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78th out of 1,037 books
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12,163 voters
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The Nanny Diaries (Nanny #1)
Wanted:
One young woman to take care of four-year-old boy. Must be cheerful, enthusiastic and selfless—bordering on masochistic. Must relish sixteen-hour shifts with a deliberately nap-deprived preschooler. Must love getting thrown up on, literally and figuratively, by everyone in his family. Must enjoy the delicious anticipation of ridiculously erratic pay. Mostly, m...more
Paperback, 306 pages
Published
March 18th 2003
by St. Martin's Griffin
(first published January 1st 2002)
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It is one long anecdote disguised as a novel. A lot like "Devil Wears Prada," it is just a laundry list of incidents while working for the shallow, designer-clad perfectionist. It reads more like an article in Us Weekly, In Touch, and or the Mecca of all celebrity rag mag's, People.
What it is clearly the flaw in novels like "Nanny Diaries," and "Devil Wears Prada" is that the protagonist fumbles through the novel lacking any goal or purpose. Instead, th...more
What it is clearly the flaw in novels like "Nanny Diaries," and "Devil Wears Prada" is that the protagonist fumbles through the novel lacking any goal or purpose. Instead, th...more
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I read this during a series of fifteen-minute breaks at my job. In the interest of full disclosure, I have a bit of a grudge against any book packaged as chick-lit, the literary equivalent of low-cal fast food. However, I thoroughly enjoyed both The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing and Prep, and understand that genuinely good fiction is sometimes whored out with candy-colored covers so they'll sell, and I'm always happy to be taken by surprise when that's the case. Not so with this book. Now, ...more
This book was a gift while I was working as a nanny. At first it was funny, with all of the little observations that all nannies make- mainly about a certain, small subsection of women who hire nannies- the wealthy, entitled, narcissistic bitches.
As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that the children are the losers, the parents have no business being parents, and the nannies do nothing to help make the family a better place. Instead they whine about mistreatment, go along wit...more
As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that the children are the losers, the parents have no business being parents, and the nannies do nothing to help make the family a better place. Instead they whine about mistreatment, go along wit...more
Awful. I found the plot (if you can call it that) predictable and unimaginative and the characters flat. BO-ring. Wish I could get those hours back of my life. Can't believe they made a movie out of it. Although, if there are as many people watching "American Idol" as they say there are, I'm sure there's a ready audience for the movie.
If you must insist on reading chick lit, I recommend this one. There's a romantic subplot and lots of shopping and snarky best-friend banter, of course, but the main relationship in the story is between the main character (called Nan or Nanny by everyone in the story) and her four-year-old charge, Grayer.
Both authors used to be nannies in New York City, and you can tell they really enjoyed venting their frustration about past employers in this book. There's the controlling, neurotic mothe...more
Both authors used to be nannies in New York City, and you can tell they really enjoyed venting their frustration about past employers in this book. There's the controlling, neurotic mothe...more
Tata J recommended this book to me saying that he enjoyed this very much. This even came with two other books about nannies - WHITE HOUSE NANNIES and YOU'LL NEVER NANNY IN THIS TOWN AGAIN. So, after just reading the tearjerker in the love story of Van and Davy, I thought I needed to have something very light. Something that will make me laugh.
And laugh I did. In the first 10 pages of this book, I was laughing at the wee hours of a Sunday morning. The Interview part is really funny. I...more
And laugh I did. In the first 10 pages of this book, I was laughing at the wee hours of a Sunday morning. The Interview part is really funny. I...more
This is a Reading Good Books review.
Confession: I’ve known of The Nanny Diaries but only this past month have I watched the movie and read the book. And I have to say, I loved both. (I’m not a huge Scarlett Johansson fan but I am of Chris Evans.) Both were funny and fascinating at the same time.
This was extra fun for me because I spent some time in New York and the place where I was staying was a few blocks away from Park Avenue, the main setting of this novel. Everyd...more
Confession: I’ve known of The Nanny Diaries but only this past month have I watched the movie and read the book. And I have to say, I loved both. (I’m not a huge Scarlett Johansson fan but I am of Chris Evans.) Both were funny and fascinating at the same time.
