If people thought the chick-lit version of Anna Wintour was nasty, wait 'til they meet the genre's take on publishing gorgon Judith Regan. Because She Can, the roman a clef by former Harper Collins editor Bridie Clark, doesn't drop until February, but galleys now circulating make The Devil Wears Prada, by former Vogue assistant Lauren Weisberger, seem gentle by comparison. Vivian Grant, the fictional version of Regan, is variously described as "a vengeful sociopath," "a lunatic," "an absolute horror," "a fierce, angry, nasty tyrant," and "her vileness."
Like the real Regan, Grant is a megalomaniacal boss who favors books by strippers, spouts a constant stream of abuse and profanity, talks incessantly about her sex life, and uses the gossip columns to smear former employees. So faithful is the portrait, in fact, one wonders just which details are actually drawn from reality.