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הבנביסיטר
מה יכולה לעשות אישה עובדת שבנה זקוק נואשות לדמות גברית ואילו בעלה מכור לעבודה? במקרה של ג'יימי ויתפילד, אמא לשלושה ואשת קריירה בפני עצמה, התשובה פשוטה: היא מאמצת את האופנה האחרונה בפארק אווניו, מעוז העשירים של מנהטן, ושוכרת את שירותיו של "בנביסיטר".
פיטר, בן 29, הוא בדיוק הצלע שהיתה חסרה במשפחת ויתפילד: בשעה שפיליפ ויתפילד מתרועע עם הקליינטים העשירים שלו (אבל לא רק), פיטר הבנביסיטר מלמד את הילדים לשחק כדורסל, עושה איתם שיעורים ובאופן כללי מכניס משב של רוח נעורים הביתה. לג'יימי הוא מזכיר את כל מה שהיתה פעם, לפני שעטתה על עצמה את הזוהר של החברה הגבוהה. אבל אפילו ג'יימי, שכבר למדה דבר או שניים על החיים, אינה מצפה להשפעות מרחיקות הלכת של השמרטף החדש על משפחתה...
הבנביסיטר הוא קומדיה חדשה וסוחפת על נימוסים והליכות בקרב האליטות של ניו יורק, על משפחה, על קריירה ועל אהבה ועל כל מה שביניהם.
פיטר, בן 29, הוא בדיוק הצלע שהיתה חסרה במשפחת ויתפילד: בשעה שפיליפ ויתפילד מתרועע עם הקליינטים העשירים שלו (אבל לא רק), פיטר הבנביסיטר מלמד את הילדים לשחק כדורסל, עושה איתם שיעורים ובאופן כללי מכניס משב של רוח נעורים הביתה. לג'יימי הוא מזכיר את כל מה שהיתה פעם, לפני שעטתה על עצמה את הזוהר של החברה הגבוהה. אבל אפילו ג'יימי, שכבר למדה דבר או שניים על החיים, אינה מצפה להשפעות מרחיקות הלכת של השמרטף החדש על משפחתה...
הבנביסיטר הוא קומדיה חדשה וסוחפת על נימוסים והליכות בקרב האליטות של ניו יורק, על משפחה, על קריירה ועל אהבה ועל כל מה שביניהם.
463 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
75 people are currently reading
1040 people want to read
About the author
Holly Peterson
11 books173 followersHolly Peterson is the author of It Happens in the Hamptons, a work of fast-paced social satire about a summer community. She wrote The Idea of Him and the New York Times bestseller The Manny and SMOKE AND FIRE: Recipes and Menus for Entertaining Outdoors. She was a Contributing Editor for Newsweek, an Editor-at-Large for Talk magazine and an Emmy Award–winning Producer for ABC News, where she spent more than a decade covering global politics and trials of the century. Her writing has been published in the New York Times, Newsweek, Town and Country, Talk, The Daily Beast, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and numerous other publications.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
April 19, 2015
Sigh....
Nope, nope, nope. I thought I could get through this one but describing a hotshot lawyer as having an "alpha dog scent" has pushed me over the edge. This is one I will not be finishing.
Look at me learning to read the warning signs!
I can't stand the main character. She's so one-dimensional. And extremely, extremely weird. No matter how rich you are, having a gas mask, a bioterror fallout suit, and multiple epi pens out in the open in your living room is paranoia.
Her husband is the quintessential emotionally unconnected husband. He is painted so evil that you can't help but hate him but that in no way leads me to approve of the impending relationship between Holly and Peter.
I neither get nor like Peter. Part of that is the dreadful writing style. Take this totally stupid interaction between Jamie and Peter when he shows up for his first day of work as the manny:
[Jamie] "Back to Dylan. He's extremely bright. Hes' also a smart-ass. Likes to say things that throw you off your game. Hates to give in."
"Me too."
"And that basketball game really upset him."
"You keep going back to that."
"That game was a big deal."
"To you or to him?"
I tried to act cool. Peter's forthright style charmed and unnerved me all at once. "Dylan is more tentative than he used to be, more than I would like. He's almost ten years old, but he still needs someone to hold his hand. He doesn't like to be pushed into things until he's ready."
"Do you push him?"
"His father does."
"Do you let him?"
Wow. This guy was serious. I was still a bit thrown, but also impressed by his willingness to aim right for the heart of the matter.
Someone please explain to me HOW THE HECK THAT WAS CHARMING. That dialogue made me want to gag. This woman is supposedly a hot-shot producer for a big news company but that is how she talks to her manny about her son?
I could quote more, but I really don't think its necessary. There is nothing about this woman that leaves me impressed, nothing about this story that makes me want to continue reading.
Potential? Possibly, but this particular novel deserves a trash bin.
Nope, nope, nope. I thought I could get through this one but describing a hotshot lawyer as having an "alpha dog scent" has pushed me over the edge. This is one I will not be finishing.
Look at me learning to read the warning signs!
I can't stand the main character. She's so one-dimensional. And extremely, extremely weird. No matter how rich you are, having a gas mask, a bioterror fallout suit, and multiple epi pens out in the open in your living room is paranoia.
Her husband is the quintessential emotionally unconnected husband. He is painted so evil that you can't help but hate him but that in no way leads me to approve of the impending relationship between Holly and Peter.
