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Playing with the Grown-ups
To Kitty, growing up at Hay House, surrounded by doting relations, is heaven. But for Marina, Kitty's silver-eyed mother, younger and more beautiful than other mothers, it is simply boredom. Though a string of suitors keeps the phone ringing all day long, she craves novelty, excitement, parties.
285 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
33 people are currently reading
826 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Dahl
30 books92 followersSophie Dahl (born Sophie Holloway) is an English author, cookbook writer and former model. She was born in London, the daughter of actor Julian Holloway and writer Tessa Dahl. Her maternal grandparents were author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal. Her paternal grandfather was actor Stanley Holloway. She was the inspiration for Sophie, the main character in her maternal grandfather's book The BFG.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
March 13, 2008
Frothy and fizzy like champagne punch with perfectly round scoops of orange creme sherbet floating in it---and a few extra shots of extremely potent brandy.
A quick read.
A quick read.
August 1, 2008
This started out as a somewhat charming story. I liked the main character, and her family was crazy, in a loveable way. I was halfway hoping that the story was close to the author’s own experiences growing up. Especially with having Roald Dahl for a grandfather. (I can totally see Kitty’s grandfather as Roald Dahl). But at the end of the story I was somewhat disappointed. The main characters all go down hill and you really question her mother’s sanity. It is actually quite disturbing at points. Overall, the story was ok. I liked the style it was written in, but I didn’t like the character progression.
February 6, 2013
I was attracted to this book by the title which I thought was great and I loved it when I started to read it. It's the story of Kitty and her life with her beautiful mother who was only eighteen when Kitty was born.
I found it easy to read but became more and more dissatisfied as the story continued. There's a preoccupation with the way the characters look (the more beautiful the better, as if that were the most significant part of anyone's life); the story line is uneven and appears to be a string of events rather than a narrative. I also found it difficult to know what period the novel was set in. It starts with a pregnant Kitty being woken by the phone - her sister calling as something as happened to her mother - and then moves back to her childhood which initially reads as if it were set in the sixties or seventies. But then when she is a teenager Kitty has a mobile phone... Given the date that the novel was published (2007) and that she is now an adult does the mobile make sense?
There were some nice images here and there and I loved the characters of Kitty's grandparents. But, looming large at the beginning, they lost importance as the novel progressed which I thought was a shame. My overall impression of the book was that it was carelessly constructed.
I found it easy to read but became more and more dissatisfied as the story continued. There's a preoccupation with the way the characters look (the more beautiful the better, as if that were the most significant part of anyone's life); the story line is uneven and appears to be a string of events rather than a narrative. I also found it difficult to know what period the novel was set in. It starts with a pregnant Kitty being woken by the phone - her sister calling as something as happened to her mother - and then moves back to her childhood which initially reads as if it were set in the sixties or seventies. But then when she is a teenager Kitty has a mobile phone... Given the date that the novel was published (2007) and that she is now an adult does the mobile make sense?
There were some nice images here and there and I loved the characters of Kitty's grandparents. But, looming large at the beginning, they lost importance as the novel progressed which I thought was a shame. My overall impression of the book was that it was carelessly constructed.
April 9, 2009
I read this book for two reasons:
1. Sophie Dahl is hot.
2. Sophie Dahl is the hot granddaughter of Roald Dahl.
Were it not for her hotness and literary lineage, I would not have read, much less even heard about, Playing with the Grown-ups, Sophie’s first novel.
But despite these irrelevant, verging on sexist, and recklessly inappropriate reasons for reading a book, I enjoyed Playing with the Grown-ups immensely.
Unlike Special Topics in Calamity Physics, whose author is also very hot, Playing with the Grown-ups is actually good.
Sophie Dahl writes with a stylized, imprecise prose where limousines cruise like sharks, people chat like mongooses, the sky is moody, and feet are defenceless piglets. Out of context, such constructed flourishes would drive me up the wall, but Playing with the Grown-ups is tender, warm, girly, and very British (as if you didn’t notice how defenseless was spelled).
British: there are estates, tea, boarding school, and precocious well-to-do characters.
Girly: a large majority of the characters are female, first periods, chastising for small boobs and small butt, armpit hair, clothes, shoes, agonizing over what outfit to wear, agonizing over which boy, adolescence, puberty, shopping, and designer labels.
