The Best of Everything

The Best of Everything follows five young women working at a New York City publishing house in the 1950s. The characters navigate their careers while dealing with romance, ambition, and the social expectations placed on working women during this era. The novel broke ground as one of the first mainstream books to focus on the lives of career women in the corporate world. Its success led to multiple adaptations, including a 1959 film starring Hope Lange and Joan Crawford, a 1970 ABC soap opera, and a 2012 off-Broadway play. Through its portrayal of female friendship, workplace dynamics, and personal struggles, The Best of Everything captures the tension between traditional gender roles and emerging opportunities for women in mid-century America.

Readers compare this book to Mad Men and Sex and the City, describing it as a raw look at working women's lives in 1950s Manhattan. Many note its ahead-of-its-time handling of workplace harassment, career ambition, and female sexuality. Readers appreciate: - Realistic portrayal of office politics and dating - Complex female characters with different paths and choices - Historical details of 1950s New York publishing - Frank discussion of topics that were taboo for its era Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in middle sections - Too many characters to track - Some find the writing style dated - Multiple readers note a "depressing" tone Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (22,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (800+ ratings) One frequent comment from reviews: "This book shows how much has changed for working women - and how much hasn't." Multiple readers note they discovered the book through Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner citing it as inspiration.

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann Follows three women seeking success in New York City's entertainment industry during the 1950s and 1960s while confronting similar career-versus-romance dilemmas.

Mad Men and Working Women: Professional Women at Work by Peter Grosvenor Documents real-life stories of women working in Manhattan advertising agencies during the same era as Jaffe's characters.

The Group by Mary McCarthy Chronicles eight Vassar graduates in 1930s New York as they enter the workforce and challenge social conventions.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Traces a young woman's experience as an intern at a New York magazine while exploring career aspirations and mental health in 1950s America.

Mary McCarthy's The Group by Candace Bushnell Depicts the professional and personal lives of young women in New York's publishing world during the 1990s, echoing themes of ambition and workplace relationships.

🔖 The book was published in 1958 and sold over 100,000 copies in its first month, making it an immediate bestseller. 📽️ Grace Kelly was originally set to star in the 1959 film adaptation but withdrew when she became Princess of Monaco. The role went to Hope Lange instead. 👔 Rona Jaffe wrote the novel based on her own experiences working at Fawcett Publications, starting as a file clerk at age 20. 📚 The novel helped establish the "career girl" literary genre, influencing later works like "Sex and the City" and "The Devil Wears Prada." 🗽 The book's portrayal of sexual harassment in the workplace was groundbreaking for its time, addressing issues that wouldn't become part of mainstream discourse until decades later.