The Nanny Diaries

By: Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus

Narrated by: Julia Roberts

Who wouldn't want this job? Struggling to graduate from NYU and afford her microscopic studio apartment, Nanny takes a position caring for the only son of the wealthy X family. She rapidly learns the insane amount of juggling involved to ensure that a Park Avenue wife who doesn't work, cook, clean, or raise her own child has a smooth day.

When the Xes' marriage begins to disintegrate, Nanny ends up involved way beyond the bounds of human decency or good taste. Her tenure with the X family becomes a nearly impossible mission to maintain the mental health of their four-year-old, her own integrity, and, most important, her sense of humor. Over nine tense months Mrs. X and Nanny perform the age-old dance of decorum and power as they test the limits of modern-day servitude.

The Nanny Diaries deftly skewers the manner in which America's overprivileged raise les petites overprivileged - as if grooming them for a Best in Show competition. Written by two former nannies, this alternately comic and poignant satire punctures the glamour of Manhattan's upper class.

©2002 Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (P)2002 Random House Inc., Random House Audio, a Division of Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

• Romantic Times Award Winner - Best Chick Lit Novel, 2002

"The Nanny Diaries is diabolically funny...vastly entertaining...perfectly pitched social satire." (New York Times)

The Nanny Diaries

What a hoot. Light, funny, fast, quick. Simplistic but engaging character development, teensy but amusing plot, a chick-flick audio escape that is clever and funny.

A little flat

Somehow this inside look into Manhattan's elite fell a little flat. I attribute it to Julia Robert's narration: to me her voice verges on a monotone. Her characters all sounded the same and I longed for some good New York/Manhattan accents to bring the book alive.

It's all true, sadly enough.

I, unfortunately, nannied for friends of the X family. See this book as a marvelous expose of this world of parenting by proxy.

I cannot wait for Julia Roberts to narrate more audio books. Please!

Wonderful Story

This was a great book! You really get into the characters. I highly recommend.

Girly

I normally read mysteries and thrillers but I listened to this for a change of pace. I enjoyed the listen but wished she would have throttled the lady before she left.

Worth a listen for any parent

This story covers paints an ugly picture of the New York elite, who would rather spend time trying on Prada shoes than loving and raising their children. The heroine works hard at building a little boy's self worth while putting herself through graduate school.

The story tends to be funny and fast moving. It is hard not to fall in love with both Nanny and Grover.

However, it was difficult for me to get beyond underlying premise of parents not caring about their children -- is just too sad to imagine. Clearly a very one side view of the world written from the Nanny's perspective.

Julia Roberts does a nice job reading it. Although at times I did find it difficult to keep up with her fast pace.

Worth Checking Out...

I enjoyed this book - having read "The Manny," where I often wanted to strangle the self-involved main character - it was refreshing to read about the same subject from the "Nanny's" perspective. It made the book and subject matter down-to-earth and something I could relate to a bit more :)

I wasn't 100% sold on Julia Roberts though. There were times where she would read VERY VERY quickly... why - I don't know. At these times, the storyline should have made her SLOW down than speed up. Many times I really had to concentrate on her run-on reading. But other than that - she did add life to the characters and all in all it was an enjoyable lsiten.

I wasn't bored once and the story flew by.

A Slice of the Good Life?

Would you listen to The Nanny Diaries again? Why?

I have listened to this story twice. Once before the movie and once after. Loved it both times

Any additional comments?

A good listen, front to back.

Riveting

Like the proverbial trainwreck, it was horrifying but I couldn't pull myself away. What a fascinating view of "classes in America" These nannies need some union protections to guarantee that they'll actually get paid in a timely fashion, work regular hours, and get at least minimal respect. I never realized how good Julia Roberts can be - excellent reading, very funny... EARMUFFS!!!

I've loved this book for 15 years now.

I started listening to this book on C.D back in college and cried when the dics started to skip from my consistent listening; so when I started audible this was the first book I bought. Julia's way of reading the book has always kept me laughing, and has kept me sane. If I admit how many times I've listened to this, you might call me crazy.