This was extra fun for me because I spent some time in New York and the place where I was staying was a few blocks away from Park Avenue, the main setting of this novel. Everyd...more
I absolutely LOVED this book!! OMG..I wanted to kill the wicked Mrs. X! I wish Nan would've had more back bone!! Wonderful & entertaining! Highly recommends!!
I suppose that I am one of the few heterosexual males who actually read The Nanny Diaries, or at least part of it before I wanted to make my own guillotine and start lopping off the heads of America’s vulgar ultra-rich. The only reason I tried to read it was because I was going through a phase when I lived in Seattle of noticing the books that people were reading on the bus, or in coffee shops, or where ever. I wanted to get a feel for what folks were buying. A very disheartening exercise at tim...more
Title: The Nanny Diaries
Author: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Copyright date: 2002
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
How many pages: 306 pgs
How long it took me to read: 10 days
Category: Fiction
I learned about this book from: Seeing it around Chapter's and then being released as a movie
This book was purchased at: McNeely and Robinson
This book is: for people who are thinking about becoming a Nanny
Other books by these authors: Dedicati...more
Author: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Copyright date: 2002
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
How many pages: 306 pgs
How long it took me to read: 10 days
Category: Fiction
I learned about this book from: Seeing it around Chapter's and then being released as a movie
This book was purchased at: McNeely and Robinson
This book is: for people who are thinking about becoming a Nanny
Other books by these authors: Dedicati...more
Podría decirse que es un libro extrovertido: personajes casi anónimos como "Nanny" o los "señores X", de los que apenas se intuyen los sentimientos, protagonizando anécdotas en presente llenas de colorido, con un exceso de marcas comerciales y otros elementos de cultura pop (así como frases completas en mayúsculas, con letras repetidas diez veces para indicar que se grita y muchas exclamaciones).
Lo que sí me gusta del libro son los momentos en que se olvida de criticar...more
Lo que sí me gusta del libro son los momentos en que se olvida de criticar...more
I picked this book up because I wanted to see the movie. I hate to see a movie that's based on a book if I haven't read the book.
The Nanny Diaires appeals to a wide audience, I think, for one reason: We've all had a dead-end job with a demanding boss we hate, frustrated because we're waiting for life to begin. And this is exactly what's happened with Nan. The authors show a glimpse into a richer-than-any-person-should-concievably-be New York household. The collision of the very diff...more
The Nanny Diaires appeals to a wide audience, I think, for one reason: We've all had a dead-end job with a demanding boss we hate, frustrated because we're waiting for life to begin. And this is exactly what's happened with Nan. The authors show a glimpse into a richer-than-any-person-should-concievably-be New York household. The collision of the very diff...more
3.5/5
The story of a nanny for the “elite” in NYC. I liked this book b/c I could relate to many of the upsurd things from my experiencing baby-sitting. I also could relate to the unhappiness and excessive time/worry put into insignificant things (and loss of perspective)…..not to mention the non-existent life of a parent despite having children. This was an easy and entertaining read, simply written by a former nanny. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a ton of respect for the nanny….nothing ...more
The story of a nanny for the “elite” in NYC. I liked this book b/c I could relate to many of the upsurd things from my experiencing baby-sitting. I also could relate to the unhappiness and excessive time/worry put into insignificant things (and loss of perspective)…..not to mention the non-existent life of a parent despite having children. This was an easy and entertaining read, simply written by a former nanny. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a ton of respect for the nanny….nothing ...more
Nannie adalah seorang mahasiswi yang hendak mencari pekerjaan sebagai pengasuh anak. Di New York, banyak sekali keluarga kaya yang membutuhkan pengasuh anak, salah satunya adalah keluarga X. Nannie bertemu dengan Mrs. X secara tidak sengaja. Mrs. X pun menawari Nannie pekerjaan untuk mengasuh anaknya, Grayer. Setelah menjadi pengasuh Grayer, Nannie sadar bahwa anak ini sangat kesepian karena Mr. X yang terlalu sibuk berbisnis dan Mrs. X yang selalu bergaul dan tak peduli anaknya. Kehidupan Nanni...more
This book was incredibly absorbing, but leaves the reader with mixed messages. I think it wants to be a penetrating exploration of the intersection between social class and child-raising, but in a way it ends up being about the difference between upper middle class and upper class, and trying to make more out of that difference than there really is. It could have been a study of progressive psychological subjection of Nanny by her employer, which was one of the most striking and horrifying par...more
I must say didn't you feel like slapping Mrs. X and shaking Nanny!
