Rating: 
Summary: I kept waiting to get to the part people liked
Review: Several people told me I had to read this book. They said it was funny and a great look at life among the rich. So my expectations were pre-set. I didn't find the book funny, I thought it was very sad.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't Put It Down!
Review: I had to slip into the bathroom in our hotel room to continue reading this book!! My husband was asleep...I just had to read one more chapter. This book is hilarious and so true to life! Read it and pass it on!
Rating: 
Summary: More Than Just Trashy Fun (But Not Much More)
Review: Knowing that much of the action is this book is based on the authors' real life experiences as nannies in New York made me cringe and worry for these people's children. Are rich New Yorkers really that horrible? I wasn't expecting such crisp and (pretty) deep characterization. The young charge truly tugs at your heartstrings. Maybe it was because I stayed up entirely too late so I could finish it, but tears flowed reading the emotionally climatic ending. But in between is some really trashy, bitchy fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Twisted!
Review: This is a hilariously dark twisted book. If you have a dark sense of humor you will enjoy this book!
Rating:
Summary: OMG, I absolutly LOVED this book
Review: The Nanny Diaries by retired nannies Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus is a compelling novel. Though it is a fiction book, it contains many aspects of being a modern-day Nanny.This poignant novel is about a Nan, a struggling NYU student trying to make it through college as a part time nanny. When she finds the X family and decides to take care of their only son Grayer, she can't believe her luck, but things aren't always as they seem. The X's marriage begins to fall apart, and Nan is left taking care of G late into the night. She gets involved in their life way more than any part time nanny should. Things just keep getting worse until she has to spend two weeks in Nantucket with them, and then things seem worse than humanly possible. With Mr. X barely ever there and Mrs. X overcompensating, Nan learns some dark secrets about the family she only met nine months ago. This gripping novel takes you through the highs and lows of Manhattan's upper class while adding humor to make the journey worthwhile.
I thought that this was a fantastic work of fiction, though that did not surprise me. Prior to reading this book, I had not only heard amazing things about it, but I had also been reading many books of the same genre and style. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading dramatic friction, or stories that could happen, but haven't. Since this is the authors' first book, I have not read any of their other stories yet, but I cannot wait for them to write another book!
Rating: 
Summary: Bad and Sad
Review: I was given this book as a present for a new mom. It is horrible. Very poorly written, without a plot or a satisfying conclusion. The treatment of the poor child in the book is deplorable by everyone, including the so-called Nanny. Aside from feeling sadness for little Grayer, the rest of the book elicited no emotion or interest. Pretty sad and bad given the wealth of material the two authors had to work with...
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing and Predictable
Review: Perhaps if I had been a nanny in a former life or earlier in this one I would have been charmed and delighted to see the exploits of my ex-employers and my own woes played out in a poorly characterized, unenticing, and deplorably written novel. Sadly, I am not a nanny and never was and this book dismayed me. At the beginning I was delighted: a look at the lives of the rich and famous behind closed doors and a fun romp through New York City! Sadly, the first chapter delivered as much as the entire novel managed to: a weak promise, repetitive dialogue, boring and bland characterizations of potentially interesting and dynamic characters and a plot that hit a cement wall - again and again. The Nanny (and why she couldn't have had a name besides "Nanny" since everyone else did I'll never know) had some miserable experiences for sure. Did _she_ or her employers grow from these? No. Did she ever communicate her problem to her employer clearly? No. Obviously she needed a job, we all do, but for Pete's sake couldn't she just shut up and find another one, however low paying, that would not leave her feeling the right to complain for 250 pages about how hard life is? I respect the plight of the working woman - I am one - but don't feel the need to exploit, without creativity or verve, my former life. Not to mention there is no attempt made to avenge this working woman or indulge any fantasy at all. The family life of our fair heroine is boring and lacks depth or even obvious likeness to real people. The employers "the X's" (again, names, please?) come closer to being real but never get there. Inconsistent grammar, boring dialogue - please, don't waste your time, check out the first chapter or even the jacket, and then move on to something worth your effort. Great idea, poor execution.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing read
Review: There are few books that make me laugh out loud, and that paint scenes so vividly in my head as this one. A light (and some would call insipid) read, and in some ways a sad statement of what our society has become, but always fresh, poignant, and extrememly humourous poke at the posh 5th avenue mommies. No meaty chunks here, but a delightful, quick read that guarantees AT LEAST a smile...
Rating:
Summary: A modern-day tragic comedy
Review: What do you do when you're a college student in charge of raising someone else's child? Nanny, the main character (and appropriately named for her position) comes to grips with this scenario head-on as she struggles to balance school and her "job" as Grayer X's nanny. While the authors use "X" as the last name of the parents in this book and claim that the events are fictitious, the reader must assume that much of the book is based on true events. Obviously they used to be nannies themselves, which gives them a front row into the comical albeit sad world of nanny-ing. Why do I call this a tragic comedy? Simply put, the writers use astounding wit to describe the tragic situation of having to raise someone else's child because his own parents are too "busy" to do it. Time and time again Nanny's patience is tested when she is confronted with ridiculous demands by Mrs. X (who fills her calendar with appointments for manicures and social events), the absentee Mr. X who is gone half the time on business and calls his son "sport" (probably because he can't remember his name), and gets caught in the middle of Mr. X's affair. Nanny rises to the occasion everytime, putting her entire life on hold everytime Mrs. X calls on the cell phone to impose another "favor." You will find yourself wringing your hands in frustration for Nanny, as she figures that at some point her efforts will HAVE to be rewarded. But will they??????? "The Nanny Diaries" is a maddening look at high society life, where couples have children for show but put a total stranger in charge of raising them, and then get annoyed when their child-rearing expectations are not met. The saddest part is that technically, this is not fiction. Yet the authors have managed to take their negative experiences and turn them into a humorous book that is impossible to put down.
Rating:
Summary: I've worked for these people! Very highly recommended
Review: A graduate student, Nanny seeks part time work so she can complete her thesis and graduate. When a chance encounter in the park leads to Mrs. X, Nanny thinks she has found the perfect position. Then she learns the truth hiding behind the Park Avenue facade. Mrs. X is too busy having her nails done and shopping to clean her own home or spend time with her own child. When the Xes marriage disintegrates, its their child who suffers. Mr. X's absences and affairs have profound effects. Mrs. X's anger and depression likewise damages her child, leaving Nanny to cope with the results. Certainly, she could find another job. But her heart belongs with her young charge. Late checks, long hours, and rude behavior take the back seat to a wonderful, needy four-year-old. Those of us with professional child care experience, especially in the private sector of the wealthy and privileged, will laugh, cry and sympathize with THE NANNY DIARIES. The authors admit to drawing upon their combined experiences to create fictional characters, yet every story echoes my own experience from the competitiveness of private education to the deprived pantries. Certainly exaggeration makes a good story better, but the nuggets of truth allow THE NANNY DIARIES touch the heart. Yes, I've walked out a client's home in tears after listen to arguments never intended for mine or the children's ears. Yes, I've been asked to do many duties that went way beyond the contract and pay of ten dollars an hour. Yes, many clients are gems. But the ones who are not live in one's memory forever -- and make a powerful story! Consequently, THE NANNY DIARIES comes very highly recommended.
|
