Gossip Girl is an American
young adultYoung adult may refer to:* Young adult , persons aged 20 to 40* Young-adult fiction, works targeted to ages 13 to 20* Youth...
novel series written by
Cecily von ZiegesarCecily Brooke von Ziegesar is an American author of young adult novels. She is mainly known for creating the Gossip Girl books.-Early life and education:...
and published by
Little, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Livre....
, a subsidiary of the
Hachette GroupHachette Livre is the largest publisher in France. It is part of Lagardère Media, the media division of Groupe Lagardère.-France:*Calmann-Lévy*Deux Coqs d'Or*Disney Hachette Edition*EDICEF*Editions 1*Editions du Chêne**E.P.A*Editions Foucher...
. Narrated by the omniscient yet unseen blogger "Gossip Girl", the series revolves around the lives and romances amongst the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite private school in New York City's Upper East Side. The series primarily focuses on Blair Waldorf and her best friend, "it girl" Serena van der Woodsen and follows the characters through their high school lives up through their graduation and moving on to college.
The first novel,
Gossip Girl, was released in April 2002; the eleventh and final novel of the series was released in May 2007, with a prequel novel following in October 2007.
Gossip Girl is an American
young adultYoung adult may refer to:* Young adult , persons aged 20 to 40* Young-adult fiction, works targeted to ages 13 to 20* Youth...
novel series written by
Cecily von ZiegesarCecily Brooke von Ziegesar is an American author of young adult novels. She is mainly known for creating the Gossip Girl books.-Early life and education:...
and published by
Little, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Livre....
, a subsidiary of the
Hachette GroupHachette Livre is the largest publisher in France. It is part of Lagardère Media, the media division of Groupe Lagardère.-France:*Calmann-Lévy*Deux Coqs d'Or*Disney Hachette Edition*EDICEF*Editions 1*Editions du Chêne**E.P.A*Editions Foucher...
. Narrated by the omniscient yet unseen blogger "Gossip Girl", the series revolves around the lives and romances amongst the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite private school in New York City's Upper East Side. The series primarily focuses on Blair Waldorf and her best friend, "it girl" Serena van der Woodsen and follows the characters through their high school lives up through their graduation and moving on to college.
The first novel,
Gossip Girl, was released in April 2002; the eleventh and final novel of the series was released in May 2007, with a prequel novel following in October 2007. Another follow-up novel, in which the characters return home from college for the holidays, is scheduled to be released in hardback format in November 2009. The original novel became the inspiration for the
Gossip GirlGossip Girl is an American drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007. On February 24, 2009 The CW renewed the show for a third season...
teen drama television series, created by
Josh SchwartzJosh Schwartz is an American screenwriter and television producer. Schwartz is best known for creating and executive producing the Fox drama The O.C. Schwartz recently developed The CW's teen drama series, Gossip Girl from the hit Gossip Girl books, and co-created NBC's comedy-drama-spy series,...
and
Stephanie Savage-Early career:Savage graduated from the University of Toronto in 1990 with a B.A. in English and Cinema Studies, then from the University of Iowa in 1993 with an M.A. in Film History and Theory. During her study towards a PhD in the same field, in 1995 Savage was offered a position at Drew...
, which premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007 and it is currently in its third season. In May 2008, a follow up series,
Gossip Girl: The Carlyles, began publication, following the Carlyles triplets as they begin attending the Constance Billard School for Girls. As of May 2009, three novels have been released in this series. Ziegesar also created a spin-off series,
The It GirlThe It Girl is the first book in The It Girl series. It was written in 2005 by a ghostwriter with suggestions from Cecily von Ziegesar. Aimed toward young adults, it is a spin-off from the bestselling Gossip Girl series....
, which began publication in 2005.
History
The novel that started the series,
Gossip Girl was published in
paperbackPaperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or cardboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples.-Use:...
format in April 2002. Two new novels were released annually until the final novel,
Don't You Forget About Me, was released in May 2007, showing the main characters graduating from high school and moving on to college and other pursuits. A prequel novel,
It Had To Be You, was released in October 2007 in
hardcoverA hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
and electronic book format. It detailed the events that occurred a year before the first novel. A box set containing the eleven novels of the series and the prequel novel, in paperback format, will be released November 1, 2009. In the same month, a sequel novel,
I Will Always Love You is also scheduled to be released. The hardcover book tells the story of the main characters returning home from college for the holidays. Hachette Group re-released all of the original novels in electronic book format between 2008 and 2009.
Books nine, ten and eleven of the main series were ghostwritten.