It’s a coming of age tale with a tragicomic, rock star, art twist. And even though the primary narrative is interrupted with flash-forwards that tease the reader with tiny glimpses of the protagonist’s future, I managed to find it a fresh and charming read.
1. Sophie Dahl is hot.
2. Sophie Dahl is the hot granddaughter of Roald Dahl.
Were it not for her hotness and literary lineage, I would not have read, much less even heard about, Playing with the Grown-ups, Sophie’s first novel.
But despite these irrelevant, verging on sexist, and recklessly inappropriate reasons for reading a book, I enjoyed Playing with the Grown-ups immensely.
Unlike Special Topics in Calamity Physics, whose author is also very hot, Playing with the Grown-ups is actually good.
Sophie Dahl writes with a stylized, imprecise prose where limousines cruise like sharks, people chat like mongooses, the sky is moody, and feet are defenceless piglets. Out of context, such constructed flourishes would drive me up the wall, but Playing with the Grown-ups is tender, warm, girly, and very British (as if you didn’t notice how defenseless was spelled).
British: there are estates, tea, boarding school, and precocious well-to-do characters.
Girly: a large majority of the characters are female, first periods, chastising for small boobs and small butt, armpit hair, clothes, shoes, agonizing over what outfit to wear, agonizing over which boy, adolescence, puberty, shopping, and designer labels.
It’s a coming of age tale with a tragicomic, rock star, art twist. And even though the primary narrative is interrupted with flash-forwards that tease the reader with tiny glimpses of the protagonist’s future, I managed to find it a fresh and charming read.
April 21, 2008
Oh there is a genre of book I do love. Once upon a time at Hastings in Jefferson City, Missouri, a newly licensed 16 year-old braved the two-lane traffic of Missouri Blvd. to make her way to the biggest bookstore within a thirty mile radius. Upon the "HARD BACK NEW RELEASES" there was a lovely book, a photograph in hues of blue with silver writing: By the Shore, by Galaxie Craze. Such a silly name, yes, but the book was amazing, voicing priviate thoughts I'd had and never dared admit to anyone, feelings of abandonment, teenage irritations, terrible sleep-overs and lack of acceptance amoung girls your age--the general terrors of middle school life. It took place in England, in an empty Bed and Breakfast on the shore, with a thoughtful 12 year-old called May and her once self-centered, slightly mad mummy and half brother, Eden, who was afraid of egg yolk. I adored it, and have read it several times since, but not until last week, at a Beverly Hills Borders did I stumble upon Playing with Grown Ups, easily comparable, wonderfully the same and yet fabulously different.
There is, of course, my over all intrigue with Sophie Dahl. Once a plus sized model, the grand daughter of Rhold Dhal and the character of his book, The BFG--the are the one and the same Sophie.
Given her literary royalty status, her beauty seems mildly unncessary, but oh well, it does make for a good story, as it obviously weaves its way into the book. Marina, her mother character is a selfish, mentally ill, ultra-indulgent egoist with a beautiful face and three children she treats more like friends and leaves the partening for an Irish nanny called Nora, who gets them all in trouble for skipping school, eating turkish delight and spending uncomprehensible amounts of money.
The characters jetset between rural England, with a lovely farm house, to boarding Schools, London, New York, an Ashram and finally broke and back to England. Kitty, the main chracter and narrator grows up wearing Vivian Westwood and Missoni, all cast offs from her mother, and knows triva like Jackie O's white house weight. And, although she finds it impossible to NOT fall down the same rabbit hole as her mother, actually beliving their lifestyle might be okay, might exist, might be more than a fantacy, at her core she is always good, she is always pure and utterly uncomfortable in her faux surroundings. She always longs for her parents Hay House, the way things were when she was a child.
The narration frequently flips to Kitty as an adult, visiting her now grown twin siblings and their mother, now old, who's in the mental ward--she is very changed, Kitty, from her excessive, magpie-like adolscence--perhaps slightly more so than is entirely belivable--when one is raised in such shiny luxury it seems difficult to believe it might entirely disapate and leave a thoughtful, loving, pure person in the wake, yet, the book was wonderful, I read it ravenously and enjoyed every part, as well as related--which is the backbone of books like these--the female romain a clef.