The abuse of power by the richy rich Mrs. X was amazing, even more so was Nanny taking it and staying.
It was touching seeing the relationship between her and 'Grover'. The book left me feeling sad for him and his mother constantly changing his caretakers at the faintest perceived slight.
The abuse of power by the richy rich Mrs. X was amazing, even more so was Nanny taking it and staying.
It was touching seeing the relationship between her and 'Grover'. The book left me feeling sad for him and his mother constantly changing his caretakers at the faintest perceived slight.
This is like The Devil Wears Prada lite. It was interesting to see how "the other side" lives, but at this point we know they are a bunch of rich jerks who do nothing but sit around basking in the smell of their own farts. I felt for Nan who was being treated like a slave, but honestly for what is being charged she is the best paid slave ever. Would have never read this book if it hadn't been for class and honestly could not recommend it for anyone except major chick lit fans and fans ...more
Karen Powell
added it
This book is a modern-day "Agnes Grey," depicting the trials and humiliations of a poor, young woman who takes up caring for the wealthy elite's children. There's a contrived love story thrown in for extra measure, but it only serves to break up the intensity of the X's bad behavior. Mr. X burns through trophy wives and couldn't be bothered to care for his son. Mrs. X is determined to stay thin, young, rich, and Mr. X's current wife. Where does that leave her son Grayer? Spoiled with m...more
This book mirrors The Devil Wears Prada, offering a glimpse into the world of Upper East Side WASPs. Like DWP, we see this opulent lifestyle through a college aged woman who grudgingly agrees to work for the upper crust in hopes of improving her career outlook. But it turns out rich people are rude, inconsiderate, manipulative, and really, really bad parents.
I might have rated this book a little higher if the parents hadn't been so awful. Not once in the story did they seem more ...more
I might have rated this book a little higher if the parents hadn't been so awful. Not once in the story did they seem more ...more
I think the reason I liked this book so much is because I could identify with it so well! Although I have never lived in NYC (sorry Patty!) I have been babysitting since I was 13...which I feel has given me a healthy respect for a worthy foe...children. Spawn. Hatchlings. Whatever you want to call them. The more you love them, the more pissed off they can make you. I always tell my students I love them enough to hate them. They dont get it, but if all the curses I have rained upon them eve...more
I've had this one a while... a long while. Almost used it as my pick for a book club I was in, but had heard it was not so great in the beginning. So wrong.
This book is hilarious! Laugh out loud hilarious!
The authors are former nannies turned authors, who obviously have seen their fair share of of the nanny business!
The novel follows (the aptly named) Nanny through her final year in school, and her job as a nanny to the X's son, 4 year old Grayer. They live on Park Avenue...more
This book is hilarious! Laugh out loud hilarious!
The authors are former nannies turned authors, who obviously have seen their fair share of of the nanny business!
The novel follows (the aptly named) Nanny through her final year in school, and her job as a nanny to the X's son, 4 year old Grayer. They live on Park Avenue...more
At first I thought I liked this book. It was well-written and emotionally touching. On the other hand, when I finished it, I was very sad for all the Grayers of the world, and a little bit angry about which people claim to be parents and which people really ARE parents. But I guess that was the point, wasn't it?
But then I thought about it some more, and decided that there were other reasons why this book was not fulfilling for me. There was absolutely no character development. Nanny wa...more
But then I thought about it some more, and decided that there were other reasons why this book was not fulfilling for me. There was absolutely no character development. Nanny wa...more
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus was an excellent book. The characters in the book we very realistic and well developed. Each character has their own personality that is defined very well. The characters aren’t flat or bland, they are very relatable to people in everyday life. I enjoy the way the authors made them come alive.
