out loud while reading it. I'm not a lawyer but I enjoyed the book for what it is - a fictional story about clerking for a judge.

Ms. Rao's first endeavor is delightful. Chambermaid is smart and funny. A book about a lawyers you don't need a degree to enjoy. Perfect companion by the pool or at the beach.

Very entertaining. This has to be one of the most refreshingly hilarious books I have read in a while and works well as the light hearted summer read it is meant to be. I loved Rao's characters, really caricatures of real life figures. Each one is exaggerated to ridiculousness but is still a highly entertaining person that I actually got caught up in.
I read some of the negative reviews here, and I should say I am not in the legal profession. But it seems to me that level headed readers will recognize that Rao's cynical voice does not spare anyone, including the narrator or the narrator's family. And even the wicked witch becomes a sympathetic figure that we grudgingly respect.
Very enjoyable, and a must read. I'd give it more stars if I could. Cannot wait for the next book from Rao.

I don't do this often, but I went back and read the book a second time soon after I'd finished reading it. I did this because I was so entertained with my first reading. I know nothing of the law, so I learned something about how a court office operates. The book's humor was tongue in cheek, and I'm amused at how riled people have gotten over the depiction.
Read it, laugh out loud and decide for yourself!

I liked this book a lot--it's a truly funny summer read. Chambermaid is neither a John Grisham novel nor an expose on the inner workings of the federal court system, but it's perfectly suited for what it is: a fun, witty, odd, laugh-out-loud book that's perfect for a subway commute, a beach, or a lazy Sunday.

Irreverent and irresistible. I belly-laughed all the way through this fresh, funny and biting account of the author's year as a clerk of courts under a difficult judge in Philadelphia. The author takes you inside with an intimate look at what it is really like and how things really work behind closed doors - especially when there in important cases involved. Lawyers and non-lawyers alike can get a kick out of this book which is entertaining while managing to say a lot. I look forward to future works by this plucky young lawyer/author.

Just got my hands on a copy -- One of the funniest books I have read in a VERY long time. I haven't laughed aloud to a book like this since David Sedaris's Naked. Maybe a bit rocky at the start, but once Rao develops her characters and the plot picks up speed, the book is an absolute riot. Some of the passages are so funny I've been tagging them and reading them aloud to friends at work. The prose isn't Jane Austen, but it hardly matters. The descriptions are so vivid and Rao's voice is so consistent in its bitter wit that I'd bet it will win over even literary snobs. Perfect summer reading for anyone who wants to laugh their ass off.

This book was truly one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a long, long time. It is incredibly witty and both engrossing and light-hearted- the perfect combination to keep you turning the pages. There were several laugh-out-loud moments and the characters were so vivid that they stayed with me long after I put the book down. In addition to being incredibly entertaining, Rao tackles challenging subject matter in an honest and original way, making it utterly compelling- whether or not you agree with her.

I just loved this book! Wish I could read it again for the first time.

This book is really funny...I laughed out loud numerous times. Mrs. Rao's biting sense of humor had me entertained from start to finish.