There is, of course, my over all intrigue with Sophie Dahl. Once a plus sized model, the grand daughter of Rhold Dhal and the character of his book, The BFG--the are the one and the same Sophie.
Given her literary royalty status, her beauty seems mildly unncessary, but oh well, it does make for a good story, as it obviously weaves its way into the book. Marina, her mother character is a selfish, mentally ill, ultra-indulgent egoist with a beautiful face and three children she treats more like friends and leaves the partening for an Irish nanny called Nora, who gets them all in trouble for skipping school, eating turkish delight and spending uncomprehensible amounts of money.
The characters jetset between rural England, with a lovely farm house, to boarding Schools, London, New York, an Ashram and finally broke and back to England. Kitty, the main chracter and narrator grows up wearing Vivian Westwood and Missoni, all cast offs from her mother, and knows triva like Jackie O's white house weight. And, although she finds it impossible to NOT fall down the same rabbit hole as her mother, actually beliving their lifestyle might be okay, might exist, might be more than a fantacy, at her core she is always good, she is always pure and utterly uncomfortable in her faux surroundings. She always longs for her parents Hay House, the way things were when she was a child.
The narration frequently flips to Kitty as an adult, visiting her now grown twin siblings and their mother, now old, who's in the mental ward--she is very changed, Kitty, from her excessive, magpie-like adolscence--perhaps slightly more so than is entirely belivable--when one is raised in such shiny luxury it seems difficult to believe it might entirely disapate and leave a thoughtful, loving, pure person in the wake, yet, the book was wonderful, I read it ravenously and enjoyed every part, as well as related--which is the backbone of books like these--the female romain a clef.
August 18, 2011
I would have given this book more stars if...it had actually gone somewhere. It started and then seemed to abruptly finish. I think there were beautiful passages in this book, but I kept waiting for the characters to develop. Maybe I am too used to mysteries and therefore this book was a little too steady and uneventful. I really wished for a happy ending for Kitty and her mother, and just felt sad at the end.
November 13, 2024
This book is a whirlwind of confusing relationships, troubled characters, and wild twists that sometimes left me more baffled than engaged. The plot jumps around a lot, making it hard to get a clear sense of the characters or the story’s direction, especially with Kitty as the protagonist. Kitty is a complicated character: at just 13, she’s shockingly preoccupied with adult themes and relationships, which feels unsettling and often makes her seem older than her years—but not in a way that adds maturity or depth to her character. Her mother, Marina, is an impulsive and erratic figure whose actions seem both baffling and tragic, and her ties to strange “guru” figures give the story an uncomfortable undertone of manipulation and cult-like influence. Characters like Jenkins weren't very well-developed and were just in and out of the story within a few seconds. I just got quite bored because of the repetitive storyline, Kitty lusting after people and getting in stupid situations, her mother the exact same.
Despite these chaotic elements, there are occasional bright spots. Kitty’s friends, but also Sam and Violet, offer a semblance of stability and affection in an otherwise turbulent life, though they’re also not without their eccentricities. And while Kitty’s development is erratic and hard to pin down, some moments hint at her resilience in the face of her mother’s instability and questionable judgment.
The constant movement between countries and the vague connections to side characters, like Nora, add to the story’s scattered feeling, often raising more questions than answers. Marina’s struggle with addiction and mental health is depicted in a raw and painful way, but the lack of a clear narrative arc makes it hard to get fully invested in her plight.
Ultimately, the story feels repetitive and leaves many things unresolved, but it also has a strange pull, making me want to know what happens to these characters. It’s a bleak and messy portrayal of a fractured family, though one that might leave readers more unsettled than satisfied. I just wish we'd learn something about their current lives instead of just looking back, we don't know anything about what Kitty does now or who her husband is. Hm.
Despite these chaotic elements, there are occasional bright spots. Kitty’s friends, but also Sam and Violet, offer a semblance of stability and affection in an otherwise turbulent life, though they’re also not without their eccentricities. And while Kitty’s development is erratic and hard to pin down, some moments hint at her resilience in the face of her mother’s instability and questionable judgment.
