''Something Borrowed'' is a 2005 novel by author Emily Giffin. The novel concerns morals regarding friends and relationships. It addresses the stigma against single women in their thirties and the pressure that

society A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

places on them to get

married Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

. "This is a realistic situation that women face in today's society", according to one book review. The title comes from a " Something old, something new", a traditional nursery rhyme concerning a bride's attire. ''Something Borrowed'' became an international bestseller and was placed on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller List, among others. It was developed into a film by

Hilary Swank Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1992 ...

's shared production company.

Plot summary

The novel centers around the protagonist and

narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...

, Rachel White, a thirty-year-old single woman who is a consummate good-girl. She and Darcy Rhone have been best friends since

childhood A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...

, and hard-working Rachel is often in the shadow of flashy, sometimes selfish Darcy. Then, after a night of drinking on Rachel's thirtieth birthday, she sleeps with Darcy's fiancé, Dex.'' Macmillan''
"Something Borrowed"
/ref> After this turns into an affair, Rachel explores the meaning of friendship, true love, and

ethics Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concer ...

Awards and honors

The novel, along with two others by Giffin, was an international bestseller, being on both ''The New York Times'' Best Seller List and ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

s Top 150 list.

Film

and Molly Smith acquired the rights to co-produce a film based on the novel ''Something Borrowed''. Warner Bros. (USA/Canada), Entertainment Film Distributors (UK),

Summit Entertainment Summit Entertainment is an American film production and distribution company. It is a label of Lionsgate Films, owned by Lionsgate Entertainment and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. History Independent era (1991–2012) Summit ...

, (International) Alcon Entertainment developed the project along with 2S Films and Wild Ocean Films. The film was directed by

Luke Greenfield Luke Greenfield (born February 5, 1972) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for directing the 2004 film '' The Girl Next Door''. Greenfield directed the pilot episode of the television series ''Aliens in ...

. Actress

Ginnifer Goodwin Jennifer Michelle "Ginnifer" Goodwin (born May 22, 1978) is an American actress. She is known for her starring role as Margene Heffman in the HBO drama series ''Big Love'' (2006–2011) and Snow White / Mary Margaret Blanchard in the ABC fan ...

played the lead role of Rachel.

Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and businesswoman. She has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Satellite Award, as well as nominations f ...

was cast as Darcy, Rachel's best friend. John Krasinski played Ethan, Rachel's friend and confidant in both ''Something Borrowed'' and ''Something Blue''.

Colin Egglesfield Colin Egglesfield (born February 9, 1973) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Josh Madden in the long-running soap opera '' All My Children'', Auggie Kirkpatrick on The CW's short-lived drama series '' Melrose Place'', and Evan Par ...

played Darcy's fiancé, Dex, while Steve Howey played Marcus. Warner Bros. released the film adaptation on May 6, 2011, and received a 3.9/10 on Rotten Tomatoes.

References

{{reflist

External links

EmilyGiffin.com ''Something Borrowed''''Something Borrowed'' on IMDBGinnifer Goodwin Films ''Something Borrowed'' on Park AveKate Hudson And The ''Something Borrowed'' Cast Hit The Beach Kate Hudson's ''Something Borrowed'' RomanceJohn Krasinski, Ginnifer Goodwin And Kate Hudson On Set Of ''Something Borrowed''John Krasinski and Ginnifer Goodwin move their ''Borrowed'' scenes to the beachJohn Krasinski And Kate Hudson Film Scenes For ''Something Borrowed''
2005 American novels Chick lit novels American novels adapted into films