Book Review: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Samantha is a high-powered lawyer in London. She works all hours, has no home life, and cares only about getting a partnership. She thrives on the pressure and adrenalin. Until one day…she makes a mistake. A mistake so huge, it’ll wreck her career. She walks right out of the office, gets on the first train she sees, and finds herself in the middle of nowhere.
Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she is mistaken for the interviewee housekeeper and finds herself being offered the job. They have no idea they’ve hired a Cambridge-educated lawyer with an IQ of 158 - Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. Disaster ensues. It’s chaos as Samantha battles with the washing machine…the ironing board…and attempts to cook a cordon bleu dinner.
But gradually, she falls in love with her new life in a wholly unexpected way. Will her employers ever discover the truth? Will Samantha’s old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?
It’s well known that I love Sophie Kinsella. All of her Shopaholic books are great as well as her stand-alone novels. I wasn’t planning to re-read The Undomestic Goddess but I read the first page and found it so funny I decided to carry on reading.
It tells the story of Samantha Sweeting, a lawyer about to make partner at her firm, Carter Spink. One day, whilst tidying up her desk she realises she’s made a huge, career-altering mistake and panics. She leaves the office, finds herself in Paddington Station, takes a train and finds herself in the middle of nowhere. She stops at a house to ask for some water and is mistaken for an interviewee for a housekeeping position. She takes the job but there’s only one problem - Samantha is no Domestic Goddess…
This is the second time I’ve read The Undomestic Goddess and I found it just as funny the second time around as I did the first. That’s the one thing you can count on with Sophie’s novels - they’re going to be amusing.
It’s told in the first person so we get to know all of Samantha’s thoughts and at the beginning of the novel you can feel how fast-paced her life is and you find yourself reading quicker. The first-person view also allows you to see how Samantha’s life changes and slows down when she meets the Geigers.
I liked Samantha and I loved that she was so dedicated to her job, she had no idea how to work a toaster or the washing machine. It shows that just because someone has an IQ of 158 it doesn’t mean they can work simple appliances! Reading about Samantha’s struggles during the first few days of her job was hilarious and I could see all of the situations she got herself into. I also like how salvation came and Nathaniel’s mother showed Samantha that she could bake a cake and iron clothes. And that, when she puts her mind to it, Samantha could do whatever she liked.
I thought Nathaniel was well written and loved how amusing he found Samantha. I thought they got on well together. I found the Geigers amusing - all the demands they ask of Samantha and how impressed they were that she was English. They were completely bonkers but I loved them anyway! As I mentioned, Nathaniel’s mother, Iris, helped Samantha with her cooking skills and domestic skills. I loved the scenes between Samantha and Iris, they were sweet.
One of my favourite parts of the story - and of any story - was when Samantha pulled herself together over her error that cost her her job. I love when any heroine of any story goes out to find out the truth and realises, actually, there might be more to it than meets the eye. I loved how Samantha defended herself and tried to explain herself and, in the end, was given a chance to exonerate herself.
The Undomestic Goddess is definitely a favourite of mine. The story wasn’t really about Samantha’s job but the chance in Samantha as the novel wore on and I felt Sophie Kinsella wrote that brilliantly and realistically. Sophie is undoubtedly one of the best chick lit writers out there, because I have yet to read one of her novels I haven’t enjoyed!
Rating: 5/5
Tags: sophie kinsella
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July 27th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
This does sound good but it is the only Sophie Kinsella book I haven’t been able to get into! I don’t know why, I just really lost interest after a while. After reading your review, I might give it another go! x
July 27th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
You should do Chloe, it’s one of my faves, but does take a bit to get into… Good review!
July 28th, 2009 at 8:00 am
I really enjoyed this book too! There’s an award for you on my blog!
September 12th, 2010 at 4:11 am
I agree with Leah, this book is my favourite. ITS BRILLIANT. 10 OUT OF 10.
I usually don’t like Sophie’s books. I find them to be trite fluff. But The Undomestic Goddess is on my list of “good reads”
Unlike many of Sophie’s other heroine’s, Samantha is highly intelligent, successful career girl, as oppose to being a dizzy, shopping mad idiot. The plot is great, the characters are funny and I loved the way Samantha proves herself.
Also, Sophie understands the whole “magic Circle” law-firms and the pressure to do well in this top field. I was really impressed, as most people think “making it” as partner means that you’re name is on the letterhead. These multinational law-firms are lethal and huge with hundreds of partners and Sophie captures the arrogance and mode really well.