Ethar Al Al itibaren Chusovskoy, Chelyabinskaya oblast', Rusya, 456812
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 complete with "La Cournue Le Chateau custom color stove with electric and gas ovens that start at $15,000." But truly, what really shocked me was the "Capresso C3000 espresso machine that retails at $2,400..." I had no idea you could spend over $200 on a coffee pot! So, we're introduced early on to the "Spatula Reflex," Nanny's hilarious rendition of a Park Avenue child's greeting to his mother, and the mother's reflexive "Pavlovian" response. It's repeated throughout the book. Nanny's got some other pretty funny catch phrases in the book... like when she "Glinda-the-Good-Witch"es Grayer. What mother among us has not Glinda-the-Good-Witched our child? Ha! "In essence, you are Glinda. You are light and clarity and fun. He is an inanimate object, a toaster who happens to have a tongue hanging out. If he goes too far again..." "BABOOM! Wicked Witch of the West! Two point four seconds - you swoop down in front of his face and hiss that he must never do that again - ever. It is not okay. And then, before he can bat an eyelash, back to Glinda." The indescribably hilarious scene when the Xes take Grayer and Nanny to the company Halloween party is a true highlight. The book is an easy read, and funny, funny, funny. Lots of funny lines, funny stories. Nanny has a great sense of humor and a real down to earth outlook on life. In essence the book is a stint in the main character's life, while making a life of her own, (family, school, job, relationship,) which is also touched upon here. But, the everyday ins and outs and nuances of this dynamic are what keeps you reading. The relationship between Mrs. X (uptight, rich, micromanaging maker of lists,) and Mr. X, (non-existent, egotistical, corporate louse,) reaches its climax on Nantucket during their summer vacation. He's just about had a enough of her, and when she asks him sweetly if she picked something up at the store, "He keeps walking, then stops at the door, turns to me and says, 'Tell my wife I got what was on the list,' and disappears into the kitchen. I can hear Mrs. X. exhale slowly behind me. Won-der-ful. Ladies and gentlemen, for the remainder of the show, the role of F*cked will be played by Nanny." Good stuff. (Note: While reading I thought what a funny movie this story would make. Not realizing it was already a movie. When I saw who the cast was, I was less than impressed. The role of Mrs. X could have been cast much better than Laura Linney, and the role of Nanny really should have gone to someone much funnier than Scarlett Johanssen. I read the reviews and the movie deviates a bit too much from the book to keep its integrity. I won't be seeing the movie.) Oh, and the first one who wants it, it's yours!