Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
110th out of 492 books
—
643 voters
The Nanny
Twenty-three-year-old Jo Green knows that if she has to spend one more night in ultra-provincial Niblet-Upon-Avon she'll go completely bonkers! So she answers an ad in the paper, bids her devoted boyfriend Shaun adieu, and heads off to the big city. With a new job that offers excitement; a cool car; and her own suite with a TV, DVD player, and a cell phone, how can she go...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
September 30th 2003
by William Morrow Paperbacks
(first published February 19th 2003)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
In recent months, I have waded through some fairly mediocre chick-lit. I have left books halfway, groaned at the plot-predictability and mentally castigated the dull-as-ditchwater heroines and their pompous heroes.
So now when I come across an author who took a much-mauled genre and perfectly bound all the essential elements together; I want to genuflect before the Lord and send up a fervent "Thank You!"
The Nanny is another brilliant offering by the late Melissa Nathan. It's a tale of 23 year-o...more
So now when I come across an author who took a much-mauled genre and perfectly bound all the essential elements together; I want to genuflect before the Lord and send up a fervent "Thank You!"
The Nanny is another brilliant offering by the late Melissa Nathan. It's a tale of 23 year-o...more
I read another of Nathan's books, The Waitress, and didn't particular care for that one. I bought The Nanny because I read most of Kinsella's books and was looking for something new and I wanted to know if The Nanny would be different from The Waitress.
It's not.
The problems I had with The Waitress are in The Nanny. There's a lot of telling when showing would be better. Even a short scene or two would add more emotion to what should have been an emotional scene. There were also a lot more charact...more
It's not.
The problems I had with The Waitress are in The Nanny. There's a lot of telling when showing would be better. Even a short scene or two would add more emotion to what should have been an emotional scene. There were also a lot more charact...more
I liked: The story-line, the multi-character point of view, the dissection of complex relationships, the humor
I disliked: The tendency to "tell" instead of "show" in the writing style, the unrealistic reactions of characters at certain points in the book
Overall, I enjoyed this book and kept reading because I wanted to see what happened next. There are several different story-lines and it's interesting to see how they intersect. I wish she had written certain conversations and situations out inst...more
I disliked: The tendency to "tell" instead of "show" in the writing style, the unrealistic reactions of characters at certain points in the book
Overall, I enjoyed this book and kept reading because I wanted to see what happened next. There are several different story-lines and it's interesting to see how they intersect. I wish she had written certain conversations and situations out inst...more
Jo has spent her entire life in Niblet-Upon-Avon and needs to get out, so when she's given the chance to take a job as a nanny in London, she jumps at the chance. Of course, this means leaving her long-time boyfriend at home. But the prospect of a new setting and a job in a fancy house with her own car, cell phone, and private suite will soften that blow. Jo gets along famously with her new employers and her three charges, and all seems to be going wonderfully... until her employer's grown-up (a...more
Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec The Nanny?
"Melissa Nathan et moi, c'est déjà une longue histoire d'amour. Elle a écrit de géniales réécritures modernes de Pride & Prejudice et de Persuasion (respectivement Acting Up et Persuading Annie) et j'ai également lu d'elle The Waitress, que j'avais beaucoup aimé!"
Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...
"Jo, une jeune femme de 23 ans, a un avenir tout tracé: elle va épouser son petit copain avec qui elle est depuis si...more
i like this book, i find it hard to put down.it's full of funnies though sometimes too much that i don't understand certain funnies made.perhaps because it's british.it's not particularly tragic or sad but i cried a little when jo and shaun broke up.i love this writer, she writes in a very detailed way, yet doesn't bore me.she is meticuluos.the only thing that kills it a bit for me was that it was so predictable.i love british women writers!a very light read to get your mind off everything in yo...more
This was an amazing read! I loved and savoured every moment of it, it was a random decision to read this book and despite the length of it, I don't regret any of it!
Jo (The main character) was a likable person, and Josh was just oomph ;)
It gave a whole new insight into the life of a nanny, and also how the other half lives. I didn't feel like I was in London while I was reading it, despite the story being set in London, which I absolutely loved, I read books to get away from where I live, to se...more
Jo (The main character) was a likable person, and Josh was just oomph ;)
It gave a whole new insight into the life of a nanny, and also how the other half lives. I didn't feel like I was in London while I was reading it, despite the story being set in London, which I absolutely loved, I read books to get away from where I live, to se...more
I choose this book because I loved the cover and especially because I was dying to read some light chick lit. And this book certainly didn't disappoint!