The constant movement between countries and the vague connections to side characters, like Nora, add to the story’s scattered feeling, often raising more questions than answers. Marina’s struggle with addiction and mental health is depicted in a raw and painful way, but the lack of a clear narrative arc makes it hard to get fully invested in her plight.
Ultimately, the story feels repetitive and leaves many things unresolved, but it also has a strange pull, making me want to know what happens to these characters. It’s a bleak and messy portrayal of a fractured family, though one that might leave readers more unsettled than satisfied. I just wish we'd learn something about their current lives instead of just looking back, we don't know anything about what Kitty does now or who her husband is. Hm.
August 18, 2008
How I Came To Read This Book: I read about it in British Glamour magazine and ordered it from amazon.ca.
The Plot: Kitty is 11 years old as the book kicks off, and living with her artistic mother, infant twin siblings, and grandparents in a beautiful English country home. The next four years of her life however, are mired by her mother's erratic behaviour that takes them to New York, a spiritual Ashram, and back to a darker London then either has experienced previously. Essentially the book follows Kitty as she grows up, and becomes more aware of her mother's many problems - from drug addiction to depression to extremely low self-esteem.
The Good or Bad: At first I was disappointed in the book, as I'd really been anticipating it. However as I got more into it, I loved the realism and bluntness Dahl used. Kitty's life may have been fantastical, but it was also quite scarily probable. Kitty's angst was true, her behaviour deplorable - especially in scenes with her mom - and the perceptions of those around her painfully likely. I think the book took a bit too long to get rolling, and ended a bit too abruptly, but I was glad I read it. Dahl is great with words without trying too hard (most of the time), but she's better with scenarios, and painting the fleeting memories a real-life Kitty might have of that time in her life. The one part of the book that seemed a bit pointless was the modern-day sub-story of Kitty returning to England to meet with her family after something happens to her mom (suicide of some sort no doubt). I was expecting more to be revealed about their relationship, more of a confrontation at the end, but it was left quite ambiguous. I am glad I read the book though - it reminded me a LOT of White Oleander, yet Kitty had a mom while Astrid's mom is stuck in jail. Just goes to show you the potential for bad parenting out there.
Anything Memorable?: Not really no.
Bottom Line: An interesting story that draws you in - but could use a little polishing. I expect great things from Dahl in the future.
50 Book Challenge?: Book #36 in 2008
The Plot: Kitty is 11 years old as the book kicks off, and living with her artistic mother, infant twin siblings, and grandparents in a beautiful English country home. The next four years of her life however, are mired by her mother's erratic behaviour that takes them to New York, a spiritual Ashram, and back to a darker London then either has experienced previously. Essentially the book follows Kitty as she grows up, and becomes more aware of her mother's many problems - from drug addiction to depression to extremely low self-esteem.
The Good or Bad: At first I was disappointed in the book, as I'd really been anticipating it. However as I got more into it, I loved the realism and bluntness Dahl used. Kitty's life may have been fantastical, but it was also quite scarily probable. Kitty's angst was true, her behaviour deplorable - especially in scenes with her mom - and the perceptions of those around her painfully likely. I think the book took a bit too long to get rolling, and ended a bit too abruptly, but I was glad I read it. Dahl is great with words without trying too hard (most of the time), but she's better with scenarios, and painting the fleeting memories a real-life Kitty might have of that time in her life. The one part of the book that seemed a bit pointless was the modern-day sub-story of Kitty returning to England to meet with her family after something happens to her mom (suicide of some sort no doubt). I was expecting more to be revealed about their relationship, more of a confrontation at the end, but it was left quite ambiguous. I am glad I read the book though - it reminded me a LOT of White Oleander, yet Kitty had a mom while Astrid's mom is stuck in jail. Just goes to show you the potential for bad parenting out there.
Anything Memorable?: Not really no.
Bottom Line: An interesting story that draws you in - but could use a little polishing. I expect great things from Dahl in the future.
