Fourteen hours of watching someone lose their soul to a designer handbag and a psychotic boss, and I couldn't stop listening.
Look, I came to this book sideways. Everyone's seen the movie (Meryl! Anne! The cerulean sweater monologue!), but I'd never actually read the source material. And honestly? The audiobook hit different than I expected. Not in a "better than the movie" way—more like... a darker, messier, more uncomfortable way. Andrea Sachs isn't just struggling with a difficult boss. She's actively becoming someone she hates, and Bernadette Dunne makes you feel every single compromise in real time.
The Voice That Made Me Cringe (In a Good Way)
Bernadette Dunne does something really smart here. She doesn't make Andrea a victim. She makes her complicit. There's this edge to her delivery—especially in the second half—where you can hear Andrea rationalizing, convincing herself that missing her boyfriend's birthday is fine, that screaming at her best friend is justified, that she's still the good person she was before Miranda Priestly consumed her entire existence.
Dunne's Miranda voice is deliciously cold. Not campy, not over-the-top evil. Just... dismissive. Like you're a bug she hasn't decided whether to step on yet. And that restraint makes it scarier, honestly. You understand why everyone's terrified. You understand why Andrea keeps saying yes.
The audio quality is a little dated—this isn't a crisp 2024 production, and you can tell. But I listened while designing a brand identity for a boutique hotel, and honestly? The slightly older sound felt appropriate. Like listening to someone's diary from 2003. Which, I mean, it basically is.
When the Fashion Satire Cuts Close to Home
Here's the thing that got me: I've been Andrea. Not in fashion, obviously. I'm a graphic designer in Austin with two cats and a Netflix problem. But I've had clients who texted at midnight expecting immediate responses. I've had people treat my work like it was worthless while simultaneously demanding perfection. I've smiled through meetings where I wanted to scream. That specific power dynamic—where someone holds all the control and you're just trying to survive—shows up in His Sub, though in a completely different context.
So when Andrea's running around Manhattan trying to find an antique dresser Miranda vaguely remembers seeing once, or when she's sending Harry Potter books to Paris via private jet because Miranda's twins are bored—I felt that specific exhaustion. That "this is insane but I need this job" spiral. Dunne captures it perfectly. The resignation. The dark humor. The way you start laughing at things that aren't actually funny because what else can you do?
Abuela would have LOVED this book, by the way. She had zero patience for women who let themselves be mistreated, and she would've been yelling at Andrea through the speakers. "Mija, walk out! Respect yourself!" I can hear her now. Miss you, Abuela.
The Middle Sags, But the Ending Lands
Okay, real talk: the middle section gets repetitive. Miranda's horrible. Andrea complies. Miranda's horrible again. Andrea complies again. I get that this is the point—the slow erosion of boundaries—but around hour eight I was like, "I GET IT. She's the worst." The pacing picks up significantly toward the end, and the climax is satisfying in that messy, imperfect way real life usually is.
Some listeners apparently find Andrea whiny. I... kind of get it? But I also think that's the point. She IS whiny. She's also twenty-three and in way over her head and watching her dreams curdle into something toxic. People complain when they're drowning. That felt realistic to me.
The fashion world details are fun if you're into that sort of thing (I am, professionally—design adjacent, you know), but they're also very 2003. Lots of name-dropping that feels dated now. Doesn't hurt the story, just places it firmly in a specific moment.
Who This Is For (And Who Should Run)
If you've ever had a job that ate your life, if you've ever wondered how much of yourself you're willing to sacrifice for "the opportunity of a lifetime," if you've ever looked in the mirror and not recognized who was looking back—this audiobook will find you. Skip it if you're looking for a light, breezy listen or if workplace toxicity hits too close to home right now. Dunne's performance ensures every uncomfortable moment lands.
Just maybe don't listen while you're already stressed about a deadline. Ask me how I know.
