Funny!! An easy, breezy read. I highly recommend it for what it is, a humorus way to take your mind off your real life troubles for an afternoon! ( )

Blissfully self-interested and flush with the cheeriness of a New York socialite on a quest to snag the perfect P.H. (Potential Husband): "Have you any idea how awesome your skin looks if you are engaged?"

It's impossible not to be entertained by a woman who refers euphemistically to oral sex as "going to Rio" in memory of the first man who suggested she get a Brazilian bikini wax, considers vodka a food group and is always embroiled in a nervous breakdown one after another.

I'd say that she's better than Bushnell in terms of writing style since the book's characters aren't ruthless, they're oftentimes charming and witty, and their very self-indulgence comes across as more amusing than petty. Sykes produced a viciously funny trip into a glittery, glitzy world we sure wouldn't want to live in but would be endlessly fascinated with.

Be warned though; in as much as I liked the book for some beach time reading, there's no character growth. No one ever learns to care for anything beyond men, clothes, and grooming, and yet, despite this, they're perfectly happy people.

Quoting Proust: "There is nothing like desire for preventing the things one says from bearing any resemblance to what one has in one's mind."

Book Details:

Title Bergdorf Blondes
Author Plum Sykes
Reviewed By Purplycookie ( )

I read this book over the summer at the beach. Totally perfect mindless entertainment read. The main character finds herself in a bunch of ridiculous scenarios often because of her park avenue princess best friend. It brings the laughs and puts a refreshing twist on the typical 'sex and the city' type of NYC mock-the-park-avenue-princesses books especially since the main character is not one of the princesses, she brings an outsiders view of the silly, dramatic world these women live in. Definitely recommended to anyone looking to chill with a fun read that doesn't require massive amounts of analysis

A delightful and fun read, very easy story to follow that was a quick read. Although it wasn't the most literary of novels, I found the humor and satire to be laugh out loud funny! I found myself engaged in the main character who only refers to herself as 'Moi' and thought telling the story from her point of view was fun as she went back and forth from being a Park Avenue princess to a down-to-earth NY girl. I enjoyed the book and thought Plum Skyes wrote a great novel. I love her Vogue articl...more A delightful and fun read, very easy story to follow that was a quick read. Although it wasn't the most literary of novels, I found the humor and satire to be laugh out loud funny! I found myself engaged in the main character who only refers to herself as 'Moi' and thought telling the story from her point of view was fun as she went back and forth from being a Park Avenue princess to a down-to-earth NY girl. I enjoyed the book and thought Plum Skyes wrote a great novel. I love her Vogue articles and this was a great representation of why she is a great writer. ( )

Sex and the City style chicklit set in NY ( )

This book is fluffy and fun, and a good summer read. ( )

The narrator (not the character quoted above) has an realization that all of the things she has will not make her happy if she's miserable, and I say, "you should try try life without them, it's worse." The fact is, it is not their money that makes these girls dimwitted, selfish and easily manipulated. It's their personalities.

The book is also one of those annoying NYC centric ones, where the characters are so clueless about anywhere else it’s a bit frightening. The narrator, who is a complete idiot, is the smart, well read, one who has lived in other places (although her observations about the difference between American high society and English high society are pretty funny).

She keeps making these generalized statements about “New York” girls, when she means “Filthy Rich Upper East Side Princesses”.

The narrator of the book, and most of the other characters continually use the
“____on____” formula to explain where things are located (“that little café on Bleeker” for example). And it is totally confusing to anyone not from NYC. But I realized, it’s not a NYC thing, it’s an urban thing. Everyone who comes from a really large city does it (and lots of people from smaller cities). Suburban and rural types tend to use landmarks (“it’s across from the big glowing fiberglass chicken” or “you know, the one in the plaza near the library”) and really, really rural people use mile markers and highway numbers. But mostly, people from very small towns tend to not ask each other where things are located, because either you know, or you must be from out of town.

