Everyone Worth Knowing
Encyclopedia
Everyone Worth Knowing is Lauren Weisberger
's second novel
. Published in 2005
, it tells the story of Bette Robinson, a single woman in New York City
caught up in the city's party circuit through a new job in public relations
.
Similar in many ways to her bestselling
debut, The Devil Wears Prada, it did not, however, sell as well.
but with departures to Istanbul
and Poughkeepsie
.
firm where she has worked in the five years since she and Penelope graduated from Emory
. However, she does little to find a new direction in life until her uncle Will, an aging nationally syndicated entertainment columnist
, introduces her to event planner
, Kelly.
Shortly thereafter, Bette finds herself working for Kelly's firm, Kelly & Co., planning parties, eating and drinking at the city's most fashionable night spots ... and becoming a regular subject of a popular online gossip
column, whose anonymous author seems determined to link her romantically to wealthy playboy
Phillip Weston. While she does find Phillip somewhat attractive, much like the heroines of the romance novel
s she secretly indulges in, and the association becomes of great benefit to her in her new job, she is later drawn to Sammy, a bouncer
at Bungalow 8 who turns out to be from her hometown of Poughkeepsie
and harbors ambitions of being a chef.
The two connect on a trip to Istanbul
, and Sammy's culinary skills impress Bette's parents, former 1960s radicals, on a Thanksgiving
trip back to Poughkeepsie. But he, too, is tied to a wealthy socialite, and dreams of escaping the high life to open a small restaurant. Bette, meanwhile, finds herself growing distant from Penelope and her other friends, and must choose between the person she once was and the one she is becoming.
Since Kelly & Co.'s primary business is sponsoring parties to which many celebrities
are invited, many real-life notables are depicted. Among the most prominent are Hugh Hefner
, Jay-Z
, James Gandolfini
, Ashanti and Jerry Seinfeld
.
There is a reference in a nightclub to "that ugly little lesbian
troll blog
ger who can't stop writing about how much blow
she does every night" which was believed to be a reference to Elizabeth Spiers
of Gawker Media
, in retaliation for a disparaging remark she denies making about Weisberger.
in which an unglamorous young single woman is suddenly thrust into a glamorous New York industry and slowly starts to get comfortable in it, despite keeping herself at a distance, at the expense of her relationship with family and friends, only to decisively reject it and begin to get what she really needs. Unlike its predecessor, however, the novel depicts far more decadent behavior from its wealthy elite, including casual sex
, the frequent use of various illegal drugs and women starving themselves
to the point that they frequently pass out from sheer hunger.
's Pulp Fiction
.
described it as "fatuous, clunky." USA Today
called it "lackluster imitation," and Entertainment Weekly
said it was "ho-hum rehash." Despite debuting on the New York Times Best Seller List
at #10, it dropped off the list in two weeks and was noted for its disappointing, declining sales. Publisher Simon & Schuster
paid Weisberger $1 million for the novel.
Lauren Weisberger
Lauren Weisberger is an American novelist and author of the 2003 bestseller The Devil Wears Prada, a speculated roman à clef of her real life experience as a put-upon assistant to Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour....
's second novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
. Published in 2005
2005 in literature
The year 2005 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February 25 - Canada Reads selects Rockbound by Frank Parker Day as the novel to be read across the nation....
, it tells the story of Bette Robinson, a single woman in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
caught up in the city's party circuit through a new job in public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
.
Similar in many ways to her bestselling
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
debut, The Devil Wears Prada, it did not, however, sell as well.
Plot introduction
The story takes place in the mid-2000s, probably in 2005 (the Iraq War is referred to in passing, and the 2004 U.S. presidential election is discussed as if it were in the recent past), mostly in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
but with departures to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
.
Explanation of title
Plot summary
Shaken by the news that her best friend Penelope has gotten engaged to Avery, who neither she nor Penelope's other friends think is right for her, Bette Robinson suddenly quits her job at UBS, the investment bankingInvestment banking
An investment bank is a financial institution that assists individuals, corporations and governments in raising capital by underwriting and/or acting as the client's agent in the issuance of securities...
firm where she has worked in the five years since she and Penelope graduated from Emory
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
. However, she does little to find a new direction in life until her uncle Will, an aging nationally syndicated entertainment columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, introduces her to event planner
Event planning
Event planning is the process of planning a festival, ceremony, competition, party, or convention. Event planning includes budgeting, establishing dates and alternate dates, selecting and reserving the event site, acquiring permits, and coordinating transportation and parking...