I neither get nor like Peter. Part of that is the dreadful writing style. Take this totally stupid interaction between Jamie and Peter when he shows up for his first day of work as the manny:
[Jamie] "Back to Dylan. He's extremely bright. Hes' also a smart-ass. Likes to say things that throw you off your game. Hates to give in."
"Me too."
"And that basketball game really upset him."
"You keep going back to that."
"That game was a big deal."
"To you or to him?"
I tried to act cool. Peter's forthright style charmed and unnerved me all at once. "Dylan is more tentative than he used to be, more than I would like. He's almost ten years old, but he still needs someone to hold his hand. He doesn't like to be pushed into things until he's ready."
"Do you push him?"
"His father does."
"Do you let him?"
Wow. This guy was serious. I was still a bit thrown, but also impressed by his willingness to aim right for the heart of the matter.
Someone please explain to me HOW THE HECK THAT WAS CHARMING. That dialogue made me want to gag. This woman is supposedly a hot-shot producer for a big news company but that is how she talks to her manny about her son?
I could quote more, but I really don't think its necessary. There is nothing about this woman that leaves me impressed, nothing about this story that makes me want to continue reading.
Potential? Possibly, but this particular novel deserves a trash bin.
June 19, 2011
This book could have been so much better! Sometimes all the lovely-dovey in chicklit novels really piss me off and I wish there could be a guy and a girl and they didn’t always have to fall in freakin’ love because the situation is just like, NO! I bet you can see where I am already going with this one. Because seriously! Manny’s are a new term and this book could have been so good, but did the women really have to fall for the manny? Agh. The conflict of her job was also annoying because who gets paid like over $100,000/yr for a part time producer position at a network who never has to work if ‘something comes up?’ Tell me where that job is, because I want it NOW! She gets paid shitloads and during the book she is working on like one story. The conflict, while lame and kind of entertaining at the same time, had like hardly anything but lameness to do with the Manny. I think the women and her husband break up at the end. I don’t remember. I don’t really care that much either. If this book is going to be like the Nanny Diaries, I can live with that. That book was lame too and the movie made like no money. Good for them.
Grade: C
Grade: C
August 5, 2013
This beach read is so light, it might just fly away. I wasn't sure what the author, daughter of billionaire Pete Peterson, was trying to say about herself and her circle. A former television journalist herself, she obviously relates to the main character Jamie, but Jamie came from a humble background and married rich where Holly was to the manor born. The book sometimes idealized Jamie as an outsider to the rich clique, but she often played along with all the games as much as everyone else. Perhaps Holly thought her readers would not be able to like or relate to someone who was born into that society (probably true). It grossed me out that she names the romantic male lead after her real life father!
It was interesting to me that as in the Nanny Diaries the moms in this book are shallow and narcissistic, but unlike in the Nanny Diaries, they spend time with their kids and seem to really care about them in their own warped way.
I wasn't sure what to make of the fact that Jamie's friends are portrayed as rude snobs when they criticize her clothes, then Jamie turns around and tells her assistant that her red Ann Taylor suit makes her look like a Hertz rental agent. I don't think there was any self-awareness or irony in this passage.
It was interesting to me that as in the Nanny Diaries the moms in this book are shallow and narcissistic, but unlike in the Nanny Diaries, they spend time with their kids and seem to really care about them in their own warped way.
I wasn't sure what to make of the fact that Jamie's friends are portrayed as rude snobs when they criticize her clothes, then Jamie turns around and tells her assistant that her red Ann Taylor suit makes her look like a Hertz rental agent. I don't think there was any self-awareness or irony in this passage.
October 23, 2011
I was really disappointed with this book. The Manny. I mean come on! A male nanny?! There’s soooo many ways this book could be a hilarious runaway hit. But..it wasn’t. it was just one of those cliché, contrived chick lits where everything goes in favor of the protagonist (who isn’t even likeable) without even an ounce of entertainment. The lead character, Jamie Whitfield was kind of a two faced annoying, whiny bitch. She was always complaining about the women in The Grid whom she says is so superficial with all the parties, blah blah blah, yet she goes to all of them, too. To fit in. For me it was either try and genuinely get along with these people (because, face it, they do live in your world, or you in them) or just steer clear and stop pretending to be friends with them. And the husband is sooo annoying, especially the whole thing with the shirts with the wrong sized cufflink hole? I mean, really? That whole scene when he’s talking about the tailor was just too offensive. Also the part where Jamie saw a couple of kids with their ‘Philippina’ nannies. Uh, we are called Filipinos/Filipinas, unless there’s another country whose citizens are referred to as philippina/philippino. And the whole Jamie falling in love with Peter angle but cant act on it then suddenly her husband cheats so she’s got a reason to divorce him now and get it on with peter, it was just a very contrived way to justify Jaime’s feelings for Peter. Sure it was a loveless marriage, but still, I think she was cheating on Philip or at least the marriage by being attracted to Peter and not doing anything about it. Either put an end to the marriage (which she’s been planning to do all along anyways) or work it out and stop obsessing over the manny. There are so many points in this book that are totally pointless (including THAT sentence) I could just keep going but its..well..pointless. ) and lastly… calling her J.W.? really?
July 25, 2011
This book ends reading by browsing the library shelves. Back from vacation, with nothing to read, I picked this up. This is my greatest regret. I'll never be able to get the hours back that I spent with this book. After finishing, I read a number of reviews on line which sum up all that's wrong with this book (and it's 1MM advance!). Let me just share my ONE problem with this books inconsistencies.
