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Oh Money! Money! [with Biographical Introduction]
Oh Money! Money! [with Biographical Introduction]
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1918
18 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor H. Porter
279 books371 followersEleanor Emily Hodgman Porter (December 19, 1868 – May 21, 1920) was an American novelist. She was born as Eleanor Emily Hodgman in Littleton, New Hampshire on December 19, 1868, the daughter of Llewella French (née Woolson) and Francis Fletcher Hodgman. She was trained as a singer, attending New England Conservatory for several years. In 1892, she married John Lyman Porter and relocated to Massachusetts, after which she began writing and publishing her short stories and later novels. She died in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 21, 1920 and was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 26, 2025
One of the first things I wondered before picking this up was, “Why hasn’t this been made into a movie?” The premise is tailor-made for it. I was genuinely surprised to learn it never was. But I digress. Oh, Money! Money! was first published in 1918, and the characters’ speech and behavior reflect that era through and through. It won’t read as fluidly as something published today, but its lively cast of characters, each distinct, flawed, and believable, still feels remarkably real, even with the occasional antique turn of phrase.
Porter succeeds in making the small town of Hillerton feel like just that, a place where everyone knows everyone and gossip travels faster than a motorcar. You can easily imagine the chaos this unexpected windfall stirs up among Mr. Fulton’s cousins. She brings to life a distinct and charming era of American history, when even a constantly sputtering automobile was a mark of privilege and a simple motor ride to a neighboring town counted as an adventure.
Not only is there the entertainment of watching what everyone does with their money, but there is also a love story that quietly blossoms along the way. Ultimately, this book delivers a lesson that is no less relevant today than it was in 1918, or even in 800 B.C., and that is that money does not buy happiness. Porter delivers this truth with humor, letting each character spend their windfall in their own way, for their own reasons, and with predictably human results. The pacing may feel slow at times, likely due to the antiquated speech, and perhaps the same message could have been told in fewer pages. Still, that does not make it any less enjoyable.
If you enjoy literary classics, you might enjoy this. If you appreciate satire and a bit of ridiculousness, you’ll find it fun. And if you’re like me, wondering why in the world this hasn’t been made into a movie yet, you should absolutely pick it up. It’s an enjoyable, lighthearted read that still manages to say something true.
Porter succeeds in making the small town of Hillerton feel like just that, a place where everyone knows everyone and gossip travels faster than a motorcar. You can easily imagine the chaos this unexpected windfall stirs up among Mr. Fulton’s cousins. She brings to life a distinct and charming era of American history, when even a constantly sputtering automobile was a mark of privilege and a simple motor ride to a neighboring town counted as an adventure.
Not only is there the entertainment of watching what everyone does with their money, but there is also a love story that quietly blossoms along the way. Ultimately, this book delivers a lesson that is no less relevant today than it was in 1918, or even in 800 B.C., and that is that money does not buy happiness. Porter delivers this truth with humor, letting each character spend their windfall in their own way, for their own reasons, and with predictably human results. The pacing may feel slow at times, likely due to the antiquated speech, and perhaps the same message could have been told in fewer pages. Still, that does not make it any less enjoyable.
If you enjoy literary classics, you might enjoy this. If you appreciate satire and a bit of ridiculousness, you’ll find it fun. And if you’re like me, wondering why in the world this hasn’t been made into a movie yet, you should absolutely pick it up. It’s an enjoyable, lighthearted read that still manages to say something true.
February 3, 2020
I found an old copy of this book while cleaning out my parents' home. What a delightful weekend read it was. Porter takes a clever look at money and how and why people spend or don't spend it. Even though written in 1918, I found it applicable for today.
September 2, 2020
Millionaire Stanley Fulton is getting older and feeling that he should find someone to inherit his money when he dies. He has no children and he is not in touch with his distant cousins. On a whim (he is known for being eccentric) he decides to become a boarder in one of their homes under the pseudonym John Smith in hopes of learning more about them and whether they are worthy of his fortune.