The author’s style was enjoyable for me to read. McLaughlin and Kraus neither over-developed nor under-developed the story, they fully explained ...more
The author’s style was enjoyable for me to read. McLaughlin and Kraus neither over-developed nor under-developed the story, they fully explained ...more
I've seen the movie for The Nanny Diaries once or twice before, but I saw the book and snapped it up because I've always liked seeing how the book is in comparison to the movie. The book was a light, playful read, although it did tackle some surprisingly emotional issues that hit very close to home for me.
I found the voice of our main character Nanny quite frank, unique and funny. She had opinions on just about every single little thing about the families she worked for, and I thou...more
I found the voice of our main character Nanny quite frank, unique and funny. She had opinions on just about every single little thing about the families she worked for, and I thou...more
During summers when i was in college, I did a lot of babysitting. One summer, I filled in for a family with three children between au pairs. This experience was eye-opening to me. Never before had I been asked on a babysitting job to take the dog to the vet, do laundry, or make a salad for the parents to eat when they arrived home. I also wasn't accustomed to getting paid a weekly rate, regardless of the number of hours I put in. It was also the first time I'd had an eight-year-old charge tell m...more
Given all the buzz about this book when it came out, I was desperate to read it, and I was thrilled when a friend loaned it to me. It wasn't bad - in fact, it was really good in some ways - but didn't live up to my expectations.
The book was easy to get in to; the beginning was really engaging. I thought the authors gave Nan a really clear voice. She seemed like a real person. Loved all the name dropping of fancy places in New York, which I've always wanted to visit. I thought the bo...more
The book was easy to get in to; the beginning was really engaging. I thought the authors gave Nan a really clear voice. She seemed like a real person. Loved all the name dropping of fancy places in New York, which I've always wanted to visit. I thought the bo...more
It was probably a mistake to listen to this one right after finishing The Devil Wears Prada because I couldn't help feeling bored by the similarities (and I wasn't crazy about TDWP either): young woman takes job for entitled upper class woman in New York City, works unreasonable hours, is sent on ridiculous errands that don't fall within her job description, is insulted at every opportunity, lets her life fall to pieces around her, and (view spoiler)...more
College student Nanny takes a job working with 4 year old Grayer as his “part time nanny’ on Park Avenue, NYC. I use these terms loosely since she is definitely his primary caregiver and his parents are very hands off and busy doing their own thing. After a trip to Nantucket right after Nan’s graduation where she is subjected to round the clock hours, family disputes, infidelities and the added workload watching additional children of everyone who is anyone in NY vacationing on the island, she...more
Tiffany Cooke
rated it
Recommends it for:
Nannies, Women, People who love kids
Recommended to Tiffany by:
Patti H
Shelves:
2011
It took me a while to get into The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. The authors were both nannies for over thirty families. They use their experience to write a fictionalized account of being a nanny in New York.
I haven't seen the movie, so I don't know how the two compare, but I enjoyed the book. The characters were very believable and I fell in love with four-year-old Grayer (AKA Grover.) Some people might feel parent...more
I haven't seen the movie, so I don't know how the two compare, but I enjoyed the book. The characters were very believable and I fell in love with four-year-old Grayer (AKA Grover.) Some people might feel parent...more
Although I expected this book to be funny, having heard that it delves deep into the quirks of New York's wealthy elite, I was not prepared for the feelings of indignation, dismay and embarrassment it evoked as well. Beneath the simple story line - a twenty something college student works as a nanny to pay the rent - lays a minefield of human dysfunction. There is the mother who can't stand to touch or be with her child for more than a few minutes, and only then if he is completely clean; the fa...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| It was decent | 3 | 45 | Dec 19, 2011 02:04pm | |
| It was decent | 1 | 17 | Feb 26, 2008 01:50pm | |
| It was decent | 1 | 12 | Feb 26, 2008 01:50pm |
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McLaughlin graduated from New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study. She met Nicola Kraus while both were attending New York University, and working as nannies. Their first novel, The Nanny Diaries, a tale about a 20-something New York nanny, reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list in 2002. The film version was released in 2007.
More about Emma McLaughlin...
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“if you'e going to do something, darling, then do it all the way.”
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“if you're going to do something darling, then do it all the way\
uncoordinated and enthusiastic. a lethal combination”
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uncoordinated and enthusiastic. a lethal combination”