Halfway through the book, two of the characters are in an SUV traveling to Long Island. Only when they're in LI, contemplating their navels do we learn the main character has a dog. A dog, she says that craves attention. In a novel, primarily about domestic relationships, you'd think this attention hogging dog would have come up sooner. Or during the drive when the characters are distracted by each other and crazy traffic - the attention hogging dog would have come up. But no. So, Plot Device Dog runs along the beach, and gets dirty. So, as a dog owner, I'm looking for this dog to appear again - after all I do like well written descriptions of people and their relationships to their dogs. But nope. It disappears along with any notion that I hadn't wasted my time on this.
Halfway through the book, two of the characters are in an SUV traveling to Long Island. Only when they're in LI, contemplating their navels do we learn the main character has a dog. A dog, she says that craves attention. In a novel, primarily about domestic relationships, you'd think this attention hogging dog would have come up sooner. Or during the drive when the characters are distracted by each other and crazy traffic - the attention hogging dog would have come up. But no. So, Plot Device Dog runs along the beach, and gets dirty. So, as a dog owner, I'm looking for this dog to appear again - after all I do like well written descriptions of people and their relationships to their dogs. But nope. It disappears along with any notion that I hadn't wasted my time on this.
April 10, 2018
DNF at 120 odd pages as got really, REALLY frustrated with the main character. Skipped to the end and saw how that panned out, tbh I am glad I did not stick with it. Wouldn't recommend unfortunately
March 9, 2021
Una lettura molto scorrevole per nulla noiosa, ma neanche niente di mozzafiato per chi non vuole qualcosa di impegnativo.
February 23, 2023
Meh. La pasas bien, pero meh…
December 3, 2019
Dadacul este o carte simpatică, deloc spectaculoasă sau memorabilă, ci doar o poveste de citit la final de săptămână, când n-ai altceva mai bun de facut.
Autoarea ne prezintă lumea bogaților din New york, acolo unde fiecare copil al unei familii, are propria bona. :)
Într-o lume superficială traieste si Jamie, o femeie trecuta de 35 de ani, mama a 3 copii, producator tv si sotie a unui avocat de succes.
După cum o sugerează si titlul, în peisaj apare un dadac, care nu va face mare lucru, decât ca le va da un pic viețile peste cap.
Ideea cărții e tare drăguță însă, asta nu a fost de ajuns ca sa ma cucerească iremediabil pt ca sunt si lucruri care m-au enervat. Ce draci ma interesa pe mine subiectul de stire la care lucra Jamie? Mi s-a parut ca prea mult s-a batut moneda pe asta, în condițiile în care nu avea nicio relevanță majoră în poveste. Adică mi s-a parut ca a fost scrisă doar sa faca o carte de 420 pag si nu una de 250 cat ar fi fost suficient. Si au mai fost neconcordanțe, dar n are rost sa le enumăr. Cartea trebuie luată ca atare: fara pretentii si fara sa despicam firul in 4, pt ca altfel ar deveni o poveste de 1 stea.
Se putea mult mai bine, începutul e mega ofertant si promițător, subiectul avand o plajă întreaga de oferit, dar pe parcurs, când ar fi trebuit să devină mai interesant, intriga a răsuflat... asta e, atât s-a putut.
În ultimele luni, din colecția chic am nimerit numai bazaconii, dar asta e undeva pe la mijloc. Nu i cea mai rea, dar nici cea mai bună. Mi-aș fi dorit să fie un pic mai amuzantă... dar n a fost... mi as fi dorit ca Jamie sa fie un pic mai asumată... dar n a fost... mi-as fi dorit să nu fie atât de superficial scrisă... dar n a fost... așadar nota va fi pe masura.
3 stele e suficient.
Bai, si începuse asa de bine...
Autoarea ne prezintă lumea bogaților din New york, acolo unde fiecare copil al unei familii, are propria bona. :)
Într-o lume superficială traieste si Jamie, o femeie trecuta de 35 de ani, mama a 3 copii, producator tv si sotie a unui avocat de succes.
După cum o sugerează si titlul, în peisaj apare un dadac, care nu va face mare lucru, decât ca le va da un pic viețile peste cap.
Ideea cărții e tare drăguță însă, asta nu a fost de ajuns ca sa ma cucerească iremediabil pt ca sunt si lucruri care m-au enervat. Ce draci ma interesa pe mine subiectul de stire la care lucra Jamie? Mi s-a parut ca prea mult s-a batut moneda pe asta, în condițiile în care nu avea nicio relevanță majoră în poveste. Adică mi s-a parut ca a fost scrisă doar sa faca o carte de 420 pag si nu una de 250 cat ar fi fost suficient. Si au mai fost neconcordanțe, dar n are rost sa le enumăr. Cartea trebuie luată ca atare: fara pretentii si fara sa despicam firul in 4, pt ca altfel ar deveni o poveste de 1 stea.
Se putea mult mai bine, începutul e mega ofertant si promițător, subiectul avand o plajă întreaga de oferit, dar pe parcurs, când ar fi trebuit să devină mai interesant, intriga a răsuflat... asta e, atât s-a putut.
În ultimele luni, din colecția chic am nimerit numai bazaconii, dar asta e undeva pe la mijloc. Nu i cea mai rea, dar nici cea mai bună. Mi-aș fi dorit să fie un pic mai amuzantă... dar n a fost... mi as fi dorit ca Jamie sa fie un pic mai asumată... dar n a fost... mi-as fi dorit să nu fie atât de superficial scrisă... dar n a fost... așadar nota va fi pe masura.