I relate to both the Jane character. Jane is frugal to the point where she is afraid to fully enjoy the nice things she has until it is too late, they're out of style or they've gone bad. When I was young I used to save my perfumes and lotions so long, in fear of running out of them, they eventually went bad and started to stink. Hattie is on the opposite end of the spectrum, always spending more than she has and trying to keep up with the elites in Hillerton. And then there is Flora, an old-maid dressmaker who has never had or asked much for herself. Finally, "Poor Maggie," who is the step-sister of the family, is the shoulder to cry on and the first person to step up and help in a crisis. It is funny how the women of the story are the most memorable, but each character has a distinct and memorable personality established and understood quickly.
"It's been money, money, money, ever since I could remember! We're all after it, and we all want it, and we strain every nerve to get it. We think it's going to bring us happiness. But it won't—unless we do our part. And there are some things that even money can't buy."
This book was adapted to the screen as Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952) The film version is quite different although both the movie and the novel are charming with great characters.
Read this book for free through Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5...
I relate to both the Jane character. Jane is frugal to the point where she is afraid to fully enjoy the nice things she has until it is too late, they're out of style or they've gone bad. When I was young I used to save my perfumes and lotions so long, in fear of running out of them, they eventually went bad and started to stink. Hattie is on the opposite end of the spectrum, always spending more than she has and trying to keep up with the elites in Hillerton. And then there is Flora, an old-maid dressmaker who has never had or asked much for herself. Finally, "Poor Maggie," who is the step-sister of the family, is the shoulder to cry on and the first person to step up and help in a crisis. It is funny how the women of the story are the most memorable, but each character has a distinct and memorable personality established and understood quickly.
"It's been money, money, money, ever since I could remember! We're all after it, and we all want it, and we strain every nerve to get it. We think it's going to bring us happiness. But it won't—unless we do our part. And there are some things that even money can't buy."
This book was adapted to the screen as Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952) The film version is quite different although both the movie and the novel are charming with great characters.
Read this book for free through Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5...
November 22, 2020
Ez egy kicsit talán jobb volt mint a Miss Billy első része (aminek a folytatásairól inkább ne is beszéljünk…). A stílus ugyanaz, az atmoszféra, a bájosság is mind-mind hasonló. De nekem ez jobban összeállt és több mindenről is szólt az előbb említett könyvnél.
Egy milliárdos kitalálja, hogy örökös híján teszteli az unokatestvérei családját, mihez kezdenének egy kisebb összeggel, hogy így végül jó kezekben hagyhassa majd hatalmas vagyonát. Igazi titkosügynökként beépül távoli rokonként a családba, hogy 2 éven keresztül nyomon követhesse az eseményeket. Hát nem tüneményes alaphelyzet? A rokonok persze mind tökéletes alapanyagként szolgálnak egy regényhez. Végig nézhetjük, ahogy a pénz nem hoz boldogságot a kuzinoknak, de cserébe vájkálhatunk kicsit az emberi lélekben, és együtt sírhatunk-nevethetünk-csóválhatjuk a fejünket a szereplőkkel. Kicsit tanmese szagú a dolog, de végül is pont ezt várom Eleanor H. Porter minden könyvétől, csak ízlésesen becsomagolva, megfelelően sarkított, de magjukban valós karakterekkel. Amennyire nem sikerült ez a Miss Billy trilógiában, annyira volt itt rendben.
Amit én kihagytam volna, az a románc része. Kissé indokolatlannak éreztem… Azt meg különösen nem értem, hogy az eredeti borítón miért ezzel akarják eladni, finoman szólva sem ez volt a középpontban.
Összességében remekül szórakoztam a könyvön, és csak elvétve éreztem, hogy kezd sok lenni. Arról, hogy a pénz mit tesz és mit nem tesz az emberrel, szerintem egészen szemléletesen beszél.
August 18, 2025
I loved this book. Written in 1918, the premise was still as fun and original as back then.
Stanley Fulton, multimillionaire, never married and has no children. He’s reached 50, and begins to question what he should do with his fortune in his Will.
