Maneater [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Gigi Levangie Grazer (Author), Uma Thurman (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2003

Gorgeous, funny, and wildly uninhibited, her exes are a veritable Who's Who of Hollywood power players. At 28 (31), she is blessed with a firm (if curvaceous) bod, a designer wardrobe, a Daddy-subsidized apartment, and an A-list speed-dial.

But with her thirty-second birthday looming, our heroine is starting to panic. Who on earth (read: Hollywood) could possibly make Clarissa Alpert an honest woman? Enter Aaron Mason, the latest hottest new producer in town. From the moment Clarissa sees him, she sets her sights on making him the future "Mr. Alpert."

With the eager help of her vivacious (if neurotic) friends, her aerobicized Latina mother, her philandering (but loving) ex-con father, and the most divine gay waiter in Hollywood, Clarissa finds herself phoning the florist to the stars (his private line) and planning the biggest wedding the town has seen in years -- before the couple's first date. Catching Aaron's eye is not a problem. But it seems her intended might have his own agenda. Could it be Clarissa has finally bitten off more than she can chew?

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Gigi Levangie Grazer has written one previous novel (Rescue Me), helped pen the screenplay for Stepmom, and, not least, is married to Hollywood uber-producer Brian Grazer (he of the wacky hair and the not-so-wacky partnership with Ron Howard). At first glance, Mrs. Grazer appears to be a complete parvenu as a novelist. Maneater rips off every girl-power/shopaholic source from early Tama Janowitz right up to Sex and the City. Her prose can be ungrammatical, her plot hopelessly predictable, and her characters paper-thin. But Grazer has a secret weapon: her preternaturally acid powers of observation. When she writes about the freaky mores of Hollywood, the book exerts an irresistible pull. Thirtyish LA It girl Clarissa Alpert reflects on her shallow, jobless, mateless (but fabulous!) life, and decides it's high time she was married. She and her four best friends (hello, Sarah Jessica Parker and company) hatch a plan to snag the cutest, hottest young producer in town. What ensues is hardly new territory, but the book is enlivened by Grazer's amazing ability to nail down pop culture ephemera. To wit: "Clarissa was sentimental--she liked saving messages from old friends and C-level celebrities. She had an answering tape collection that dated all the way back to babydoll dresses, sparkle dust and Hole." Her eye for detail--and her refusal ever to make Clarissa lovable, or even likable--make Maneater a hypnotic read. This is fiction-as-gigantic-chocolate-bar. Halfway through, you feel a little off color, but there's no way you're going to stop. --Claire Dederer --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

No other actor could capture the voice of spoiled L.A. golddigger Clarissa Alpert as perfectly as Thurman does here. She effortlessly evokes the petulance, sense of entitlement and "Ohmigod, wait 'til I tell you..." Valley Girl shallowness of this hilarious anti-heroine. Thurman effectively differentiates all the character voices, including Clarissa's coterie of colorful girlfriends. She offers a hint of British accent for Simon, Clarissa's pretentious, faux-English ex-boyfriend; a light Spanish accent for Alejandra, Clarissa's Brazilian mom; and a smarmy, false sincerity for the Hollywood movers and shakers who populate Clarissa's world. The story itself is frothy fun with a wicked satirical edge. As soon as she hears of Aaron Mason, the hottest movie producer in town, Clarissa decides to land him and his bankroll for herself, and begins phoning florists and caterers to plan their wedding-before they even meet. Her machinations are successful-or so she thinks. It turns out her quarry has been scheming just as shrewdly, motivated by his own agenda. Perfect for a long road trip or a lazy weekend at the beach, Grazer's entertaining satire is sure to spice up any occasion.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Abridged edition (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743530292
• ISBN-13: 978-0743530293
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,809,921 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gigi Levangie Grazer is the author of three prior novels: Rescue Me (2000), Maneater (2003), and The Starter Wife (2006). The Starter Wife was adapted for an Emmy Award-winning USA Network miniseries starring Debra Messing, and later for a television series; Maneater was adapted for a Lifetime miniseries starring Sarah Chalke in May 2009. In addition, Gigi wrote the screenplay for Stepmom, starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon. Gigi's articles have appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Glamour. She lives in L.A. with her two children and three miniature dachshunds.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely delicious!, July 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Maneater : A Novel (Hardcover)