3 stele e suficient.
Bai, si începuse asa de bine...
April 2, 2010
On the surface, Jamie Whitfield has it all: a thriving career as a serious broadcast news producer, a multimillionaire husband, three adorable children, and full cast of household help. What she doesn't have is a full-time father for her children or an attentive husband.
What's a desperate woman to do? Hire a man. Not any man, but a male nanny.
I enjoyed this voyeuristic journey into the 0.001% of Manhattan's richest families on the Grid. But I didn't give the book 5 stars, because I wasn't particularly fond of Jamie at first. She rubbed me the wrong way a few times, but overall, the author portrayed her as realistically as possible, especially her indecisiveness on whether or not to leave her power marriage.
What's a desperate woman to do? Hire a man. Not any man, but a male nanny.
I enjoyed this voyeuristic journey into the 0.001% of Manhattan's richest families on the Grid. But I didn't give the book 5 stars, because I wasn't particularly fond of Jamie at first. She rubbed me the wrong way a few times, but overall, the author portrayed her as realistically as possible, especially her indecisiveness on whether or not to leave her power marriage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2022
No. Just no. The idea of this story had so much potential, but they ruined every bit of it. Philip is disgusting, Jamies friends are annoying, Jamie is just fucking stupid. The only okay character is the one who they did not write enough about and that was THE MANNY, the man where the story should have been about, Peter himself. The story made no sense and the different events are just so dull. I really can't say anything good about this one. I'm utterly disappointed.
August 21, 2018
Rated 3.5 stars.
July 7, 2023
the only reason this gets an extra star is because there was, very briefly, some interesting commentary on rich people. it was not worth having to read the words "alpha dog scent" though
August 23, 2023
Très sympa à lire pendant les vacances.
Style Bridget Jones.
Style Bridget Jones.
February 27, 2018
I started reading this book the Manny as I liked the look of it but I did at the time wish I had read a bit to see if I could get in to it to see what it was like but never did. I read to page 33 and though t myself what I am reading? It is so boring, slow, just about rich people, work, and children and goes on from one subject to another. I really just wanted to give up but I kept on going but I couldn't. I also hoped at the time that it would get exacting as it was just so boring at the start. I thought to myself I have to keeping going will try tori carried on reading and the more I did the more I wanted to. I understand why Jamie hired a man to (Manny) Peter for Dylan as Jamie's husband was never around even though he working hard he could have made an effort to spend time with him when he did come home from time to time. the first time that Dylan's dad met Peter the Manny I think that the dad got jealous but then he should of made the affect from when he could of taken holiday off from work but I think the dad put his job first which is sad but then bills need paying and the mortgage. Jamie sleeping with peter the Manny was a shock but then she was not getting it as her husband was away quite a bit and missed the sex and wanted some excitement also Love in away and so it all happened by sleeping with peter the nanny. I think Jamie should be with him more than her husband so I hope he finds out somehow which sounds wrong but then at least Jame and Dylan will find happiness in different ways and live their life how it should be. I know Jamie works hard with being a news producer but she is slightly as bad as her husband who is not that round much and the same for her daughter Gracie but then on the other hand she is a bit more around but not as much she should be as yet again the bills need paying and the mortgage. I can't believe that her husband cheated on his wife with Jamie's friend Susannah but then but then this shows you he doesn't love his wife or want to be with her as if he did then he would not cheat. But then this is karma in away as the wife Jamie slept with peter. The holiday was a good idea as really Jamie needed time away from her husband who needed same where they both could think about what life would be like without each other in it and also what it would be like when being divorced. I think deep down they shouldn’t be together as Jamie kept of having sex with Peter the Manny which shows you that Jamie did not love her husband anymore. The husband turning up out of the blue was not a good idea in my eyes as he might of tried to change Jamie’s mind even though she does not want to be with him and I gree as he is boring and hardly around to make her happy, give some excitement in the bedroom and in just normal life so it is hard as it is 50/50 as it will break the children’s heart but if is best that they get divorced then they should. The husband finding someone else Sarah who he must like her and want to be with her but even though Sarah hasn’t spent any time with him which shows you that it will not last but then that is up to the husband. How can peter the Manny leave Gracie and Dylan and Jamie because he needed time a part until Jamie got a job, home and had sorted her divorce out which makes me think is Peter all that he is cracked up to be or is he getting cold feet. I like Peter the Manny at the start but him being funny with Jamie has changed my mind as I am sure that she will get hurt with in time and she is better off without and should live a free single life till she finds someone who will treat her not like this but as a princess. I feel if Peter the Manny loved Jamie he would not have treated her like this I recommend this book even though it is boring at the start but you have to get in to it and give it ago as it is worth it. I am glad I stuck with it. I hope that one day the writer will carry the story on somehow. Read it.
July 9, 2011
2.5 stars
It took me a while to get into this book because I can't stand the main character. Jamie Whitfield is... well for lack of a better word, a complete bitch.
In the first few pages of the book she is so incredibly horrible about the wealthy people at the school pick-up but at the same time she wasn't any different.
She has the live-in housekeeper and a nanny and a driver. Enter the Manny. And whilst she only works part-time, she still has no time for her children and feels like she needs to complain about it.
I didn't feel like she was any different from the Grid women she complained about.
I also found her to be VERY hypocritical about a few things. Like when the Upper-east side women criticised her clothing and she'd do the same thing to one of her best friends. But some how that was okay...?
