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splodge
(09/26/03)
This book is so true to the daily life and troubles a nanny goes through. Having been a nanny i can relate to it all. After reading this book i though i was so lucky to be with my past family but beleive me they all show their colours after a period of time.
A great read anyhow and i recommend it to any nanny just to put the job in to the right league.
Sherri
(08/27/03)
I was trying to send this directly to the authors but was unable to find a website. With the popularity of the book, I can understand why.
I had just finished "The Devil Wears Prada" when my sister handed me "The Nanny Diaries" I understand why they called it a novel, although no one with a brain will believe that. I had an experience with a famous, powerful woman that was horrific and wrote an essay about it, changing the names of course. It's posted at an online magazine,called Writershood and will be there till the end of the month, then archived. It's called "The Light" if you want to read it, and my name is Sherri Silesky. It's short, and they put it in nonfiction, but as I said, the names were changed.
I must say, the character had more inner strength than I have, especially at the end. I would have stolen something worth the money they owed me. But that's me. Of course, I'm older now...at 23 maybe I would have done the same.
What I wanted to say is this: as funny as it was, it made me cringe, it almost made me cry. For all the Grayers of the world, who must endure what amounts to child abuse at the hands of the self absorved, idle rich. Mrs. X, Ms. Chicago and Mr. X are all abusers. I wish that someone, somewhere, someday, reports their actions and inactions to child welfare. Not that it would matter. But at least Grayer would know that someone stood up for him.
He will anyway. He will remember the one person who loved him unconditionally, cared for him as if he were her own child, taught him the important things in life and gave him the self confidence he will surely need. It's too bad that Mrs X fixed it so he will think he had been abandoned once more...by all his caregivers. Once he starts therapy, which he will surely need, unless of course he ends up a rapist or murderer, targeting woman who remind him of his mother, he will surely recall Nanny.
Congrats on a great book, but more important, congrats to you for your self control. I believe every single word of it as truth...although I have never been around that kind of wealth, it's not hard to believe.
At least "The Devil Wears Prada" was about adults. Yes, there was a child in it who was probably also abused and neglected (I don't mean abused as in beaten, obviously), it was easier to take because it didn't directly involve an injured child. That just makes my heart weep.
Good luck to you both on future projects!!
anonymous nanny
(07/25/03)
I think this book is pretty good. I can't relate to a lot of it, because my jobs haven't been like that. I think the authors kind of rely on stock portrayals of the characters and we really don't get a 3D view of them. Real people are not all bad or good as the characters in this book seem to suggest. What I am most impressed with is how vivid the imagery is. We stare into the box of earmuffs. We feel Grayer's tears on OUR shoulders. And we know exactly what Mrs. X looks like and how she moves. The sarcasm and name dropping of designers helps the authors NAIL the imagery. What I am still amazed by, though, is how anyone can call this book FUNNY or light summer reading. I thought it was very very sad. That was a misconception I had too, after reading the first chapter, the audition. I was ROFL...but as the story moved along, things got more and more creepy and the only relief you get is Nan's relationship with HH and her internal brassy conversations in reaction to what is going on around her. We see that deep down, Nan does indeed have a backbone and we beg her to use it.
Stephanie
(07/22/03)
I don't like to read books, but when I was stuck at an airport, this one shined on the shelves. Nan has an awesome sense of humor with loaded sarcasm. This book kept me interested from one page to the next. I would reccomend this book to anyone. For all those who rated "1," please read above where nationally acclaimed sources have given this book rave reviews. Much kudos to Emma and Nicola!
Lacy Barnett
(07/11/03)
I have only gotten to read the excerpt so far, but from what I can tell, I am going to be thoroughly pleased with this book.
Suz
(06/24/03)
I picked up this book for some light reading because of all the hype it received. Unfortunately for me the book fell flat and was a disappointment. It relied so heavily on extreme stereotypes - the perfect nanny and the ice cold mother. The writing was amatuerish. And the subject matter was not even remotely funny. Child neglect in any form is not funny whether you are rich or poor. And the "rich" parents are not the only ones that can be blamed for neglect - so i'm not sure why poking fun of wealthy neglectful parents is considered entertainment. A story of a crack mothers neglect because of her addiction would not be light reading either.
I would not recommend this book - in fact i'm likely to throw it out then pass it on to my book reading friends. A waste of a summer read.
PJ
(06/21/03)
The book was light reading - very light - much like a supermarket romance novel. The writing ability of the authors was clearly novice. Characterizations were left very thin or non-existent. Even Nanny, the main character, was one dimensional. Neither a top-notch student nor a top-notch nanny, she was, for reasons left unknown to the reader, unable to do what was truly best for the child she cared for; even though the authors seemed to think she was perfection. The authors were so busy bashing "the rich", and sanctifying the nanny, they ended up with semi-believable fluff. The topic could have provided material for a multi-layered and intelligent novel. Unfortunately, it is neither.
Jesseca
(05/29/03)
I couldn't put the book down. The ending was a little disapointing, but other than that it was a great read.