MANEATER is a scrumptious story written in a witty style as sharp as the spike heel of a strappy Manolo sandal. Our heroine, Clarissa, is as shallow as a wading pool, knows it, and wouldn't have it any other way. At first you may not like Clarissa but soon you will be almost as fascinated by her as she is by herself. :) The other characters are just as cleverly written; from her ex-con ageing-playboy, yet loving, father Teddy to her rarely un-intoxicated self-declared genius best buddy Gravy to the (still hot for) ex-boyfriend Simon with the long lingering English accent and spiffy wardrobe.

What's a girl to do? Clarissa is hitting 29 (in Clarissa years)-- OK, so she's bypassed 31 and trying to ignore that 32 is on the way -- knows the younger, firmer, fresher competition for the alpha male is on her bountiful booty and her time bomb of a biological clock is ticking away. If she doesn't get married - but quick - she may have to resort to getting a J-O-B, heaven forbid! Daddy (Teddy to Clarissa) has supported her thus far, but Teddy has threatened to stop paying her rent. So Clarissa sets out to find a suitable -- read rich, handsome - well not too ugly - rich, available, rich, socially sophisticated, (did I say rich?) hunk of prime husband material. And voila, being the woman around town (Los Angeles of course, is there any other?) she finds an appropriate victim, umm, man, Aaron Mason. You know she's going to snare him, but Aaron turns out to be just as feisty as Clarissa and not that easily lead to the slaughter.

Best laid plans and all, well, you know how that works out sometimes. The groom to be has secrets of his own, ones far more creative than anything Clarissa has ever cooked up.

But beyond being just a great beach or poolside read, Maneater is also a good lesson in how we shouldn't raise our daughters. Thank goodness Clarissa's self-realization that taking the seemingly easy, quick way in life to success and happiness is neither easy nor quick, doesn't come too late for our heroine.

Maneater is a great poolside read - fun fun fun - and easy to find, just look for the M.A.C. Lust lipglass colored jacket cover. ;)

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nobody walks in L.A., July 29, 2003

By 

Kristen (Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maneater : A Novel (Hardcover)

What a read! I think the Steve Martin quote on the back cover says it all- "Women aren't really like this, are they?" Needless to say, Maneater is a witty and sharp insider's view into the material world of Hollywood. Clarissa wants it all and wants it NOW. She is a social climber who gets what she wants and doesn't let her friends (aka the Star Chamber) or her mother stop her. She gets what she's after, all right, but her story is one that will keep you laughing, gasping, and ultimately, reading. The characters are fresh and funny-I especially love her Bolivian/Jewish mother. Take this novel for the satire that it is, and you will truly enjoy reading Maneater.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun escapist read, but I'm not picking up more by this author, July 8, 2005

By 

Jessica Lux (Rosamond, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maneater (Paperback)

I read this because I like Candace Bushnell's works (4 Blondes, Trading Up), and Amazon always has Maneater under the "Customers also viewed..." section. I can see the similarity between this and Bushell and works like The Devil Wears Prada: the characters and plot lines are completely over-the-top, with self-centered, social climbing women who still somehow manage to engage the reader in their antics.

Clarissa's weird self-image and her husband seeking antics in the first half of the book were wacky and odd, but the second half of the book took a genuinely bizzare reality-bending turn, making the first half seem absolutely normal.

Gazer is absolutely obsessed with parenthetical notes. She used them excessively. Often, the sentence could have been written fine with commas or by separating the thoughts into two sentences, but Grazer used parentheses to no end.

Overall, there were some catchy, ditzy quotes and some great footnotes, but the book was bizarre enough that I won't be seeking out more from this author.