Every scene with Philip - the husband- had me cringing. He brought out the worst in him. And he brought out the worst in her. I didn't like how she dealt with him
There were two entr'actes that felt irrelevant to me. I think they really interrupted the flow of the novel and all the information in them could have been dealt with in the following chapters anyway.
I liked the chemistry between Peter and Jamie and for me that was the main redeeming quality. I like how the story ended with terms of their relationship too.
If the sequel to this is published I will be checking it out - especially if it's dealing with other characters introduced in this one rather than a continuation. I'm not sure I could deal with much more Jamie drama.
It took me a while to get into this book because I can't stand the main character. Jamie Whitfield is... well for lack of a better word, a complete bitch.
In the first few pages of the book she is so incredibly horrible about the wealthy people at the school pick-up but at the same time she wasn't any different.
She has the live-in housekeeper and a nanny and a driver. Enter the Manny. And whilst she only works part-time, she still has no time for her children and feels like she needs to complain about it.
I didn't feel like she was any different from the Grid women she complained about.
I also found her to be VERY hypocritical about a few things. Like when the Upper-east side women criticised her clothing and she'd do the same thing to one of her best friends. But some how that was okay...?
Every scene with Philip - the husband- had me cringing. He brought out the worst in him. And he brought out the worst in her. I didn't like how she dealt with him
There were two entr'actes that felt irrelevant to me. I think they really interrupted the flow of the novel and all the information in them could have been dealt with in the following chapters anyway.
I liked the chemistry between Peter and Jamie and for me that was the main redeeming quality. I like how the story ended with terms of their relationship too.
If the sequel to this is published I will be checking it out - especially if it's dealing with other characters introduced in this one rather than a continuation. I'm not sure I could deal with much more Jamie drama.
February 17, 2012
Drivel. I just did NOT dig this book. You feel sorry for the mom, but by page 50, you want to smack the shit out of her. It's so blatantly obvious by the wording of the paragraphs that she's digging on the Manny and unhappy in her marriage. Various friends in the book also point out that fact, but she denies it- then the next sentence she's clucking about how good the Manny looks in his army pants. Come on, is the reader that stupid? Not this one. She cackles on about how secretive and un-emotional her husband is, but when the character has a chance to talk things over with her husband, she wittles under the scrutiny(if you can call indifference a reason to bristle) and doesn't bother. Next sentence? Talking about the Manny's dimples...so really, how hard is she trying to get her husband to accept the Manny in their home, when she's wanting to mount the Manny? It started off well, but it disintegrated quickly into kindling for someone else's fire, namely mine. Unless you want a beach read that insults your intelligence, and has you going "Really? Come on!" through the entire book, well, then you shouldn't bother with this. The end is exactly as you believe it's going to end up, because the entirety of the book is spent setting up the end- and not in a dramatic, breathless, "this book was awesome" type of way. No way.
March 29, 2011
Reviewed at : Mama Kucing Meow : The Manny By Holly Peterson
Reviewed on : 16 February 2011
this book tries to tackle many issues...a tad too many issues and not enough time/room to elaborate. Hence the characters and plot comes out as stiff and lacking of depth. There are so much potential in this novel but again and again a particular issue was not given the chance to develope properly before jump into another issue.
Sometimes, I think it is best not to bite more than what ones can chew.Yes, there is room for improvement for this book. If only the author can elaborate more on the characters and gives them more life.
Reviewed on : 16 February 2011
this book tries to tackle many issues...a tad too many issues and not enough time/room to elaborate. Hence the characters and plot comes out as stiff and lacking of depth. There are so much potential in this novel but again and again a particular issue was not given the chance to develope properly before jump into another issue.
Sometimes, I think it is best not to bite more than what ones can chew.Yes, there is room for improvement for this book. If only the author can elaborate more on the characters and gives them more life.
April 27, 2012
This was a recommendation from my sister. I don't know what my need to read about the super well to do in NYC is, but I do. I read the British Edition which is billed a little bit differently than this one. I don't think I would ever call Jamie a heroine. She's a total doormat. Her character reminds me a lot of the protaganist in Wifey. She's not happy in her life or marrige, has no idea what to do about it, so instead of listening to her dominearing husband she start's listening to her young domineering Manny. The story is a page turner despite the Jamie's issues and a good read. I always find it interesting when I like a story but never really warm up to any of the characters.
January 17, 2016
I read this year's ago (about 2009 I want to say), I just wanted something light for the end of summer. While this book met that criteria, it failed on being anything more than a waste of time. I didn't like it all, but finished because I hate not finishing books. I think some people would enjoy it, but the whole big city, unfaithful marriage, sad boring life thing with a new hot hired help just doesn't do it for me.
December 2, 2024
Una comedía romántica divertida y entretenida, con una protagonista con la que empatizas, un interés amoroso que conquista, dramas y comedias de por medio, situaciones surrealistas que tal vez para alguna gente no sean tan surrealistas... Es un libro interesante que te hace reír, te hace leer, te hace contener el aliento y sonreír, incluso enfadarte un poquito.
Eso sí, un epílogo de un par de páginas no habría estado de más.
Eso sí, un epílogo de un par de páginas no habría estado de más.
December 27, 2008
Hmmm, I'd been wondering what happened to all our tax money that was given to the banks a few months ago. Now I know.
May 16, 2015
Agree with others: this wasn't funny (though it was advertised as such). It was pretty depressing to read about such a desperate woman.