50 Book Challenge?: Book #36 in 2008
September 15, 2017
I finished this book with zero idea of what the author was wanting me to take away from it. "Family sticks together", maybe? I mean, I didn't not enjoy it, but I certainly won't remember it. I have an incredibly difficult time focusing, and the rambling anti-structure of this book may have been what enabled me to finish it. I liked the quirky Kitty, and I greatly enjoyed reading about her experiences, but there were odd time jumps that added little to the story, and some parts that were just begging for a better editor. I honestly want to read through again and mark down how many references to brand names are made. Seriously, be it shoes, clothes, stores, clubs, or food, Sophia Dahl loves to brand-drop. I like details, but in the end, that much just seems like lazy filler. I hope she keeps writing, and gets better with age.
April 18, 2010
I really liked this book. I think the cover looks like a sexeducation book or something like that. But the story is nice. There's a lot going on and the story wasn't very coherent. I really liked Marina and the way she was a bit of a stereotype. I don't know wh eterit was the authors intention to make kitte a little bit annoying but in some way this really worked. I mean all girls of her age are a little bit annoying.
September 13, 2012
When I started this book I really like it, but in the middle it lost my interest. It is too flat. Kitties live is written like a sum of facts and there is no relation between the events. And the mother is a little bit too weird for me. Nothing special.
August 29, 2013
I quite enjoyed this book. Looking back on it, there really isn't that much of a story but it still managed to keep me engaged. The characters are written very well and the relationships between them are very convincing. I began to care for them all a lot by the end of the book.
January 13, 2024
Abgebrochen.
February 19, 2013
A really enjoyable book.
If you like the character of Jessa on Girls you could well imagine this as the story of her life up until the point she shows up in Brooklyn.
If you like the character of Jessa on Girls you could well imagine this as the story of her life up until the point she shows up in Brooklyn.
March 13, 2018
Started off good but abandoned half way thorugh as it was grating on me.
October 26, 2016
I'm not surprised that the average Goodreads ratings for this book is a so-so 3.24 out of 5 stars at the moment I'm writing this review. It reaffirms the fact that taste is relative, because I actually really enjoyed the simple plot and the complicated characters. It's a plainly beautiful story.
Like many others, what first caught my eye about this book was the author herself. Anyone would have high expectations of the granddaughter of Roald Dahl, who's also a legit supermodel. But secondly, it's that I've always enjoyed coming-of-age stories, stories of the long and complicated journey of a little girl to becoming a full-grown woman. Growing up, I relied on characters in books to navigate my way around adulthood whenever the adults in my life aren't being very reliable.
That said, this book is a quick read. What I love about "Playing With the Grown-Ups" was how honest our protagonist was behind it all. In the story, we follow the young voice of Kitty from her idyllic childhood in rural England through adulthood. Kitty is the result of the affair between a married man and a young, wild, painfully beautiful painter, Marina. The young mother is so beautiful, she's lionized by everyone she meets and gotten herself all kinds of men coming in and out of her life. Kitty had always looked up to her mother, as any kid would, and took a liking in showing her off at school because her beguiling beauty is the reason everyone wants to be friends with her. It's natural for kids to see their parents as their role model, but as you will see in this story, Kitty has to fight with this nature and put her happiness first in order to really make it out alive and well. She is basically the glue of the whole family.
Kitty's adolescence has been a tumultuous ride from boarding schools to New York to a spiritual guru's ashram and back to England. Every time she moves, she has to find the elusive balance between identifying herself with her peers and with her unconventional mother. Not to mention that she also carries a huge responsibility to care for her two younger siblings that wasn't even fathered by the her own whenever her mother is being unreliable. There's not much to say about Kitty's father other than he's wealthy, childless in his marriage, and that he's the love of Marina's life, so he doesn't have much influence on Kitty other than providing a faint sense of security by paying for her education and supporting Marina's impulsive, rebellious lifestyle. That's basically half of the book. Something happens in the middle that broke this safety net, and Marina went downhill from there, and Kitty started picking up the wildness of it all - sex, drugs, bad influences and more.
We can sense the humble beginnings of this crazy journey she has to put up with by looking at one of my favorite monologues in the book, where Kitty was still in her pre-teen years, still a "good girl" that she is but struggled to be validated. She has just went through the bullies and rejection by the snobs at her boarding school, and after having moved to the U.S., made a beautiful friend in her new school and wanting to admit to her that she's only "[...] pretending to be pretty, but you're a proper beauty like my mother is a proper beauty, and I'm not really cool, everyone just thinks I'm cool because I'm new and I'm from England."
