Trading Up

Janey Wilcox is an M.A.W. (that`s Model/Actress/Whatever to the uninitiated). The problem with Janey, the protagonist of Candace Bushnell`s first novel, Trading Up, is not the M or the A part. It`s the W. Here is a rare alphabetical In Janey`s case, W stands for “prostitute.” Oh, Janey never crosses the line into actual hookerdom, but she does sleep with extremely wealthy men in the hopes they`ll improve her status, her financial situation, or her lifestyle. When we first met Janey in Bushnell`s novella collection 4 Blondes, she was up to her usual tricks (so to speak)–scamming a guy for a Hamptons vacation rental. At the opening of Trading Up, her fortunes have improved. She`s now the star of a Victoria`s Secret ad campaign, and as such she`s found access to undreamed-of echelons of New York society. She makes friends with Mimi Kilroy, a senator`s daughter “at the very top of the social heap in New York.” She gets invited to all the best parties. And she finally finds a wealthy man who will actually marry Seldon Rose, a powerful entertainment industry executive. Of course, Janey`s social ambitions are not stoppered by her marriage to Seldon, and the clash between her expectations (more parties!) and his (normal life) send Janey into a tailspin that leads to heartbreak. Bushnell is clearly trying to channel Edith Wharton (The Custom of the Country is even invoked by Janey as a screenplay idea), but ends up sounding a lot more like a cross between Tama Janowitz and Judith Krantz. This is a novel about shopping and sex, and while it`s fizzy enough, it`s not Cristal. –Claire Dederer