November 23, 2018
Writing fiction is hard. By her own account, Holly Peterson has written a great work of fiction. She said she’s a journalist; so her book has to be great. Case closed.
I beg to differ on the grounds of a rambling and convoluted plot that manages to be predictable and mind-numbing; lackadaisical character development, a potty-mouthed vocabulary, too many examples of implausibility and general indecency. The first rule of storytelling – show me - do not tell me – is nowhere in sight. But she could have told me that.
If, as Ms. Peterson grindingly insists is the rule, women married to wealthy New York men must perform blow jobs to stay married, that’s a sad rule. Not particularly enlightening as rules go, yet grindingly regurgitated by the author like bouts of food poisoning. Icky.
If, as Ms. Peterson confesses, her heroine, who has logged 10 years in the news business, does not know how to dress herself for a cocktail party, that indicates a failure to flourish in her milieu that is almost deadly. And it makes no sense. She was fooled into broadcasting an unsavory story by a right-wing nut. Clueless comes to mind, and it doesn’t fit a news producer’s alleged savvy background.
The stick figures who creak around the edge of The Manny are one-dimensional, almost of one voice, no matter their age or circumstance. The husband is a jerk, as men who make money seem destined to be. The Manny’s a hunky, sterling pip, knocking around with the kids in the living room, spilling orange juice with abandon, as if that’s what real men do to liberate kids.
I didn’t feel anything but annoyed by the characters and unfolding folly. I poked around and barely finished the book and was sorry I did.
I beg to differ on the grounds of a rambling and convoluted plot that manages to be predictable and mind-numbing; lackadaisical character development, a potty-mouthed vocabulary, too many examples of implausibility and general indecency. The first rule of storytelling – show me - do not tell me – is nowhere in sight. But she could have told me that.
If, as Ms. Peterson grindingly insists is the rule, women married to wealthy New York men must perform blow jobs to stay married, that’s a sad rule. Not particularly enlightening as rules go, yet grindingly regurgitated by the author like bouts of food poisoning. Icky.
If, as Ms. Peterson confesses, her heroine, who has logged 10 years in the news business, does not know how to dress herself for a cocktail party, that indicates a failure to flourish in her milieu that is almost deadly. And it makes no sense. She was fooled into broadcasting an unsavory story by a right-wing nut. Clueless comes to mind, and it doesn’t fit a news producer’s alleged savvy background.
The stick figures who creak around the edge of The Manny are one-dimensional, almost of one voice, no matter their age or circumstance. The husband is a jerk, as men who make money seem destined to be. The Manny’s a hunky, sterling pip, knocking around with the kids in the living room, spilling orange juice with abandon, as if that’s what real men do to liberate kids.
I didn’t feel anything but annoyed by the characters and unfolding folly. I poked around and barely finished the book and was sorry I did.
March 13, 2017
The Manny bercerita tentang Jamie Whitfield, ibu sekaligus produser berita dengan 3 orang anak. Suaminya bernama Phillip Whitfield adalah pengacara dan sering digambarkan sebagai anak manja jika berada di rumah. Mereka kaya dan tinggal di lingkungan elit New York. Kesibukan dengan karir akhirnya membuat mereka mengalami kesulitan mengurus anak tertuanya, Dylan yang terutama membutuhkan figure seorang ayah.
Jamie pun memiliki ide untuk menyewa seorang Manny (pengasuh laki-laki) bernama Peter Bailey untuk Dylan. And, yea, ini romance dan begitulah kisahnya berakhir. Ada apa dengan Peter dan Jamie kemudian? Silakan cek langsung buku ini, oke? Atau…bisalah itu ditebak, hehe.
Yap, sepertinya aku setuju dengan beberapa rating di Goodreads untuk buku ini. Memang harus cukup sabar membaca The Manny. Pada bagian awal hingga ada beberapa bagian lainnya terasa sulit untuk diikuti. Maksudnya, cara bercerita Holy Peterson seperti melompat-lompat. Kata-kata yang digunakan juga membingungkan. Banyak pengandaian yang butuh penyesuaian untuk dipahami. Ada banyak tokoh di dalamnya dan jika cukup sabar baru mulai bisa mengikuti alur yang dimiliki oleh buku ini.
Overall, sebenarnya ide kisahnya menarik. Mungkin memang eksekusinya yang kurang bagus. Aku memang tidak berharap banyak dengan buku ini sejak awal membacanya. Namun bagi kalian yang menginginkan bacaan yang lebih baik, silakan letakkan buku ini diantrian terakhir daripada waktu kalian terbuang, haha.
Baca review lengkapnya di:
http://bukulova.blogspot.co.id/2017/0...
Jamie pun memiliki ide untuk menyewa seorang Manny (pengasuh laki-laki) bernama Peter Bailey untuk Dylan. And, yea, ini romance dan begitulah kisahnya berakhir. Ada apa dengan Peter dan Jamie kemudian? Silakan cek langsung buku ini, oke? Atau…bisalah itu ditebak, hehe.
Yap, sepertinya aku setuju dengan beberapa rating di Goodreads untuk buku ini. Memang harus cukup sabar membaca The Manny. Pada bagian awal hingga ada beberapa bagian lainnya terasa sulit untuk diikuti. Maksudnya, cara bercerita Holy Peterson seperti melompat-lompat. Kata-kata yang digunakan juga membingungkan. Banyak pengandaian yang butuh penyesuaian untuk dipahami. Ada banyak tokoh di dalamnya dan jika cukup sabar baru mulai bisa mengikuti alur yang dimiliki oleh buku ini.
