Kirsten+R

Confessions of a Shopaholic

__Plot Overview__ //Confessions of a Shopaholic// by Sophie Kinsella is the story of Rebecca Bloomwood and her journey to escape her debt. At first she downplays her situation and excuses her shopping habits. When she realizes that she her debt won’t just disappear she begins a series of get-rich-quick schemes such as trying to win the lottery, marry a rich man, and run out of town. Her debt catches up with her on a television show where she must face her spending habits and redeem herself. __Character List__ Rebecca Bloomwood is the main character of the book. She lives in a flat in London working for a financial magazine. Ironically, she finds herself in debt due to her irrational shopping habits. Luke Brandon is the president of Brandon Communications. He is a multimillionaire and is absolutely handsome. Rebecca has a love/hate relationship with him throughout the book. Suze Cleath-Stuart is Rebecca’s roommate. They share a flat together that Suze owns. She is the daughter of a millionaire and lives by her parents’ fortune. She can’t seem to keep a job so is in and out of the house constantly. __Important Quotations Explained__ “OK. Don’t //panic//. It’s only a VISA bill.” This is the first sentence and summary of the book. As bills continue to arrive in the mail she says this to herself. She tries to calm herself down but knows that she is in serious trouble. “What I’ll do is, I just won’t spend //anything//.” This is Rebecca’s strategy to work her way out of debt when she realizes she is in way over her head. As someone who’s addicted to shopping, it’s a futile thought. “Alcohol is obviously going to be the key to our marital happiness.” When Rebecca decides she can’t get out of debt herself she decides to date Tarquin for his money. He is one of the fifteen richest bachelors in Britain and by chance has a crush on Rebecca. Previously, she has been disgusted by Tarquin but when she realizes his wealth decides she can cope with him if it makes her money problems disappear. __Analysis of Major Characters__ Rebecca Bloomwood is a woman that goes through the process of working to face her problems. Like many people that suffer from addictions she starts in denial. She then acknowledges that she has a problem. By the end of the story she begins the journey of recovery. The story serves as a humorous way of delving into the subject of addictions. Luke Brandon is a slightly arrogant and successful businessman. His status and dashing looks attract many women. His motives are at question throughout the book. Towards the end, it seems that he is rude and self serving but those thoughts are removed when it’s revealed that he is attracted to Rebecca. His character shows the reader into the fast paced life of financial business that Rebecca encounters in her work. Suze Cleath-Stuart is a sweet and supportive young woman. Being the daughter of a millionaire she hasn’t been forced to make a living for herself. Without a purpose in life she seems to live aimlessly. Towards the end of the book she discovers her love of creating home decorations and seems to blossom into a new person. In the story she is a support for the stressed out character of Rebecca. She also serves the purpose of a comparison to Rebecca, who struggles to scrape together enough money.

__Suggestions for Further Reading__ A book with a similar theme is //Fools Gold: Color Me Consumed// by Melody Carlson. This is the story of a missionary’s kid who spends the summer in California with her rich uncle and his family. The main character, Hannah, must adapt to the superficial life of the rich and famous. At first she is turned off by the expensive clothes and lifestyle. This doesn’t last long and soon she is in major credit card debt. She must evaluate her choices, as Rebecca does in //Confessions of a Shopaholic//. Another novel that delves into the idea of superficiality is //The Devil Wears Prada//. The book tells the story of Andrea Sachs, a young woman out of college who begins work in the high stress world of fashion. She becomes obsessed with her work and it causes her to neglect family and friends. She loses the balance in her life, which is a theme in all three novels. This book is written in a modern and humorous way, similar to //Confessions of a Shopaholic//.