It is satire. Sort of. Sometimes that was very clear, and sometimes I wasn't sure it wasn't taking itself seriously. ( )

A decent book to read when you are not in the mood to think. The book was funny at times but I often found myself getting frustrated with the characters. The ending was the predicted happily ever after with a slight twist. I would recommend this book after ready a particularly dense book or if you are looking a trashy beach novel. ( )

The story follows moi and her fellow Park Avenue Princesses through their daily trials and tribulations. They look for potential husbands (PHs), fly on private jets (PJs), and make sure to be seen in all the right places. It’s an interesting look at how the other half lives. The story moved along and was a fairly quick read. ( )

I bought this book thinking it would be a fun, fast & easy read. It turned out to be incredibly boring and it was not very well written. ( )

Really adorable story of women who grow up as "Park Avenue Princesses." They are spoiled, rich but sometimes they don't get what they want... which is where the hilarity comes in. ( )

Really good chick lit..okay the story tied up to neatly in the end, and we saw that final hook-up coming from a mile...but I loved the warped thinking of Plum's intelligent, fashion crazed protagonist. The nonsense this girl justified, will have you in tears.

If you love fashion, and adore Vogue for being Vogue, you'll be familiar with Plum Sykes writing, and hopefully you'll get the joke, and enjoy the fashion. ( )

These women never became real enough, funny enough for me to suspend disbelief. I picked it up after reading about real "Bergdorf blondes" in the NYT, but didn't get the insight into their lives I'd anticipated. ( )

Amusing. ( )

Another fun girly book. Although not my favorite, I did enjoy the fashion references in this one. ( )

A comedic romp through the lives of wealthy Manhattan Bergdorf Blondes and their search for suitable Mr. Rights. Amusing though unchallenging. ( )

Put your Manolo stilettos on and get ready to saunter through the champagne and caviar world of the Park Avenue Princesses... And there's a love story hiding in there somewhere too! ( )

http://www.boktips.net/index.php?p=8&... ( )

This was actually the audio CD and it was wonderful. Thank heavens for Sonya Walger; her superb narration takes a fun and light hearted book and makes it even more enjoyable. She applies distinctive American and British accents to a group of self-absorbed heiresses whose days are filled with such pressing matters as designer clothing sales, skin treatments, and touch-ups of their blonde hair. Walger moves seamlessly into the French and Italian accents used by the equally shallow men they encounter. Unlike many narrators who give no heed to authors' directions, Walger convincingly cries, moans, and sobs right along with the characters, never mind that they're emoting over the lack of such essentials as private jets and crater-sized engagement rings. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- ( )

Superficial is the name of the game. I like a chic lit book that makes you fall in love with the characters. This one made me want to hunt them down and threaten things at gunpoint. Imagine having all that money and time on your hands and doing absolutely nothing useful with it. Shame. ( )

This is Chick Lit probably at its best. Meet Moi (no name) who is at the height of fashion. She is looking for a PH (Potential Husband) who is the perfect accessory. Her best friend is Julie Bergdorf, who is an over the top heiress. I enjoyed this extremely light book which was a very quick read. Was it the best book of the year? Hardly! But it was an entertaining, very light romp, which is something we all need. ( )

I'm as fond of chicklit as the next person, but this just evaporated from my mind. If romantic fiction doesn't make you fall in love with the hero and yearn like Celia Johnson yearns in Brief Encounter, then what is the point of it? ( )

Re-read. I think I liked it more the first time, but it was still enjoyable. It's so fluffy and a really fast read. Totally superficial but in a very good way! ( )

I am sorry it took me so many years after publication for me to find this book. The Bergdorf Blondes is a really wonderful romp through socialite New York. The book follows the point of view of Moi, with her friends Julie Bergdorf (the queen bee of society), Lara and Jolene and may others. At some parts you want to laugh and ask yourself can anyone really be this shallow. They abbreviate everything including the word PH for potential husband. But, at the end of the day you really just do have to laugh about it.

Moi takes us not only into the world of the fashion obsessed “Princesses of Park Avenue” but through a series of her own very poor relationship mistakes. There is Zach, the moody depressing photographer who treats her like crap, who she almost marries. Eduardo the married, with children prince from some where or another, Patrick the married man with the psycho wife. And of course the very “regrettable” Charlie Dulain, who is Julie’s boy friend, or so she thought. You will get a few curve balls you didn’t see coming in this fun little run around the world, from New York to Rio and back again. I recommend reading this one if you want something easy, and something to lighten your mood. ( )