Characters
- Blair Waldorf
Blair Cornelia Waldorf is the main character of the Gossip Girl book series, also appearing in the television adaptation of the same name. In addition to being the protagonist of the original novels, she is the most widely publicized figure from the television series, and the most critically...
is the series' main character. She is described in the series as having chestnut brown hair and brilliant blue eyes, being widely involved in extracurricular activities and having a tenacious attitude towards studies. Blair uses her charm, money and social status to get to where and what she wants. Throughout the series, she has an on-off relationship with Nate Archibald. During their off times, he has dated several other girls including her close friend Serena van der Woodsen, whom he dated before dating Blair. Blair attends Yale UniversityYale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five...
.
- Serena van der Woodsen
Serena Caroline van der Woodsen is a character from the book series Gossip Girl and the television adaptation of the same name. Serena is described as a rich and popular girl who is quite often featured on the blog of the mysterious Gossip Girl...
is described as being slim, ethereally beautiful, and "perfect". Serena dabbled in modeling before landing a starring role in Breakfast at Fred's, a remake of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Serena has kept a steady string of admirers, including Nate ArchibaldNathaniel "Tiny" Archibald is a retired American professional basketball player. He spent 14 years playing in the NBA, most notably with the Kansas City Kings and Boston Celtics....
, Dan HumphreyDaniel Randolph "Dan" Humphrey is a fictional character in the best sellingGossip Girl book series. He is portrayed by Penn Badgley in the TV series. -Book Series Background:...
, Aaron RoseAaron Rose is a film director, art show curator and writer who is most responsible as the cornerstone of the Beautiful Losers art movement, which has featured and helped notarize the work of artists such as Barry McGee, Steven "Espo" Powers, Harmony Korine and Shepard Fairey...
, and an entire a cappellaA cappella music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato style...
group at Yale UniversityYale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five...
.Serena longs for true romance, and initially seeks this with Nate, despite his relationship with her friend Blair. Serena is often criticized by her classmates who find her an excellent source of gossip, but resent her effortless good looks and her ability to get the attention of any male. At the end of the book series, Serena decides to stay in New York City, instead of attending one of the many Ivy Leagues schools into which she was accepted, so that she can she discover her life for herself.
- Nate Archibald
Nathaniel "Nate" Fitzwilliam Archibald is a character in the best selling Gossip Girl book series. He is portrayed by Chace Crawford in the television series of the same name. In the book series, he is considered as the main male character, always being fought over by the two most prominent...
is a wealthy, good-looking lacrosse player from St. Jude's School for Boys. He has dated a number of girls in the series, but his only serious relationship has been with his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Blair Waldorf and her close friend Serena. After stealing his lacrosse coach's Viagra, he relied on Blair and her alumnus father's connections to get accepted to Yale, although he eventually left to sail around the world with his father's Navy mentor because he is unable to choose between Blair and Serena.
- Dan Humphrey
Daniel Randolph "Dan" Humphrey is a fictional character in the best sellingGossip Girl book series. He is portrayed by Penn Badgley in the TV series. -Book Series Background:...
is a thin, sensitive, caffeine-addicted poet who often sees the darker side of things. A romantic whose imagination runs off wildly at the worst times, he is also over-analytical and easily frustrated. He was in love with Serena for years before they met and briefly dated, and experimented with homosexuality, before he began dating Vanessa Abrams. He is a published writer of poetry and songs. At the end of the series, he is attending Evergreen State College in Washington.
- Jenny Humphrey
Jennifer Tallulah "Jenny" Humphrey is a fictional character in both the Gossip Girl and The It Girl novels by Cecily von Ziegesar. She is portrayed by Taylor Momsen in the Gossip Girl TV series.-Book series background:...
is Dan's younger sister and an aspiring artist who wishes to be more like Serena, whom she eventually befriends. She often tries to fit in with the rich girls at her school, even though she does not hold a place in their social sphere. She is eventually kicked out of the Constance Billard School for Girls and sent to a boarding school where she reinvents herself as the "it girl", a la Serena. Her move to the boarding school and her life there became the topic of a spin-off of the series, The It GirlThe It Girl is the first book in The It Girl series. It was written in 2005 by a ghostwriter with suggestions from Cecily von Ziegesar. Aimed toward young adults, it is a spin-off from the bestselling Gossip Girl series....
.
