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D. Criticism
. Julia Llewellyn is the author of The Love Trainer, If I Were You and Amys
Honeymoon. Julia lives in London. Besides writing novels, she also writes regularly for The Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Times and many other publications.
If I were You is her second novel which is a non-fiction story wrote in 2006. It is such a kind of popular novel, which is written for entertaining the readers. The
novel has 487 pages and divided into 57 chapters. It is published by the Penguin Group in London, England. And it has published and sold into many countries. This
novel is based on a subject very close to Llewellyn’s heart – a subject she realized the readers never hear anyone talking about: Friend Envy. “My girl friends have always
been the most important constant in my life yet at the same time I am ashamed to admit I have often harbored deep feelings of envy for them” said Julia Lewellyn.
Like every kind of literary work, the novel of If I were You by Julia Llewellyn also gets many reactions from publics. In one side, there are readers who
admire and enjoy reading the novel. But in the other side, there are also readers who criticize this work. As quoted in an articles entitled If I were You by Julia Llewellyn
http:www.penguin.co.ukstaticcsuk0thenextbigthingindex.html accessed on 23
August 2008, there are some critics directed to the novel:
“As soon as I read the title of Julias second novel I was already hooked. I cant think of a single woman who hasnt contemplated what it would be like
to live someone elses life, particularly their best friends. I read a lot of womens fiction and more often than not, I find myself quite disengaged from
the main female characters largely because I cannot relate to them in any way.”
”However with If I Were You, Julia has created two very real heroines in
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Natasha and Sophie and I constantly found myself remarking out loud I do that or Ive so been there before. Her writing is refreshingly witty, playful
and honest and you find yourself completely entangled in the lives of her characters.”
”Make sure you set aside a whole day to read this book because you wont want to put it down, not even for a minute.”
Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler in his book Mitchtav M’Eliyahu, volume 5, page 123 suggests that “Whenever someone wishes to criticize others, he or she should project
the criticism upon himself or herself. It is impossible to detect anything around them unless he or she is sensitive to it. It is only for talented artist who can see the beauty
of something that would otherwise go unnoticed to a layman. It is only he or she who has experienced some levels of pride and arrogance within himself or herself will
notice pride and arrogance in others.”
E. Context of the Novel
The novel of If I were You takes place in London in around 2006. It was created in the background of British society in the new era or in the modern era where
people are used to live in work-life-world. The British society is determined in a traditional class system. There are the upper class, the upper-middle class, lower-
middle class, the working class, and lower class. Factors which are important for the determination: birth, education, occupation, income, housing, life-style, language.
And as what can be read from an article of Fact about British Society, http:www.lmg.pf.bw.schule.defaecherenglischlandeskundepage15page15.html,
the characteristics of each group are classified as follow:
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1. Upper class: mainly aristocracy and landowners, politically represented in the house of Lords, owning and administrating land.
2. Upper-Middle class: usually work as managers, civil servants, businessmen, become very important stratum in society, has a lot of influence in politic,
administration and civil service. 3. Lower-Middle class: usually become the owner of small businesses, office
workers, skilled workers, became the biggest stratum of British society, and they are the most expanding group in Britain.
4. Working class: usually become factory workers, waiters, shop assistants, the so called semi-skilled, cleaners, he unskilled, having close family and
community ties. 5. Lower class: usually unemployed, the elderly, the disabled, unsupported
mothers, casual labors, low paid, living below the poverty line, depending in state benefits.
The lifestyle also shows the class differences. There are three groups which can be distinguished: The Rich and The Upper class lifestyle, The Well-to-do and
The Middle Class lifestyle, and The poor and The Working Class lifestyle. Britain is also a multi-racial society. For Rich and the upper class lifestyle, many of them live
in big country houses, they have double barrel names, play cricket, rugby, do horse riding and skiing. They are used to going to elite public schools and universities,
all in all luxury. The Well – to – do and the middle class life style is the second group. Mostly both parents work, they have two cars, and can spend their holidays
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