, Kelly.
Shortly thereafter, Bette finds herself working for Kelly's firm, Kelly & Co., planning parties, eating and drinking at the city's most fashionable night spots ... and becoming a regular subject of a popular online gossip
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted...
column, whose anonymous author seems determined to link her romantically to wealthy playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
Phillip Weston. While she does find Phillip somewhat attractive, much like the heroines of the romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s she secretly indulges in, and the association becomes of great benefit to her in her new job, she is later drawn to Sammy, a bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
at Bungalow 8 who turns out to be from her hometown of Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
and harbors ambitions of being a chef.
The two connect on a trip to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, and Sammy's culinary skills impress Bette's parents, former 1960s radicals, on a Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
trip back to Poughkeepsie. But he, too, is tied to a wealthy socialite, and dreams of escaping the high life to open a small restaurant. Bette, meanwhile, finds herself growing distant from Penelope and her other friends, and must choose between the person she once was and the one she is becoming.
Characters in "Everyone Worth Knowing"
- Bettina "Bette" Robinson, a 27-year old single woman living in ManhattanManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. With her personal and professional lives stagnant, she leaves her investment banking job abruptly and winds up working for a top public relations firm. She is secretly addicted to reading trashy romance novelRomance novelThe romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s and belongs to a reading group of similarly-inclined women - Penelope ("Pen" for short), Bette's friend from their days at EmoryEmory UniversityEmory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
and coworker at UBS, despite their very different backgrounds. In the first chapter, she gets engaged to Avery, a longtime family friend Bette (and other friends of Pen) don't think is right for her. - Will Davis, Bette's uncle, writer of the once-popular "Will of the People" syndicatedSyndicated columnistThis list of syndicated columnists comprises columnists whose recurring columns are published in multiple periodical publications .*Ghaith Abdul-Ahad*Yasmin Alibhai-Brown*Timothy Garton Ash*Lucius Beebe*Max Boot...
entertainment column whose writings have increasingly taken a bent toward politically conservativeConservatismConservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
rants. - Simon, Will's partner, who remains deeply in love with him despite vastly different political leanings.
- Kelly, Bette's boss, who runs the hot public relations firm Kelly & Co.
- Philip Weston, a wealthy British playboy, nominally a lawyer, to whom Bette is publicly linked as a girlfriend even though the two are never more than friends. She finds him attractive despite a cruel streak and a condescending attitude to women, until she comes across him having sex with another manHomosexualityHomosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. - Abigail "Abby" Abrams, an acquaintance of Bette and Pen from Emory who writes as "Ellie Insider", an online gossip columnistGossip columnistA gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or magazine, especially a gossip magazine. Gossip columns are material written in a light, informal style, which relates the gossip columnist's opinions about the personal lives or conduct of celebrities from show business ,...
for the fictional website New York Scoop, while she is ostensibly just another freelance writer. A sociopathAntisocial personality disorderAntisocial personality disorder is described by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fourth edition , as an Axis II personality disorder characterized by "...a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood...
, she delights in causing emotional pain to other women without seeming to do so directly, and will advance her interests by using people in any way possible, including sexually. - Samuel "Sammy" Stevens, a bouncer at Bungalow 8 and aspiring chef. Bette knew him in high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, although not well, and is increasingly drawn to him. - Avery Wainwright, Pen's fiancé. Like her, he is from New York's established society. However, he seems to have no career plans, other than applying to law schoolLaw schoolA law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
to put that decision off for a few more years. - Elisa, a coworker of Bette's at Kelly & Co. A cocaineCocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
addictSubstance dependenceThe section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
, she secretly feeds information about Bette to Abby out of jealousyJealousyJealousy is a second emotion and typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety over an anticipated loss of something that the person values, particularly in reference to a human connection. Jealousy often consists of a combination of presenting emotions...
over her perceived relationship with Phillip. - Davide, another Kelly & Co. employee. Of vaguely defined, probably ItalianItalian peopleThe Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
background, he or (more likely) his family is apparently wealthy and profligate enough for him to be eligible for an American Express black cardCenturion CardThe Centurion Card, known informally as the black card, is a charge card issued by American Express.The card is available in select markets, mainly the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Taiwan, Korea, areas of China, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and the Middle East...