What broke my heart most was that toward the end, her younger siblings trusted her more than they trust their own mother in their caregiving. Even though at the time I could imagine it was difficult for her to swallow this truth, considering she's only a 16-year-old who's just trying to break free into adulthood, the trust actually plays huge role in her choices later on that finally leads to a resolution with her mother.
I also love Dahl's literary style - very poetic, eloquent, and easy-to-read at the same time. I'd recommend this for any woman who's looking for a beautiful escape, or just a stylish summer read.
Like many others, what first caught my eye about this book was the author herself. Anyone would have high expectations of the granddaughter of Roald Dahl, who's also a legit supermodel. But secondly, it's that I've always enjoyed coming-of-age stories, stories of the long and complicated journey of a little girl to becoming a full-grown woman. Growing up, I relied on characters in books to navigate my way around adulthood whenever the adults in my life aren't being very reliable.
That said, this book is a quick read. What I love about "Playing With the Grown-Ups" was how honest our protagonist was behind it all. In the story, we follow the young voice of Kitty from her idyllic childhood in rural England through adulthood. Kitty is the result of the affair between a married man and a young, wild, painfully beautiful painter, Marina. The young mother is so beautiful, she's lionized by everyone she meets and gotten herself all kinds of men coming in and out of her life. Kitty had always looked up to her mother, as any kid would, and took a liking in showing her off at school because her beguiling beauty is the reason everyone wants to be friends with her. It's natural for kids to see their parents as their role model, but as you will see in this story, Kitty has to fight with this nature and put her happiness first in order to really make it out alive and well. She is basically the glue of the whole family.
Kitty's adolescence has been a tumultuous ride from boarding schools to New York to a spiritual guru's ashram and back to England. Every time she moves, she has to find the elusive balance between identifying herself with her peers and with her unconventional mother. Not to mention that she also carries a huge responsibility to care for her two younger siblings that wasn't even fathered by the her own whenever her mother is being unreliable. There's not much to say about Kitty's father other than he's wealthy, childless in his marriage, and that he's the love of Marina's life, so he doesn't have much influence on Kitty other than providing a faint sense of security by paying for her education and supporting Marina's impulsive, rebellious lifestyle. That's basically half of the book. Something happens in the middle that broke this safety net, and Marina went downhill from there, and Kitty started picking up the wildness of it all - sex, drugs, bad influences and more.
We can sense the humble beginnings of this crazy journey she has to put up with by looking at one of my favorite monologues in the book, where Kitty was still in her pre-teen years, still a "good girl" that she is but struggled to be validated. She has just went through the bullies and rejection by the snobs at her boarding school, and after having moved to the U.S., made a beautiful friend in her new school and wanting to admit to her that she's only "[...] pretending to be pretty, but you're a proper beauty like my mother is a proper beauty, and I'm not really cool, everyone just thinks I'm cool because I'm new and I'm from England."
What broke my heart most was that toward the end, her younger siblings trusted her more than they trust their own mother in their caregiving. Even though at the time I could imagine it was difficult for her to swallow this truth, considering she's only a 16-year-old who's just trying to break free into adulthood, the trust actually plays huge role in her choices later on that finally leads to a resolution with her mother.
I also love Dahl's literary style - very poetic, eloquent, and easy-to-read at the same time. I'd recommend this for any woman who's looking for a beautiful escape, or just a stylish summer read.
December 24, 2024
The story begins with the ever-dreaded phone call in the middle of the night, summoning Kitty to London because something's happened to her mother. Heavily pregnant herself, Kitty gets on the first flight, and, we think, starts the story from the beginning to demonstrate how she and her family got to the point where her mother lies in the hospital.
As a child, Kitty lived a somewhat idyllic life in the English countryside with her mother, brother, sister, aunts, grandparents, and nanny. Dahl vividly describes her setting, and one can almost feel the warmth of the sun and the breeze.
But Kitty is not destined to remain there. Kitty's mother, Marina, is presented to the reader as someone who does not make the best choices in life. Kitty herself is the product of an affair Marina had as a teenager with a married man. As the story begins, Marina has just found religion, through Swami-ji, the leader of an unnamed cult.
