Carrie Pilby
Encyclopedia
Carrie Pilby is the name of a popular "chick lit" novel that was first published by Red Dress Ink in 2003, then re-released on July 1, 2010 for teenage readers under the new imprint Harlequin Teen. It was written by author Caren Lissner
. It was among the first novels published by Harlequin Enterprises's Red Dress Ink imprint, an imprint created primarily to take advantage of the then-burgeoning "chick lit
" phenomenon that included books like Bridget Jones' Diary.
In its first incarnation, Carrie Pilby was noted in various newspaper articles as one of the smarter and more unique chick lit novels in the genre. It proved successful, selling more than 50,000 copies. An Aug. 10, 2003 "New York Times" story referred to the novel as "hilarious." After the chick lit market became saturated, Harlequin stopped publishing novels under the Red Dress Ink imprint in 2009, but Carrie Pilby, which had gone out of print, was selected to be re-published on July 1, 2010 as one of the first books in the new Harlequin Teen line for teenagers. There were only a few changes: it was given a new cover for teens and some of the technology referred to in the novel was slightly modernized (Carrie was now renting "DVDs" instead of "videos"). The novel was released in France on June 1, 2010 as one of the first four titles released in France under the Harlequin imprint "Darkiss."
early and has no idea how to fit in, date, or talk to other people after college. She believes the majority of people in her hometown, New York City
, to be sex-obsessed, immoral, and hypocrites. She felt the same way about students who did dangerous things in college, like drinking to excess and having sex, and as a result felt very isolated, although she confesses that she reluctantly lost her virginity to a professor there. Her therapist in New York gives her a five-point plan to test her very black-and-white beliefs, including going on dates and attending parties. She meets a cast of characters who challenge her beliefs, and she even becomes attracted to a man who espouses some views she despises.
Ultimately, the main character faces the universal coming-of-age decisions about which tradeoffs, if any, are acceptable to make in order to fit into society.
Caren Lissner
Caren Lissner was born in New Jersey in 1972. Her published novels include Carrie Pilby and Starting from Square Two . She has also published humorous essays in The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She is editor-in-chief of the Hudson Reporter group of newspapers in New Jersey...
. It was among the first novels published by Harlequin Enterprises's Red Dress Ink imprint, an imprint created primarily to take advantage of the then-burgeoning "chick lit
Chick lit
Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre sold well during the 1990s and 2000s, with chick lit titles topping bestseller lists and the creation of imprints devoted entirely to chick lit...
" phenomenon that included books like Bridget Jones' Diary.
In its first incarnation, Carrie Pilby was noted in various newspaper articles as one of the smarter and more unique chick lit novels in the genre. It proved successful, selling more than 50,000 copies. An Aug. 10, 2003 "New York Times" story referred to the novel as "hilarious." After the chick lit market became saturated, Harlequin stopped publishing novels under the Red Dress Ink imprint in 2009, but Carrie Pilby, which had gone out of print, was selected to be re-published on July 1, 2010 as one of the first books in the new Harlequin Teen line for teenagers. There were only a few changes: it was given a new cover for teens and some of the technology referred to in the novel was slightly modernized (Carrie was now renting "DVDs" instead of "videos"). The novel was released in France on June 1, 2010 as one of the first four titles released in France under the Harlequin imprint "Darkiss."
Plot summary
Carrie Pilby's eponymous main character is a 19-year-old genius who graduated from Harvard CollegeHarvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
early and has no idea how to fit in, date, or talk to other people after college. She believes the majority of people in her hometown, 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...
, to be sex-obsessed, immoral, and hypocrites. She felt the same way about students who did dangerous things in college, like drinking to excess and having sex, and as a result felt very isolated, although she confesses that she reluctantly lost her virginity to a professor there. Her therapist in New York gives her a five-point plan to test her very black-and-white beliefs, including going on dates and attending parties. She meets a cast of characters who challenge her beliefs, and she even becomes attracted to a man who espouses some views she despises.
Ultimately, the main character faces the universal coming-of-age decisions about which tradeoffs, if any, are acceptable to make in order to fit into society.