. - Robert Robinson, Bette's father, a professorProfessorA professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of ecologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
at Vassar CollegeVassar CollegeVassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
. His wife works for the college's health center. The two met at Berkeley in the 1960s, where they became the political radicalsRadicalizationRadicalization is the process in which an individual changes from passiveness or activism to become more revolutionary, militant or extremist. Radicalization is often associated with youth, adversity, alienation, social exclusion, poverty, or the perception of injustice to self or others.-...
they remain today, to the point that they do not celebrate ThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
and were once wanted by the FBI. Robert is a bit less stringent than her, however, secretly complimenting Sammy the night before the holiday for making the best meal he'd had in ages even if it wasn't strictly organicOrganic foodOrganic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
and vegetarian.
Since Kelly & Co.'s primary business is sponsoring parties to which many celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
are invited, many real-life notables are depicted. Among the most prominent are Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, James Gandolfini
James Gandolfini
James J. Gandolfini, Jr. is an Italian American actor. He is best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO TV series The Sopranos, about a troubled crime boss struggling to balance his family life and career in the Mafia...
, Ashanti and Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and television and film producer, known for playing a semi-fictional version of himself in the situation comedy Seinfeld , which he co-created and co-wrote with Larry David, and, in the show's final two seasons,...
.
There is a reference in a nightclub to "that ugly little lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
troll blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger who can't stop writing about how much blow
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
she does every night" which was believed to be a reference to Elizabeth Spiers
Elizabeth Spiers
Elizabeth Spiers , a native of Wetumpka, Alabama, is the founder of Dead Horse Media, which publishes Dealbreaker, a gossip site about Wall Street, AbovetheLaw, a gossip site about law, Fashionista, a gossip site about fashion, and Supermogul, a now defunct business management site...
of Gawker Media
Gawker Media
Gawker Media is an American online media company and blog network, founded and owned by Nick Denton based in New York City. It is considered to be one of the most visible and successful blog-oriented media companies. , it is the parent company for 11 different weblogs: Gawker.com, Fleshbot,...
, in retaliation for a disparaging remark she denies making about Weisberger.
Major themes
Like The Devil Wears Prada, Everyone Worth Knowing is essentially a morality playMorality play
The morality play is a genre of Medieval and early Tudor theatrical entertainment. In their own time, these plays were known as "interludes", a broader term given to dramas with or without a moral theme. Morality plays are a type of allegory in which the protagonist is met by personifications of...
in which an unglamorous young single woman is suddenly thrust into a glamorous New York industry and slowly starts to get comfortable in it, despite keeping herself at a distance, at the expense of her relationship with family and friends, only to decisively reject it and begin to get what she really needs. Unlike its predecessor, however, the novel depicts far more decadent behavior from its wealthy elite, including casual sex
Casual sex
Casual sex or hooking up refers to certain types of human sexual activity outside the context of a romantic relationship. The term is not always used consistently: some use it to refer to any extramarital sex, some use it to refer to sex in a casual relationship, whereas others reserve its use for...
, the frequent use of various illegal drugs and women starving themselves
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
to the point that they frequently pass out from sheer hunger.
Foreign titles
Although in most countries the book has the same title, or a direct translation, the title in some European countries is Gossip and Gucci, but in Spain the book is called How to be the coolest in New York, in Finland VIP-ihmisiä (VIP-people), in Sweden Alla var där (Everyone were there) and in Italy is Al diavolo piace Dolce (The devil like Dolce "& Gabbana"). This has to do with the success of The devil wears Prada. The cover art in Holland is also very similar to the movie's poster. Polish title is Butler Wears Gabbana Suit.Allusions and references to other works
Bette's guilty pleasure leads to many romance novel titles, possibly fictional, being mentioned, such as The Very Bad Boy and Her Royal Bodyguard. On the plane to Istanbul, the characters watch Quentin TarantinoQuentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction (film)
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
.
Critical reception and sales
Weisberger's second novel received generally unfavorable reviews. The New York Times Book ReviewThe New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the industry. The offices are located near Times Square in New York...
described it as "fatuous, clunky." USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
called it "lackluster imitation," and Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said it was "ho-hum rehash." Despite debuting on the New York Times Best Seller List
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
at #10, it dropped off the list in two weeks and was noted for its disappointing, declining sales. Publisher Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
paid Weisberger $1 million for the novel.