Whenever I travel I always bring a book, preferably a pre-selected book. Not that I don't bring one everyday, but books meant to be taken while traveling are different. These are the books that I feel should be read in very special circumstances. It should positively contribute to the whole experience of traveling. It should have the capacity to either entertain me in lull moments or rescue my sanity in a foreign territory. It should have lots of promises and it should be interesting enough.
Traveling with a pre-selected book, I would tend to finish it. Until my last flight/trip back, you would catch me reading the last few pages. It's a pact that I have always respected. There were forgivable times that some books I brought were total mistakes, but I always try my best to read it in longer gaps, on the road or on the airport. I try to find that right time to have a correct mindset and mood to read it again. If all else fails and a dire need to read a book is there, I buy a new one.
On my most recent Cebu Trip, I scanned through my shelf and found unread books that are already pre-selected for important trips and travel. Since I was reading The Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears at that time, which I found interesting but very heavy, I decided to skip the heavy stuff and look for a lighter material. Going to Cebu, I wouldn't want to bombard myself with deep thoughts or sink through metaphors. I want in your face, superficial stuff. I thought Chick-flick materials would be perfect.
Good thing I have one remaining chick-flick which I bought online.Something Borrowed written by Emily Giffin. The book talks about modern women, facing modern personal issues and relationships. Perfect. Nothing new there.
It's about two bestfriends with extremely different personalities. One is a career-oriented, hardworking, "physically average" girl and one is the little miss perfect, with her perfect lucky charm, features and personality. They both have illustrious jobs. One a lawyer, and another as an events executive. Rachel, the lawyer, is to be maid of honor to the always-lucky Darcy until Rachel gets into an intimate affair with the "oh-so" perfect man Dex, who happens to be her law school friend and Darcy's fiance. They get it on at the first few chapters, right after Darcy threw a party for Dex. After that incident, Rachel's lame justifications about her insiduous affair took over the book as the adulterers try to keep their pseudo-relationship under wraps.
I read the whole thing, sure. It was easy. Relationships, pressure to get married, things that we already know. But I read it because I was so annoyed by the characters and was eager to find out how it would end. I hoped it would end in psychological carnage, but as always, it turned out fine in the end. I was so ready to call it crap.
Well, for one, I wasn't rooting for any character. I just wanted them all to have miserable lives and to disappear. Rachel, the obvious protagonist, is not saintly either. She had an affair with her best friend's fiance. To make it worse, they end up together. The whole book was about rationalizing how cheating is justified in her circumstances. She even had the nerve to plaster herself as a friend to Darcy. In fairness to Darcy, whose personality and demeanor I hate, Darcy was the wronged one. She is still, in a nutshell, considered a dear friend, someone who would never jeopardize one's future, probably only one's insecurities. That's why I felt for Darcy, the antagonist. Seriously, I hoped that Darcy would bomb her fiance and her best friend until they go absolutely blind for each other. I still believe that no girl deserves to be cheated like that. Also in this novel, everyone, including Darcy, is a sinner, which makes it more interesting and annoying at the same time.
I have no great reviews of this novel. It was just your expected chick-flick. It was just created to fill in the lull times at the airport, the grocery or hiding at your room while escaping relatives. It's not something that I would greatly ponder on and miss. Read this if you want to get annoyed. This only reminds me of one thing though. About cheating girls, no matter the circumstances, they suck.
And gosh, I heard they're already making this into a movie.
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