Jo is a young nanny that loves her job, her parents and her fiancée, but on her birthday she starts to realize that maybe her quiet life is in fact too quiet, and makes a move everyone around her doesn't understand or fully support: she gets a job in London as nanny of three kids, Cassie, Zak and little precocious Tallulah. but dealing with the...more
Jo is a young nanny that loves her job, her parents and her fiancée, but on her birthday she starts to realize that maybe her quiet life is in fact too quiet, and makes a move everyone around her doesn't understand or fully support: she gets a job in London as nanny of three kids, Cassie, Zak and little precocious Tallulah. but dealing with the...more
The Nanny is about a twenty three year old nanny, Jo Green, who feels stuck in a rut with her life in Niblet-upon-Avon. Her boyfriend Shaun has proposed a few times, and each time she has turned him down, while her parents think he has never asked and keep wondering aloud what could be wrong and what he's waiting for. When Jo sees an ad for a nanny in London, she decides to apply for the job and just have a change of pace. She gets hired by Dick and Vanessa Fitzgerald, who have three children -...more
An improvement over The Waitress, mainly due to the presence of a main character whom I was able to stand (and even sympathize with). Nathan's characters are varied but seem to be more caricatures than real people; they conform to their specific type--the "career bourgeois mother," the "narrow-minded working class dad," the "chipper instant best friend," etc.--rather than behave in any kind of organic way. In that regard, many of the characters' actions seemed forced and without satisfactory exp...more
very enjoyable! my favorite part was not the nanny storyline, but the way the marriage of the parents was written - just much more fleshed out and believable than many I come across, even in more highbrow literature than this. ie, it did not make me feel suicidal, a la the marriages depicted in "the corrections". but it also wasn't totally one-dimensional. so - don't have high expectation, but more interesting and thoughtful than you might think.
For the first 534 pages of this book, I debated between giving it 0.5 and 1 star. The impeding relationship and tension between nanny Jo and boss's son Josh was really what kept it going for me. Yes, the family was fun and quirky and the storyline is cute, but it just wasn't great for me. I much preferred the Undomestic Goddess, which is very similar in plot.
The last 2 pages are what boosted this to a 2 star book. While I won't be rereading the tome, I've gone back to reread the ending 3 times i...more
The last 2 pages are what boosted this to a 2 star book. While I won't be rereading the tome, I've gone back to reread the ending 3 times i...more
Jo is stuck in a routine, working as a Nanny in her small hometown, Niblet-upon-Avon; sitll living with her parents; dating the same bloke for 6 years; and thinking, "this is it?" The Fitzgeralds are losing another nanny and have placed an advert in a magazine. Jo decides to reply to the ad and gets hired. She leaves the town behind and goes to the city. The rest of the story is about how her life is changed by her decision.
I manage to read up to 3 chapter but after that I couldn't take it anymore.
It's so hard to explained why I didn't like the book but one reason was there was so many characters in one.
Reading it feels like riding a roller coaster in hours without stop, I get dizzy at times while reading, I get confused on what character is currently speaking.
Anyway, sorry but don't like this.
It's so hard to explained why I didn't like the book but one reason was there was so many characters in one.
Reading it feels like riding a roller coaster in hours without stop, I get dizzy at times while reading, I get confused on what character is currently speaking.
Anyway, sorry but don't like this.
I liked this. I was in the mood for something light, not chick-lit (god I hate that phrase) as such, but not War and Peace either. This pretty much hit the spot. Young girl moves to the Big Smoke and new nanny job. Sounds like 104 other books. But it's not. The characters are really well-rounded, the kids are pretty adorable AND realistic. It left me with a smile, and that's exactly what I was looking for.
It is long, draggy and predictable as hell!! Dont understand why the writer has spent so much time in getting to the point. I will admit that I might have liked this slightly more had there been a gap between this one and Undomestic Godess (similar story-lines so some extent!) but wouldn't have loved it even then ... Disappointing!
I really enjoyed this read. the characters were fully developed, and unlike the other books I've read recently, struggled with quite complex challenges. Although there were two or three storylines at once, the author handled them in a way that was very clever and made for a seemless and smooth story. Jo and Josh, the main love interests, are very relatable, real, and very sympathetic characters. Right away I felt like they were from my neighborhood, and I was highly interested in their story.
Thi...more
Thi...more
Apr 27, 2012
Abi
added it
I loved this book and i love Melissa Nathan's writing she is one of the best Authors i have ever read and i have now finished her collection and all of them were superb.
