Because She Can-Bridie Clark

Because She Can
Bridie Clark
Grand Central, Feb 2008, $14.99
ISBN: 9780446697576

The New York publishing world knows that Vivian Grant, CEO of Grant Books, is the nastiest person in Manhattan. Her staff affirms what everyone knows that Vivian is the boss from hell, cursing them when she is not having a tantrum that would be the envy of the most terrible two years old. Her firm is renowned and profitable for best-selling exposé books that make tabloids jealous as Vivian understands “smut sells” to American women who never get any outside of novels.

Literary fiction editor Claire Truman knows the reputation of Ms. Grant as the queen of mean and Grant Books as the schlock of literature, but accepts the position of an editor anyway. Claire learns quickly what working for Vivian means and not just having her skin ripped off by her meanness; Vivian demands pounds of flesh 24/7. This constant requirement interferes with her relationship with her handsome successful fiancé Randall Cox and her dreams of being kissed by Luke Mayville, the writer she recently met.

Although this takes place inside book publishing (where the author worked) instead of magazine publishing as the case of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, BECAUSE SHE CAN is also an enjoyable look at working for the boss from hell. As long as the audience is not in a similar employee relationship with a Marquis de Sade supervisor, readers will find the antics amusing, as Bridie Clark using hyperbole (I hope that is) provides a portrayal of the nasty malicious manager although that tale has been told obviously before.

Harriet Klausner