I can’t remember who chose our November book club selection, Mad Women, though I think it was Pam who spent some time in the advertising industry. I too feel as I spent time in the advertising industry having been weened on stories of creative meetings, client presentations, and actually given the opportunity to play with various toys and try different candies as my father vied for and kept different accounts.
So though I don’t watch Mad Men, I was curious to read about advertising in the 60s and 70s from the women’s perspective. And I think that was my only problem reading the book, I don’t watch Mad Men and the author spends a lot of time comparing the actual stories of life with those that occur in the show, highlighting the similarities and the differences.
Other than being at a loss due to these comparisons, I enjoyed this read. Having started it on Saturday morning for a couple of hours, and finishing it on Sunday in a few hours, it was definitely a quick read. Also, not only did it give insights into advertising but really insights into what it was like to be a working women in that time period. Very interesting to see how far we have come and how little we have gained – a crazy juxtaposition.
Personally, I can’t wait to discuss it at book club, and even more so, to discuss it with my Dad to see where he concurs and where he doesn’t.