The Nanny is enriching and keeps you glued to the pages the whole way through, i haven't read such a captivating book in a long time thank you Melissa.
The Nanny is enriching and keeps you glued to the pages the whole way through, i haven't read such a captivating book in a long time thank you Melissa.
Grabbed this from work from our book swap shelf, to read whilst on holiday in Ibiza. Really enjoyed this although usually I dont read chick lit, this has opened the doors to this genre of book again. Its a fun, romantic comedy and would like to read more of this authors book.
This book had me laughing out loud. It was so cheeky! The characters were flawed and realistic and the children were awesome. The way the feelings were conveyed from Vanessa really hit home. I loved the evolution of Josh and Jo too. This would be great to see as a movie.
I picked this picked mainly because i was bored and i liked the cover.its okay.Mostly its funny and the ending is so cute(too bad that doesn't happen in real life). Sometimes it just stretches on but still its really great to read. i am planning to read another one.
definite chic lit.....a book that makes you laugh and cry and call your best friend and get her to read it so u can talk about it. good read! wish authors other books were as good. silimar to Jennifer weiner (good in bed) and meg cabot adult books and the shoploholic series.
This is one of the multitude of cute, "great for vacation" books that I picked up in London (or another city in England), probably a "buy two get one free"... However, I thought it was cute. Kind of an obvious plot line but an enjoyable read!
Aug 02, 2011
Natalia Wendkowska
added it
This was a charming book to relax and have a good time. I got it during my exam phase, so it was a nice counterpart to all the learning. Just as my Mom uses to say: This is something for the heart and to cheer up sad faces.
This book dragged. The whole thing could have been just as good if not better if it was half as long. Also what happened to the pregnacy? It says Vanessa is pregnant in the prolong and then it is NEVER mentioned again =/ Like it never existed =/
I loved this book. The quiet, quirky, lovable main character and her family seemed very alive to me. Her little wards were funny and realistic, the supporting characters interesting and dynamic. And I really felt the love story between vrizzion in a soft way that made me smile. Chemistry is not easy to capture in this way.
The sadness I felt when I read about this author's untimely death stayed with me for awhile. I liked her very much and wish there were many more of her works to read. I reread...more
The sadness I felt when I read about this author's untimely death stayed with me for awhile. I liked her very much and wish there were many more of her works to read. I reread...more
Finally finished this book I bought while on vacation. Really enjoyable. You really feel connected to the charachters, especially the children. They all feel like real people. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
I'm so sad that we lost such a wonderful author. Melissa's books are just lovely - the characters are so well-written and the plots always hold my interest (even over several rereads of the same book!).
Jan 25, 2008
Kirstin
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who is a nanny and those who love Sophie Kinsella
Shelves:
chick-lit,
work-related
I absolutely loved this book.
Asd insane as it sounds, I think this was mainly because it completely reminded me of my own life (asides from the handsome son part) but, I moved from a small town to be a nanny in london and I can guarantee that she has captured the feelings, nursery mums, first friends, and children brilliantly.
The book is written from several different perspectives, including the children, which I think is brilliant. Because there are so many entertwining stories going on, it mak...more
Asd insane as it sounds, I think this was mainly because it completely reminded me of my own life (asides from the handsome son part) but, I moved from a small town to be a nanny in london and I can guarantee that she has captured the feelings, nursery mums, first friends, and children brilliantly.
The book is written from several different perspectives, including the children, which I think is brilliant. Because there are so many entertwining stories going on, it mak...more
I really enjoyed this book. Even though it's quite long, the story is good throughout, focussing on individual characters as well as the protagonist. Some real laugh out loud moments too. A good read and another good book by Melissa Nathan.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodreads Librari...: ISBN 0-09-942797-4 | 2 | 17 | Oct 01, 2011 06:38am |
Melissa Jane Nathan (13 June 1968 – 7 April 2006) was a journalist and UK author of popular "chick lit" novels in the early 2000s.
When working on Persuading Annie (2001), Nathan was diagnosed with breast cancer. She refused to let the illness dominate her life, and - in public anyway - was unfailingly positive. She had no time for most journalism written by cancer sufferers: "self-indulgent dirges...more
More about Melissa Nathan...
When working on Persuading Annie (2001), Nathan was diagnosed with breast cancer. She refused to let the illness dominate her life, and - in public anyway - was unfailingly positive. She had no time for most journalism written by cancer sufferers: "self-indulgent dirges...more
Share This Book
2 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
i loved that line
Nov 25, 2010 06:11am
Nov 25, 2010 08:34am