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188th out of 287 books
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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
...morePaperback, 352 pages
Published
September 30th 2003
by William Morrow & Company
(first published February 19th 2003)
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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...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...more
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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...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...more
'The Nanny' as you can see on the front cover is about a nanny. But this is no ordinary 65 year old with a nose wart and knocking stick (which actually isn't very normal at all). NO! This is nanny Jo Green - a 23 year old unmarried, discontented, slightly depressed, in denial, wobbly backboned womangirl. She is not very independent, not very realistic and not good at taking the truth either but surprisingly one thing she does very good is listen to her parents who didn't want her to go to colleg...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 c...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 c...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 ...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 ...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 for...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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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! it's light, funny, and there's no such thing as a forgotten character.
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!).
Kirstin
rated it
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review of another edition
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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 ...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 ...more
The last 2 were not my favorite--don't know why they both seemed the same--long drawn-out plot no excitement. Some fun characters. Too much emphasis on the small kids and their school issues! Still a huge MN fan--highly recommend her other books!
I really enjoyed this book. The characters and plot were really intriguing. The only thing that stops me from giving it four stars is the swearing.
I enjoyed this coming of age story. Refreshing twist on chick lit without all the usual heros and shopping for $300 pumps, ect.
Not for the intellectual, but a great, quick, light, charming, British summer read. You'll finish it in a day and be happy.
One of my all time favorite books!
I feel like I learned a lot about myself when I read that book! :)
I feel like I learned a lot about myself when I read that book! :)
Very fun and clever. The characters are deeper than I thought they would be and that made it even better.
Kathryn
marked it as to-read
Someone said it is as if Jane Austen were writing in the 21st Century. Hum. We'll see...
Another fun a quirky romantic British chick-lit!! If you want a good laugh then this is it!
this was silly, but very funny. and especially topical, as i am a nanny right now.
Nice chick lit but too many distracting characters.
Fun. I liked it better than Nanny Diaries.
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| Goodreads Librarians: ISBN 0-09-942797-4 | 2 | 15 | Oct 01, 2011 06:38am |
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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: "...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: "...more
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