Though benevolent in intention, the effect of the cult on Kitty's family is dramatic. Soon, Kitty is separated from her family and sent to a drab boarding school, while her mother and siblings go to New York. Her mother becomes a successful painter in New York, and after a single school year, decides that Kitty should join her. She does, and it is in New York that Kitty first begins to follow her mother's example in walking on the wild side.
When the family moves back to London (having been rejected by the cult), Kitty's inhibitions seem to stay in New York. Once in London, she falls in with varying crowds, doing drugs, going to wild parties, and the like. From the loose time references we are given in the book, it is the mid-'90s and Kitty is about 14. Not to be overly naive, but she is far too young to be doing the sorts of things she does (I guess that's where the book gets its title), but even worse is that Marina encourages Kitty's behavior, sometimes even joining her at parties, and passing around the drugs. That Marina genuinely loves Kitty makes this picture even more tragic, as it does not ever seem to occur to Marina that her choices and behavior might be destructive to her children. Finally, Marina takes an overdose and is rushed to the hospital. Kitty calls her grandparents, and is finally able to return to their home.
But, although the scene has remained the same, Kitty herself has changed too much to stay there, and decides to go back to boarding school, this time in Connecticut, to make a new start. But here is where the book fails us. Having detailed Kitty's descent, Dahl leaves her redemption to our imagination. We know only that she does manage to make a stable life for herself. Having spent so much time in the dregs with Kitty, it would have been nice if we could have walked with her a bit on her journey up.
As a child, Kitty lived a somewhat idyllic life in the English countryside with her mother, brother, sister, aunts, grandparents, and nanny. Dahl vividly describes her setting, and one can almost feel the warmth of the sun and the breeze.
But Kitty is not destined to remain there. Kitty's mother, Marina, is presented to the reader as someone who does not make the best choices in life. Kitty herself is the product of an affair Marina had as a teenager with a married man. As the story begins, Marina has just found religion, through Swami-ji, the leader of an unnamed cult.
Though benevolent in intention, the effect of the cult on Kitty's family is dramatic. Soon, Kitty is separated from her family and sent to a drab boarding school, while her mother and siblings go to New York. Her mother becomes a successful painter in New York, and after a single school year, decides that Kitty should join her. She does, and it is in New York that Kitty first begins to follow her mother's example in walking on the wild side.
When the family moves back to London (having been rejected by the cult), Kitty's inhibitions seem to stay in New York. Once in London, she falls in with varying crowds, doing drugs, going to wild parties, and the like. From the loose time references we are given in the book, it is the mid-'90s and Kitty is about 14. Not to be overly naive, but she is far too young to be doing the sorts of things she does (I guess that's where the book gets its title), but even worse is that Marina encourages Kitty's behavior, sometimes even joining her at parties, and passing around the drugs. That Marina genuinely loves Kitty makes this picture even more tragic, as it does not ever seem to occur to Marina that her choices and behavior might be destructive to her children. Finally, Marina takes an overdose and is rushed to the hospital. Kitty calls her grandparents, and is finally able to return to their home.
But, although the scene has remained the same, Kitty herself has changed too much to stay there, and decides to go back to boarding school, this time in Connecticut, to make a new start. But here is where the book fails us. Having detailed Kitty's descent, Dahl leaves her redemption to our imagination. We know only that she does manage to make a stable life for herself. Having spent so much time in the dregs with Kitty, it would have been nice if we could have walked with her a bit on her journey up.
October 31, 2018
What a beautiful spiral of an unstable family! Dahl has a talent for writing beautifully, in a way that makes me want to keep reading even if it feels like I don't know exactly what's going on. Early in the book I had some trouble paying attention and keeping characters distinct, but that may have had more to do with how quickly I've read books this month. As I got further in, the story got clearer (still with the aura of mystery) and I couldn't put it down.
Trigger warnings for young-ish teen sexuality (sometimes with older partner), drug usage, and discussions of suicide/mental illness/emotional abuse.
Trigger warnings for young-ish teen sexuality (sometimes with older partner), drug usage, and discussions of suicide/mental illness/emotional abuse.
