The Undomestic Goddess

I have a long list of books I would love to review for this blog:

George Packer’s Assassin’s Gate
Chris Hedges’ War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
Cornell West’s The American Evasion of Philosophy: A Geneology of Pragmatism

But today I would like to discuss Sophie Kinsella’s The Undomestic Goddess.



No, this is not the latest in popular sociology or a neo-feminist book. Rather, The Undomestic Goddess is a novel, the kind often categorized in the realm of “chick lit” and the latest book to remind me that there is a world of books beyond non-fiction – a world slightly more sophisticated than your average sitcom – that can be a lot of fun.

Upon finishing my masters, I set out with the help of friends, to rediscover the fictional word. I wasn't easy for me, and often a tinge of guilt creeps forth if I cannot find some semblance of social relevance in the book. For example: Phillip Roth's The Human Stain - a fictional narrative on the complexities of race in America = guilt free reading. But this sort of social commentary fiction strays very little from current non-fiction cultural/political commentary, that the whole concept of me reading fiction in order to escape is lost.

The Undomestic Goddess is just that - pure escapist fiction. Where there could be commentary (she leaves a job in a law firm and accidentally becomes a maid) Kinsella skirts the issue, arguing the character is choosing her personal preferrence rather than making an argument that is pro or anti-feminist. There is absolutely nothing to take away from this novel - the plot is improbable, the character unlikely, and yet I loved EVERY minute of it!

That is - every minute but those when I had to put down the book because the predicament the character had gotten herself into was so painful I couldn't take it anymore. These cringeworthy moments reminded me of watching reality television, when the situation becomes so disasterous (or reminiscent of an embarrasing memory of my own) that I feel a need to run and hide behind the doorway to peak in at the tv (I actually do this) rather than calmly watching from the sofa or bed. Never have I had this feeling so accurately recreated in a book until now.

So if you actually want to laugh outloud alone in your room, completely forget the more pressing issues of our day for a few hours, and accidentally stay up till 3AM on a work night because you can't put the pointless book down until you know how the character resolves the impossible predicament - then The Undomestic Goddess is the book for you. Enjoy!