What readers think of The Nanny Diaries, plus links to write your own review.

At once bitingly funny and heartbreaking, this is a fast paced visit to the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and how they abuse their help. Nanny has taken a job with Mr. and Mrs. X, part time care (or so she thinks)for Grayer Addison, a four year old boy who will aggravate you and annoy you, but ultimately steals your heart, as he does Nanny's. There is no other explanation for why she endures the abuse heaped on her by a father too busy to care about his wife and child, and a mother too busy not working, not cleaning, cooking or doing laundry, to actually raise her child. A scathing indictment of the Ladies who Lunch, and their oh so busy husbands.

A satire of NY society that keeps you entertained. The parenting methods, lifestyle choices and general ambiance are all very typical.
Mrs. X is L. Birnbach but the one who is best portrayed is Mr.X a.k.a. Steven Haft in real life (Birnbach's husband). The author captures the narcissism and shamlessness that are his trademarks.
It's all about NY players and the price that the kids unfortunately end up having to pay.

A satire of NY society that keeps you entertained. The parenting methods, lifestyle choices and general ambiance are all very typical.
Mrs. X is L. Birnbach but the one who is best portrayed is Mr.X a.k.a. Steven Haft in real life (Birnbach's husband). The author captures the narcissism and shamlessness that are his trademarks.
It's all about NY players and the price that the kids unfortunately end up having to pay.

Based on the hype, I was prepared for an easy, entertaining, funny book. Yes, it was an easy read, and at times, the author did have a good sense of humor, however, I don't find child neglect in the least bit funny, nor the treatment of what the rich deem as their "servants". The ending was just heartbreaking as far as the child goes, and I am curious to know how Grover turns out as an adult. I was amazed at the grace and dignity that Nanny, being so young, showed throughout the book. I couldn't believe she put up with what she did, although she did it because of her emotional attachment to Grover and tried to do what she felt was best for him since no one else seemed to. Unfortunately, I'm sure that none of the people who really need to read this book will, or if by some miracle they do, they would not think that it applies to them.

The Nany Diaries is the first book in the Nanny series by American authors and ex-nannies, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. We start with a nanny called Nanny. Then we have parents Mr X and Mrs X, and their four-year-old son, Grayer. And a potential boyfriend who never gets beyond HH (=Harvard Hottie). So, ignore the silly names, and wade through the interview experiences, the ridiculous demands of these ultra-rich socialites and their first-world problems, and the brand name soup, and there’s actually a reasonable story. Which is that the nanny often has a much better relationship with the children than either of the parents do. And that all that money doesn’t ensure a stable marriage or a happy childhood.

Nanny lacks backbone (but not self-pity) and makes quite a few unwise decisions. Nonetheless, her dedication to her four-year-old charge is genuine. The Xes are, no doubt, an amalgamation of the worst parents the authors have encountered: pretentious, shallow and selfish. This tale gives the reader some laughs, some head-shaking and some gasps at the behaviour of the rich. Is it entertaining enough that readers will want to read the sequel? Doubtful.

I found this to be an unpleasant read with overwrought characters who had no redeeming qualities. All of the main characters are distasteful, selfish people, and the book focuses on their meanness. It isn't funny, it isn't dramatic, it isn't involving. Not worth the time to read, in my opinion.

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.

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.