Overall, sebenarnya ide kisahnya menarik. Mungkin memang eksekusinya yang kurang bagus. Aku memang tidak berharap banyak dengan buku ini sejak awal membacanya. Namun bagi kalian yang menginginkan bacaan yang lebih baik, silakan letakkan buku ini diantrian terakhir daripada waktu kalian terbuang, haha.
Baca review lengkapnya di:
http://bukulova.blogspot.co.id/2017/0...
September 19, 2017
So.... basically this book was pretty boring and shallow.
A mother of 3 working for a big news network is trying hard to juggle her work life and her family life but still trying to be super hands on, whereas her husband is pretty much checked out and super focused on his work and barely on his family. So in comes Peter the 'manny', who has been hired by Jamie to be like a BFF/father figure for her son Dylan. Naturally Peter does a superb job because of course he LISTENS, like actually LISTENS and not overfills the kids days with mindless and boring activities. Duh!
Jamie, who doesn't even like those other upper east side parents, play along for the sake of her husband's rising career by forcing her children to go to super boring and over the top birthday parties, purchase expensive gala tickets just for a shot at getting their kid into an overpriced school, play nice with these snobby rich people. Yawn. Boring.
I swear the only good part was Peter. If it wasn't for the Peter scenes, I would have checked out long time ago. And that husband, he is no prize worth keeping if that is how he constantly acts. Always wanting more, more money, more luxurious stuff..... he's like an overgrown kid!
As for Jamie, in pursuit of a possible huge news story, she didn't go with her instinct and looked where it landed her..... along with her instincts when it comes to her husband and family. I only got to like her a little more when she became less controlling, and spent more time with Peter and Dylan.
A mother of 3 working for a big news network is trying hard to juggle her work life and her family life but still trying to be super hands on, whereas her husband is pretty much checked out and super focused on his work and barely on his family. So in comes Peter the 'manny', who has been hired by Jamie to be like a BFF/father figure for her son Dylan. Naturally Peter does a superb job because of course he LISTENS, like actually LISTENS and not overfills the kids days with mindless and boring activities. Duh!
Jamie, who doesn't even like those other upper east side parents, play along for the sake of her husband's rising career by forcing her children to go to super boring and over the top birthday parties, purchase expensive gala tickets just for a shot at getting their kid into an overpriced school, play nice with these snobby rich people. Yawn. Boring.
I swear the only good part was Peter. If it wasn't for the Peter scenes, I would have checked out long time ago. And that husband, he is no prize worth keeping if that is how he constantly acts. Always wanting more, more money, more luxurious stuff..... he's like an overgrown kid!
As for Jamie, in pursuit of a possible huge news story, she didn't go with her instinct and looked where it landed her..... along with her instincts when it comes to her husband and family. I only got to like her a little more when she became less controlling, and spent more time with Peter and Dylan.
May 21, 2021
This book was not a romance. Sure, there is a manny who comes in at around 14% but the main characters don’t really spend time together to get to know each other.
Also, Jamie is married throughout the whole book. Jamie and Peter don’t really spend time together and if they do it’s usually really short and they don’t really talk about important things. Jamie keeps sleeping with her husband but when Peter gets a blow job, she acts like he betrayed her when they never even really talked to each other.
I hated Jamie and her husband for the kids. Both of the parents worked non stop and the husband barely paid attention to them.
The husband was a rubbish father and husband but Jamie was a doormat. She would say something about maybe leaving him or she would tell him that she doesn’t agree with something that he’s done and when he would ignore her completely or belittle her, she didn’t say anything. Also, at the end Jamie’s husband asks her to cover for him because he did something illegal or not completely honest and she still agrees to stay with him even though she just slept with Peter. How did she think that would work? That she would stay married and keep Peter on the side?
There are some side characters but they are all in the background a lot as even if they interact with Jamie, you never really get to know them.
Jamie and Peter never really get together in this book and on the very last page it’s implied that they will see each other in the future.
I really hated this book so I don’t think that I’ll want to read any other books by this author.
Also, Jamie is married throughout the whole book. Jamie and Peter don’t really spend time together and if they do it’s usually really short and they don’t really talk about important things. Jamie keeps sleeping with her husband but when Peter gets a blow job, she acts like he betrayed her when they never even really talked to each other.
I hated Jamie and her husband for the kids. Both of the parents worked non stop and the husband barely paid attention to them.
The husband was a rubbish father and husband but Jamie was a doormat. She would say something about maybe leaving him or she would tell him that she doesn’t agree with something that he’s done and when he would ignore her completely or belittle her, she didn’t say anything. Also, at the end Jamie’s husband asks her to cover for him because he did something illegal or not completely honest and she still agrees to stay with him even though she just slept with Peter. How did she think that would work? That she would stay married and keep Peter on the side?
There are some side characters but they are all in the background a lot as even if they interact with Jamie, you never really get to know them.
Jamie and Peter never really get together in this book and on the very last page it’s implied that they will see each other in the future.
I really hated this book so I don’t think that I’ll want to read any other books by this author.
July 12, 2022
Dit boek gaat over Jamie Whitfield. Ze is getrouwd met een jurist en behoort tot de rijkste .0001 procent van New York. In tegenstelling tot veel andere vrouwen uit de wijk Upper East Side heeft Jamie een leuke, maar veeleisende baan als televisieproducer. Die baan en wat dat met zich meebrengt, vormt een verhaallijn in het boek.
