Customer Reviews

The Nanny Diaries: A Novel

5 star:		(425)
4 star:		(336)
3 star:		(170)
2 star:		(133)
1 star:		(125)

 

 

There's no doubt about it, this book has a great sense of humor, but after so much abuse, why does the nanny stay? Yes, the rich are awful. Anybody who has ever served them knows this. But at a certain point, you walk away.

If it were not for the humor, this would have been a painful bore.

I'm not sure why this book is so popular. The characters are all completely one dimensional--the narrator is perfect in her caretaking, has a perfect loving, appropriately quirky family, and a perfect, terrific boyfriend, while the family she works for has not a single redeaming quality. The neglect the child experiences at the hands of his family is sad, not funny, and the narrators "doormat" reaction to the abuses of her employer are infuriating and not funny. At the end, of course, she gets to sermonize about the importance of loving a child. Its a bit yucky.

Wow. These two young women have done a masterful job of capturing the absurdities of upper class life in Manhattan. I am from that environment myself and as I read this book I was reeling from repeated shocks of recognition. The details are fantastic; as social observers the authors deserve equal standing with Tom Wolfe ("Bonfire of the Vanities" and "A Man in Full"). However, unlike Tom Wolfe, these authors have succeeded in creating full and wholly believable characters. The rich woman who hires "Nanny" is not just an evil or ridiculous caricature -- she is a real person who suffers and struggles. The child is not simply adorable, but frustrating and difficult at times, too; just like a real kid. And the reader can fully understand why Nanny can't pull herself away from this horrible family situation. I only hope that the people whose lifestyle is laid bare in the book, recognize themselves, and make an effort to change their ways.

Don't wait for the movie! Read this surprisingly poignant and hilarious book today!

Not only was this book impossible to put down but an increadible read as well...do yourself a favor and pick up this book...it is a great summer read!

Although this may be considered 'light reading' for a lot of people, it is an extremely well-written novel. Yeah, the plot and characters are a little out there, but DUH, that's the point (it's called SATIRE people!).

The Nanny Diaries is sometimes poignant, often funny look at how humans, in general, seem to lose track of what's really important in life. Highly recommended!

My wife used to be a Nanny, so it was interesting to compare her experiences with these. Now she has her own agency! The stories in the book are very different compared to what she went through. Some parts of the book are a wee bit boring, but all-in-all I enjoyed it.

Nanny is going to NYU to get her degree in child care, but first she must deal with the X's.

The X's are a typical rich New York family: Dad is a workaholic; Mom doesn't have a job but is too busy shopping and running her social life to raise her child; Grayer (nicknamed Grover/Grov) is the four-year-old who wants nothing more than his parents' attention.

Nanny becomes very attached to Grayer, who is absolutely adorable and really likes Nanny because she is the one raising him. Nanny and Grayer go on many adventures together and Nanny must deal with the crazy Mrs. X, who doesn't come home when she says she will, doesn't pay within a normal time frame, and is just downright mean to Nanny -- and to her own child.

This is a great story of love and affection, and also the lack of it. I really liked reading this book because Nanny has a life outside of her job, like falling in love with H.H.-Harvard Hottie. Nanny and Grayer are realistic and the parents are the crazy people in the book, which makes this a great view for teens.

I had a lot of fun reading THE NANNY DIARIES, and will recommend it to all of my friends who have ever babysat for crazy parents!

Reviewed by: Taylor Rector

I could have written this while sitting on the john. I can't believe it was a best seller and people enjoyed it so much.

I hated the main character and wanted to throttle her. I was expecting at least some resemblance of a story but all it was was a long narrative of a spineless grad student who hates her job and her overly stereotypical employers.

If you like a good story and enjoy reading about real characters, skip this fluff.

I love to read just about everything but was disapointed by this novel. Unfortunately I couldn't even get half way through the book because it was so boring. I am surprised by the popularity of this book but maybe I missed something. I regret that I paid full price for it! I wish I would have bought the book used or just borrowed it from someone.

Hey, I'm not under 12, I'm 15, but I didn't want to give my information out. I loved this book. I read it last summer, and it is really a true joy. It is kind of like the movie Uptown Girls (about a nanny, rich mom, and a kid), if you've ever seen that. It's a chick-lit read, but you will really care for the characters. If this helps at all, Ashley Olsen stated in Vanity Fair that this was her favorite book. It's mine too.