April 25, 2022
The strong story telling and endearing characters spared this book from being relegated to my unfinished pile. The interactions of the young, beautiful and eccentric mother, her three children and their helpers on whom the story was centred are in turn delightful, excruciating, poignant and heartwarming but at times the story seemed to be going in circles, the movement between past and present was at times confusing and if one of the characters had done one more line of coke......! In the end, though, I'm glad I persevered and finished it.
August 28, 2024
Picked up this book randomly at a used book store a few weeks ago. It said in the cover that it had the same vibe as Breakfast at Tiffany’s… which I guess it kind of does if you’re reading it and only focusing on the mother, Marina. But I’d say it’s more of Breakfast at Tiffany’s mixed with the UK’s Skins. It’s an interesting snapshot into a random family’s life but it ended SO abruptly. I flipped the last page thinking there was gonna be more
Edit: just realized this was written by roald dahl’s grand-daughter, so there’s a chance this was semi-autobiographical which is kinda cool
Edit: just realized this was written by roald dahl’s grand-daughter, so there’s a chance this was semi-autobiographical which is kinda cool
April 9, 2020
Een snel te lezen verhaal over een opgroeiende dochter die door haar bohemien moeder meegesleept wordt in haar zoektocht naar liefde. Mooi beschreven uit het standpunt van een jong meisje dat evolueert van kinderlijke adoratie voor haar kunstzinnige, bloedmooie maar labiele moeder en haar nitwit-vriendjes tot een realistischere kijk op de hele scene, zonder daarbij de tederheid en verbondenheid los te laten.
July 9, 2025
I really didnt enjoy this book at all. I was stuck with no other reading options and otherwise would not have bothered to finish it.
I found the mother childish and extremely irritating and didnt really get much feeling for any of the other characters, many of whom I found unpleasant and bullying.
The story didnt really seem to have any direction and seemed to flit around various locations and timescales but for no real purpose.
I found the mother childish and extremely irritating and didnt really get much feeling for any of the other characters, many of whom I found unpleasant and bullying.
The story didnt really seem to have any direction and seemed to flit around various locations and timescales but for no real purpose.
December 27, 2025
Ik zat volledig in het boek voor de eerste 150 pagina's, daarna begon ik me af te vragen waar het heen zou gaan. Ik heb het boek net uit en heb hier nog steeds geen antwoord op. Haar moeder biedt der excuses aan, mooi maar niet perse een heel krachtig einde. Ik denk dat het boek meer potentie had, maar naast het einde wel een leuk boek.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2019
I did like this book, I felt it was well written but it stopped so abruptly that I was convinced for a minute that I was missing some pages. It was an ok read but I wouldn't say it made my top 100 or that I am ever going to read it again. Bit of an anti climax with unfinished business.
February 2, 2021
A likeable read by Sophie Dahl. Some interesting characters and lots of culture references in music and films.
It had a feel of the type of novel that was extraordinary in the sane style as I Capture The Castle.
It had a feel of the type of novel that was extraordinary in the sane style as I Capture The Castle.
July 25, 2022
Charming and easy to read - I enjoyed it. However, the structure is a bit funny and some parts are just nonsensical. I didn't really like the modern/ older kitty side of the story. I think the story resonated because it was quite nostalgic - reminding me of parts of my childhood.
November 25, 2023
2 stars because it was just plain toxic
This book was heartbreaking and depressing from start to finish.
It jumped times frequently but it was easy enough to follow. I wanted more from now. It was just a diary of the past.
Not for me sadly
This book was heartbreaking and depressing from start to finish.
It jumped times frequently but it was easy enough to follow. I wanted more from now. It was just a diary of the past.
Not for me sadly
April 7, 2025
Om en dotter och en spirituell mamma som fyller livet med allt från gurus till droger. Dysfunktionella relationer son skadas av sprit och droger. Om att växa upp för fort..
Jag fastnade inte alls för boken. Tyckte den hoppade mellan händelser och karaktärerna var svåra att fastna för.
Jag fastnade inte alls för boken. Tyckte den hoppade mellan händelser och karaktärerna var svåra att fastna för.
July 10, 2018
Enchanting book, descriptions so vivid you can feel yourself truly being there...
April 21, 2019
A book that had been on my bookshelf for ages and I wish I’d left it there. Boring drivel, distasteful characters and no story or plot!
Absolute waste of time.
Absolute waste of time.
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