De andere verhaallijn is die van het huwelijk tussen Jamie en haar man Phillip en de mannelijke nanny (manny) die door Jamie wordt ingehuurd. Philip is hier fel op tegen, maar Jamie besluit toch om deze Peter in te huren. Peter is een erg knappe man en door het boek heen voel je de spanning tussen hem en Jamie en vraag je je af voor wie Jamie gaat kiezen.
Het boek geeft op soms hilarische, soms schokkende wijze een inkijkje in het leven van de superrijken van New York. Waarbij het heel normaal is om een kok in dienst te hebben, je kinderen door een chauffeur naar de privéschool te laten brengen en waar je moet aanschuiven bij exclusieve diners, getooid in juwelen die duizenden dollars kosten om je kind op een bepaalde school te kunnen inschrijven.
In het begin moest ik even in het verhaal komen en het einde vond ik ietwat voorspelbaar, maar al met al is het een vermakelijk boek dat makkelijk weg leest. De titel vond ik ietsjes misleidend. Hoewel de manny een hoofdrol heeft in het boek, is het niet vanuit zijn perspectief geschreven. Ook is het geen dagboekroman. Verder lijken er hier en daar wat (vertaal)fouten gemaakt te zijn met de verleden en tegenwoordige tijd. De cover zegt niet echt iets over de inhoud, maar wel veel over het genre.
De andere verhaallijn is die van het huwelijk tussen Jamie en haar man Phillip en de mannelijke nanny (manny) die door Jamie wordt ingehuurd. Philip is hier fel op tegen, maar Jamie besluit toch om deze Peter in te huren. Peter is een erg knappe man en door het boek heen voel je de spanning tussen hem en Jamie en vraag je je af voor wie Jamie gaat kiezen.
Het boek geeft op soms hilarische, soms schokkende wijze een inkijkje in het leven van de superrijken van New York. Waarbij het heel normaal is om een kok in dienst te hebben, je kinderen door een chauffeur naar de privéschool te laten brengen en waar je moet aanschuiven bij exclusieve diners, getooid in juwelen die duizenden dollars kosten om je kind op een bepaalde school te kunnen inschrijven.
In het begin moest ik even in het verhaal komen en het einde vond ik ietwat voorspelbaar, maar al met al is het een vermakelijk boek dat makkelijk weg leest. De titel vond ik ietsjes misleidend. Hoewel de manny een hoofdrol heeft in het boek, is het niet vanuit zijn perspectief geschreven. Ook is het geen dagboekroman. Verder lijken er hier en daar wat (vertaal)fouten gemaakt te zijn met de verleden en tegenwoordige tijd. De cover zegt niet echt iets over de inhoud, maar wel veel over het genre.
June 15, 2023
Okay. So this book wasn’t very good. The main character Jamie, is a “part time” producer on a network show and somehow makes 6 figures to literally never be doing her job because she’s always leaving to do random stuff and yet she somehow lands the biggest story of the year. Then you have the manny who speaks to her (his EMPLOYER) like trash and is somehow always around doing everything but taking care of her son half the time. Like they go to a beach house to pick up random stuff and he makes her go to the beach with him and she just goes. He started out getting hired to do part time work and yet he’s at every function? They paint the husband as an insufferable dude and that she has no emotional connection to but won’t just leave. Literally everyone tells her she’s being inappropriate and she still thinks it’s cool to have this manny around. The manny consistently tells her things he does with her son and she acts surprised and says “why didn’t you ever tell me you did this with him” and his response is always “you don’t need to know everything your son does.” Ummm no. If a grown male on my payroll was with my child and told me it wasn’t my business what they do he would have been fired immediately. He taught her son the word pu**y and not a single adult in the room corrected that behavior at 9 years old. This legit doesn’t make sense to me at all. I made myself finish this one but to be honest, it’s not that great. Hate to be the bearer of bad news but I don’t think I would recommend this one.
April 11, 2023
I grabbed this book at the library because of the title. It reminded me of "This Is Us" and Kevin playing The Manny on his show.
The book is easy to read, but it was so aggravating that it was written so narrow-mindedly. Why does the author have to mention that Jamie's friend is Vietnamese or that the nannies are Filipino? It was very bothersome as I kept reading the story and highly thought about giving up on the book. Why wasn't it mentioned that the main characters aren't white? However, it is suggested somewhere halfway through the book that the husband is white America. Why is the author painting a picture in my head about how the characters look like? I should be doing that on my own with the authors words.
I probably choose the book for the wrong reasons, but I looked at when it was written and it was written in 2010 and that was 13 years ago. Additionally, I scanned through the authors acknowledgements and Harvey W. is mentioned there as well.
After getting through the racist description of the characters I enjoyed the book overall as it is lighthearted.
The book is easy to read, but it was so aggravating that it was written so narrow-mindedly. Why does the author have to mention that Jamie's friend is Vietnamese or that the nannies are Filipino? It was very bothersome as I kept reading the story and highly thought about giving up on the book. Why wasn't it mentioned that the main characters aren't white? However, it is suggested somewhere halfway through the book that the husband is white America. Why is the author painting a picture in my head about how the characters look like? I should be doing that on my own with the authors words.
I probably choose the book for the wrong reasons, but I looked at when it was written and it was written in 2010 and that was 13 years ago. Additionally, I scanned through the authors acknowledgements and Harvey W. is mentioned there as well.
After getting through the racist description of the characters I enjoyed the book overall as it is lighthearted.
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