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Scruples
First published 1978 · 942 pages
A deliciously decadent plunge into the champagne-soaked, silk-draped world of 1970s Beverly Hills elite.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sinking into a plush velvet sofa with a glass of vintage champagne while listening to the juiciest gossip in town. It is the ultimate exercise in 1970s glitz and glamour, offering a deliciously unapologetic escape into a world where wealth, ambition, and desire collide. The narrative moves at a brisk, addictive clip, pulling you through sun-drenched Beverly Hills estates, exclusive Parisian boutiques, and the cutthroat corridors of Hollywood. The prose is famously lush, lingering on the tactile details of haute couture and lavish interiors with almost voyeuristic delight. It is a perfect match for readers who crave vintage, high-stakes soap operas filled with fierce female ambition, scandalous romances, and an atmosphere of pure, unadulterated decadence.
- Mood
- opulent
- decadent
- soapy
- glamorous
- Tone
- dishy
- indulgent
- unapologetic
- melodramatic
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- female ambition · the intoxicating power of wealth · reinvention and self-discovery · sexual liberation · the pursuit of luxury
- The writing
- The prose is lush and breathless, lingering with voyeuristic delight on the tactile details of haute couture and lavish interiors.
- The arc
- The journey moves from vulnerable insecurity to triumphant, unapologetic self-actualization and romantic fulfillment.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave vintage Hollywood glamour, high-fashion escapism, and juicy, character-driven soap operas will devour this.
Content notes
- explicit sexual content
- period-typical sexism
- substance use
About the book
The widow of Ellis Ikehorn, Billy Ikehorn, sets out to create Scruples, "a playland specialty shop where the rich could indulge their most lavish whims."--Jacket.
Description from Open Library.
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