The Princess Diaries: Fun and Funny
Written: Feb 16 '02 (Updated Jan 19 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fun, witty and silly. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Cons: It finished too quickly and I had to buy another book
The Bottom Line: well worth the read when you want something light
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| naphtalia's Full Review: Princess Diaries Books |
I had been living in Poland for about 6 months when I went to Gibraltar on vacation. Sun was certainly an attraction. So is the fact that English is spoken on "the Rock." One of my first stops when I got settled in was to head for a bookstore - any bookstore - where the selection would be mostly in English. I didn't know what I wanted to read. I only knew I was hungry for something in English. For the past year I've been hearing about a movie called the Princess Diaries. Everyone was very positive about it. When I saw the book on which it was based, I decided to give it a read.
The Princess Diaries is witty and charming. I didn't realize that it was aimed at a young adult audience when I picked it up. Despite this, I (a decidely middle-aged woman) enjoyed it immensely. This is the kind of reading my mother always referred to as "mind candy." It won't do anything for your intellectual development, but it's fun to read. I normally am not a huge fan of "diary" fiction. I hated Bridget Jones' Diary (the book, I haven't seen the movie). For whatever reason, however, I picked this up. Glad I did.
The Princess Diaries tell the story of Mia Thermopolis, the daughter of an artist and a European playboy, who has grown up in the Village section of New York City. Her parents never married. She has always lived with her mother. Occasionally she goes to visit her father and "grandmere" in the small principality of Genovia. She never wonders at the royal treatment accorded herself and her grandmother when they are in Genovia.
Mia has a lot of problems. She is tall (5' 9") and flat-chested. As the story begins, Mia is flunking algebra and (to make matters worse) her mother is beginning to date her algebra teacher. She, on t he other hand, has never even been asked out on a date. Then, one day, her father calls the house to talk to her mom and give her the information that treatment for cancer has left him infertile. Mia, thus, is his only heir.One of the things that he is leaving to Mia is title to the royal household of Genovia. You see, her father is the prince. Mia is now a princess. Her grandmere is coming to New York to give her "princess lessons" starting immediately.
It is at this point, for me at least, that the fun begins. While other girls dream of being princess, Mia is immediately appalled by the notion. She is overwhelmed by the pressure that this implies. Like most adolescents, she hates the idea of being different. If this comes out, she knows she will suffer from the angst of being somehow separate from those who go to school with her. She doesn't even muster up the guts to tell her best friend, Lilly.
Of course, the truth will come out. When it does, Mia finds out about who her real friends are and what is really important in relationships.
The story is told in Mia's own voice through diary enteries. Mia's entries of angst are our moments of greatest pleasure and laughter. The diary entries also include notes from some of Mia's classes, especially algebra. I had to laugh as I read through these entries and remembered my own days of "doing the FOIL method" and studying the quadractic formula.
This is a fun book to read. I highly recommend it for those times when you want a light bauble to read. The only problem I had with this book is that it reads too fast. I had intended it to last a couple of days on vacation, but I was through it in just one. On the other hand, since it is written in "diary entries" it is possible to put read just a smattering and put down the book quickly.
The Princess Diaries is a crowning achievement. I see that there are two more books now in the series. I didn't get them in Gibraltar and can't get them in Poland. I will have to wait to see what happens to Mia. I'm actually looking forward to more details about her.
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If you are interested in reviews about books by Meg Cabot, consider reading this one about The Boy Next Door.
Recommended:
Yes
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naphtalia
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