Customer Reviews

I'm So Happy for You: A novel about best friends

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

The story revolves around the relationship (I hesitate to use the word 'friendship' out of respect for the term) between two women and their crew. Immediately, you're plunged into a circle of women and their chronic pettiness. The main character, Wendy, is possibly the most insincere, insecure heroine imaginable. She's passive-aggression personified. (Who throws a baby shower for a woman, then insults her guest of honor by writing something vile on the gift???) I think occasional stabs of envy are normal, but Wendy is off the reservation. Daphne is not much better. After fifteen years of using her friend as an emotional crutch, her idea of getting her life together is to "fall in love" with a man that is handsome and wealthy. He's a complete ass, but that fact is largely ignored after his purchase of a large Brooklyn brownstone. Daphne, once a ditz with a penchant for married men, now becomes the woman Wendy desperately envies. Every thought, spoken word, and email these women generate seem premeditated to inflict the most damage on their friends. They spend the duration of the book hating each other, and it's sad to watch.

But it's not just the story that grated at me. It was the book's insinuation that all female friendships are like this. According to "Happy For You," women are incapable of liking each other's company without constantly eying your companion's jewelry, home, or husband. Competition, not solidarity, is the real glue that binds females together. If this is what the author really thinks or has experienced, she has my deepest sympathy.

I thought this would be a slightly more cerebral version of "Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue" by Emily Giffin, but was wildly disappointed. Giffin's characters had redeemable qualities; Rosenfeld's do not. While we may see (small) pieces of ourselves in Rosenfeld's women, they are impossible to like. The resentment these women quietly (and then not so quietly) harbor for each other became a character itself. And, sadly, it's the most consistent one.

Wow. Where do I even begin? I suppose my biggest question for the author is how did she get this novel published? I know that's very Wendy/Daphne of me to ask so here's hoping she won't be too offended by the question. Neither Wendy nor Daphne endeared themselves to this reader. These female characters were just plain pathetic.

The bag of flour at the baby shower was over-the-top ridiculous and unbelievable as was Wendy's OBGYN suggesting Wendy buy some pretty underwear in order to solve her infertility problems. The sound of Daphne's voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Wendy lies, steals, is selfish, jealous, highly insecure, a slacker at work and seems ill-suited to work for a magazine such as Barricade. The expedited train wreck ending was only good in that it ended the novel. Sure wish our book group had selected that novel by Gore Vidal instead.

Hands down, the worst book ever. Only the comatose father-in-law manages not too offend. The characters are poorly written and loathsome in every way. Not only do I not know any women like this (thankfully), but I've never even read about such a narrow minded, narcissistic crew. If you love the Real Housewives shows, this book is for you.Its plot, people and trajectory are almost as witty and introspective as what you'll find there. I am forced to give this book 1 star because amazon won't accept zero. After reading this book, I'd like a refund on my time.

This is an easy read and is mildly entertaining, however, it's a book that generally put me in a bad mood. The characters are neurotic and unkind to each other. Though it's not necessary to make characters wholesome, they should be likeable and I found each character in this book to be detestable, petty, and ugly. This is an over the top commentary on the way women treat each other, which seems to be unrealistic, somewhat stupid and lacking insight. Shallow relationships are boring to read about. The character development is either lacking, or the author meant to write about the most vapid group of people alive. Your friend getting fat is a reason for you to feel better about yourself? Great message. Would not recommend. Would be embarrassed to recommend. A really bad piece of literature.

I read this book about a week ago- it was a quick read, about a day or so. Funny, I've been stewing about this novel longer than it took to read it!
This book made me mad on so many levels. First of all, this is not a book about best friends. To say it is, is a lie. It's about immature women who have nothing better to do in their lives than complain about their friends and complain about their lives. It's sad because there are so few books and films based on female friendship and to have an opportunity to actually write about the topic, well this author just failed.
This book is insulting to women, making us out to be only interested in getting married, having kids and all the designer accoutrements that go along with it! It is also insulting to men, as two dimensional, selfish human beings.
Please next time Ms. Rosenfeld, don't write about women, it's just embarrassing for us all!

As a native New Yorker, I have to say that I can't imagine anyone in California or anywhere else outside of NYC enjoying this book. It's written to appeal to a certain demographic - materialistic, bored yuppie women from NYC who suffer from Woody Allen-type neuroticisms and spend their time shopping in the "best" neighborhoods and the "most hip" cafe bar. I always wondered what kind of people lived in ugly, cramped apartments bordering wealthy neighborhoods - now I know! Wendy represents those shallow, wannabe yuppies who are willing to live on ramen noodles just to boast a fancy Brooklyn address (as if anyone in her circle really cared if she lived in South or North Slope). This book is, if anything, a fairly accurate snapshot of the elitist, bland lifestyle of yuppies living in NYC just before the crash - self-absorbed, petty slackers whose dreams are populated by doormen, expensive suits and big diamond rings. Almost everyone in the novel wants to be rich, or is already there- the author makes a half-hearted stab at reminding her readers (though someone's car crash and suicide attempt), that money isn't everything, but not before she regales the reader with lush descriptions of Brooklyn brownstones, nearly salivating at the mention of "wrought-iron." Give me a break! I read this book from a mainly anthropological point of view - to see what kind of crap certain people like to read. Like other readers, I found the flour incident at the baby shower totally unbelievable, as the "vanity project" scribbling that incited it. The ending has a ridiculous post-script, written in the style of "Sex and the City" (and about as deep). Books like these make me welcome the recession - "Grapes of Wrath," anyone? These bloated princesses of Brooklyn (including, presumably, the author) need to be brought down to earth.

The plot is pretty interesting but the book itself is not well written at all.

Two nasty people become friends and then are nasty to each other. They deserved one another actually. Then these Best Friends Foe-Ever can't even stand each other any more and pretend to keep in touch. I didn't like either character or even the supporting characters. There's really no story, just a never ending feud between these two women who call themselves best friends but are anything but. Clearly, the author has no friends and played out her bitterness on the page. By the time I reached the end I was so happy for myself that the torture of reading this book was over.

This book is so hilarious and it goes down so easy that it's not till the end you see what a profound treatment it is of the turbulent romance that we call female friendship. The scenes are vivid and indelible. If for no other reason, read it for the mad vignettes of women in their overworked outfits trying to come off as self-assured while barely disguising their clownish teenaged ways. I can't forget Wendy. I can't forget Daphne. I know I'm supposed to hate one of them, but I come away just with love for the whole screwed-up sisterhood that women of the 00s all belong to. Women of the world: READ THIS BOOK.

With friends like these I will take an enemy any day.

This book revolves around two best friends Wendy and Daphne.

Daphne is constantly getting into trouble and scraps with men and though comes from a great background is a loser in her personal relationships, which allows Wendy to feel oh so superior to her.

However, the shoe is on the other foot when Daphne meets her Prince Charming and finally gets married, pregnant, and gets the house that every woman wishes.

Seriously this whole book I wanted to slap Wendy.

She sat around hating her friends, husband, and mother for no reason.

She whines a lot and was actually gleeful when Daphne was having problems since she could sit around and gossip about her. It was infruiating to read, I finished this book and promptly donated it to the local library.