- Vanessa Abrams
Vanessa Marigold Abrams is a fictional character in the book series Gossip Girl. She is portrayed by Jessica Szohr in the television series of the same name.-Book series background:...
is a budding filmmaker and the total opposite of most of her classmates, sporting a shaved head and always wears black. She has a shaky relationship with Dan Humphrey, particularly after she ends up living with the Humphrey's for a short time. At the end of the series, she is attending New York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian, research university in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
- Chuck Bass
Charles Bartholomew "Chuck" Bass is a fictional character in the best-selling Gossip Girl series of novels, and is portrayed by Ed Westwick in the television series of the same name. A secondary, antagonistic character in the original book series, Chuck is a main character in the television series,...
is the series' handsome, lust-driven antagonist who tries to take advantage of several girls, though it is eventually revealed that he is bisexual and he begins dating a male named Greg. He is largely despised by other characters but due to his wealth and power he is tolerated. At the end of the series, he is not accepted into any college that he applied to and claims he is going to military college. However, he never arrives at the school and his whereabouts remain unknown. In the books, Chuck is a secondary character. However, he is elevated to a primary role in its television adaptation.
- Elise Wells is Jenny's best friend and a student at Constance Billard. She discovers homosexual attractions—which prove to be fleeting—and embraces Jenny. She later falls in love with Dan, but he rejects her and after accepting this she encourages him to his relationship with Vanessa.
- Keith Van Der Woodsen is the absent father of Serena and Eric Van Der Woodsen, with little known about him other than that he was a up-and-coming Record Producer in 1980s and is currently a billionaire.
Gossip Girl
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Gossip Girl: The Carlyles
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Reception
The criticism of this series primarily revolves around whether the events depicted in the story are appropriate for the teenage audience the books attract. American author and feminist
Naomi WolfNaomi Wolf is an American author and political consultant. With the publication of The Beauty Myth, she became a leading spokesperson of what was later described as the third-wave of the feminist movement...
calls the books "corruption with a cute overlay," and she claims that "sex saturates the
Gossip Girl books.... This is not the frank sexual exploration found in a
Judy BlumeJudy Blume is an American author. She has written many novels for children and young adults which have exceeded sales of 80 million and been translated into 31 languages...
novel, but teenage sexuality via
Juicy CoutureJuicy Couture is a contemporary line of both casual and dressy apparel based in Arleta, California, founded by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor...
, blasé and entirely
commodifiedIn classical political economy and especially Karl Marx's critique of political economy, a commodity is any good or service produced by human labour and offered as a product for general sale on the market. Some other priced goods are also treated as commodities, e.g...
."
Pam Spencer Holley, former YALSA President with the
American Library AssociationThe American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 65,000 members....
(ALA), presents a different point of view, claiming simply to be "happy to see teen girls reading." Confident that young girls will move onto more respected literature, she points out, "Unless you read stuff that's perhaps not the most literary, you'll never understand what good works are." She went on to say, "Nobody complains about the adult women who read Harlequin romances." Holley created a new ALA book list to encourage teens to consult a list of recommendations for "both avid and reluctant readers, who are looking for books like Cecily von Ziegesar's
Gossip Girl series. 'The books on this list are perfect for when your readers have finished with every
Gossip Girl title in your library and are clamoring for another book like the Gossip Girl....'"
Television adaptation
The television adaptation, also titled
Gossip GirlGossip Girl is an American drama television series based on the book series of the same name written by Cecily von Ziegesar. The series was created by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and premiered on The CW on September 19, 2007. On February 24, 2009 The CW renewed the show for a third season...
, was picked up by The CW.
Josh SchwartzJosh Schwartz is an American screenwriter and television producer. Schwartz is best known for creating and executive producing the Fox drama The O.C. Schwartz recently developed The CW's teen drama series, Gossip Girl from the hit Gossip Girl books, and co-created NBC's comedy-drama-spy series,...
, the creator of
The O.C.The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, is executive producer for the project. In the show,
Blake LivelyBlake Christina Lively is an American actress. She stars in the book-based TV series Gossip Girl as Serena van der Woodsen...
plays Serena,
Leighton MeesterLeighton Marissa Meester is an American actress and singer-songwriter, best known for her role as Blair Waldorf in the TV show Gossip Girl.-Early life:...
plays Blair,
Chace CrawfordChristopher Chace Crawford is an American actor best known for his role as Nate Archibald in Gossip Girl on The CW.-Early life:...
plays Nate,
Penn BadgleyPenn Dayton Badgley is an American actor best known for his role as Dan Humphrey on the CW television series Gossip Girl.-Early life:...
plays Dan,
Ed WestwickEdward "Ed" Westwick is an English actor best known for his role as Chuck Bass in the main cast on the American television series Gossip Girl.-Private Life:He is also an indie rock singer for the band The Filthy Youth....
plays Chuck,
Taylor MomsenTaylor Michel Momsen is an American actress, singer, and model. She portrays the character Jenny Humphrey on The CW television series Gossip Girl.-Early life:...
plays Jenny and
Jessica SzohrJessica Karen Szohr is an American actress of Hungarian and African American descent. She is best known for playing Vanessa Abrams on Gossip Girl...
plays Vanessa. The show is based on the books but does not follow the same story line.