| Product: |
The Palace Diaries - Sarah Goodall |
| Date: |
22/12/07 (111 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Funny in places.
Disadvantages: I have no sympathy for the author.
I usually have a better reason for reading a book than that I like the look of the cover, but that's what happened with this one, when I saw it on the new acquisitions shelf in my local library.
The author, Sarah Goodall (who had help writing from Nicholas Monson), sees herself as a Bridget Jones of the Palace. The main difference between Bridget Jones and Sarah Goodall for me was that I have a fondness for Bridget, but I think Sarah comes over as an extremely self-centred person.
She says that she comes from an "ordinary" background, and compared to the Royals, she does. In fact she comes from a middle class family, where Daddy is able and occasionally willing, to dish out the odd £2,000 to his "hard-up" daughter, with spending habits way above her station in life.
A twist of fate lands her what she thinks will be a dream job working as a Lady Clerk (Palace speak for secretary) to Prince Charles between the years 1988 to 2000.
Readers see a mixture of personalities through Sarah's eyes, including those that were born to be "important" Royals, those who climbed the slippery ladder and could easily slide down again, plus celebrities such as Jimmy Savile, Spike Milligan and The Spice Girls.
This book was a mistake for me, with so many other potentially more enjoyable reads to explore, but not a big mistake, and I can understand how it would appeal more to someone with a different sense of humour to mine.
Sarah Goodhall seems to think that she has been hard done by, but I saw her eventual demise coming during the story of her time working for the royals. She didn't read the signals given by others around her as well as she should. Naivety about how to behave, after 12 years of employment by the Royals, is a totally inadequate excuse.
Towards the end I felt like screaming at her to improve her attitude, drink less alcohol and arrive punctually, before it was too late, or start looking for another job ahead of the inevitable.
She eventually realises that a colleague, who was also a friend, gave her the most frank warning about Red Carpet Fever, but by then it was too late.
As far as her sex life is concerned there is variety in partners, but no very physically intimate details. I deliberately use the phrase sex life, as opposed to love life, because I think she is too selfish to love anyone but herself.
At all stages in the book she thinks she is in love with His Royal Gorgeousness the Prince of Wales, but that, I believe, is infatuation with his power and money.
My opinion of the Royal Family after reading this book is no better or worse than before, as nothing about them in the book surprised me.
*** Conclusion & Suggested Alternative Reads ***
The author wrote this book to entertain readers and raise money for herself, rather than provide an historic record.
This is basically a chick-lit book with celebrities in it. I found it funny in places, but the author is not someone I can have empathy with.
If I were in the mood for a light funny chic-lit read, I would rather pick up something by Sophie Kinsella, Marian Keyes, Melissa Nathan or Sarah Mason, whose heroines usually get my sympathy.
A book about celebrities, including Royals, that I enjoyed a lot more than Miss Goodhall's book was The Diary of a Tabloid Editor by Piers Morgan. This was often amusing, and it had the sort of humour I could enjoy without liking the author, who in any case knew that he made mistakes, frequently immediately after he made then.
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Mainstream Publishing; New Ed edition (1 Mar 2007)
ISBN-10: 1845962222
ISBN-13: 978-1845962227
RRP: £7.99
Amazon Price: £5.99
Summary: The diary of a Palace secretary's work & private life.
|
|