He knows he has three cousins in the east in a town called Hillerton. He disguises himself as John Smith, and shows up as a genealogist working on a book about their family. Once he is accepted into their lives, they receive a letter telling them that they are each receiving $100,000 because their multimillionaire cousin has gone missing in South America.
Mr. Smith watches to see how the money affects each family, but in the meantime, he meets Poor Maggie, the stepsister of his cousins that he didn’t know existed. She’s kind and pretty, but life for her has been hard.
It’s such a cute story. There was one problematic sentence near the end which was why this is 4 stars and not 5.
Stanley Fulton, multimillionaire, never married and has no children. He’s reached 50, and begins to question what he should do with his fortune in his Will.
He knows he has three cousins in the east in a town called Hillerton. He disguises himself as John Smith, and shows up as a genealogist working on a book about their family. Once he is accepted into their lives, they receive a letter telling them that they are each receiving $100,000 because their multimillionaire cousin has gone missing in South America.
Mr. Smith watches to see how the money affects each family, but in the meantime, he meets Poor Maggie, the stepsister of his cousins that he didn’t know existed. She’s kind and pretty, but life for her has been hard.
It’s such a cute story. There was one problematic sentence near the end which was why this is 4 stars and not 5.
November 14, 2022
This book was so much fun to read. I'd never heard of it before and read it on a whim.
It's going on my list of rereads.
It's going on my list of rereads.
February 24, 2025
Pure fun.
A study of different human characters regarding money.
A well kept secret of classical fiction books by author of Pollyanna.
A study of different human characters regarding money.
A well kept secret of classical fiction books by author of Pollyanna.
November 15, 2018
Written 100 years ago, so Porter's writing style is of that era, which is fine by me! The plot is timeless, thought-provoking and entertaining. So glad I picked this book as my first Eleanor Porter read; will be reading more of her works.
December 14, 2024
Kind of a nice little book, one of those things you know is going to be entertaining right from the first page. There is a simplistic quality about it, and much of the plot is pretty predictable, but it struck me as a completely entertaining story, very characteristic of the era (late 'teens).
November 17, 2010
Oh Money! Money! has a rather dreadful title, but is really a rather pleasant book. Stanley Fulton, an eccentric millionaire, is curious to see if his distant cousins, the middle-class Blaisdells, are worthy inheriting his money. He decides to test them by giving them each $100,000, to see how a sudden windfall would affect their lives, how it would help or harm them.
They are Jim, who wants to spend more time with his children, Hattie, who lives beyond her means, Frank, who only cares for his grocery store, Jane, who scrimps and saves even when she doesn't need to, and Flora, who worries. Then there are the children: college-bound Frank, fun-loving Bessie, level-headed Mellicent, and playful young Benny.
Disguised as John Smith, a genealogist researching the Blaisdells, Stanley gets to know his cousins, their loves and fears, strengths and weaknesses, and watches as they rejoice in their sudden windfall, and the consequences thereof. The events play out in a more low-key way than you might expect. The self-centered do not instantly become ogres. The unselfish do not instantly become saints.
The moral of the story is, of course, that money cannot exactly buy happiness, but it is not as gooey a lesson as I thought it would be and not nearly as preachy as it could have been. All in all, it was a better read than I expected.
They are Jim, who wants to spend more time with his children, Hattie, who lives beyond her means, Frank, who only cares for his grocery store, Jane, who scrimps and saves even when she doesn't need to, and Flora, who worries. Then there are the children: college-bound Frank, fun-loving Bessie, level-headed Mellicent, and playful young Benny.
Disguised as John Smith, a genealogist researching the Blaisdells, Stanley gets to know his cousins, their loves and fears, strengths and weaknesses, and watches as they rejoice in their sudden windfall, and the consequences thereof. The events play out in a more low-key way than you might expect. The self-centered do not instantly become ogres. The unselfish do not instantly become saints.
The moral of the story is, of course, that money cannot exactly buy happiness, but it is not as gooey a lesson as I thought it would be and not nearly as preachy as it could have been. All in all, it was a better read than I expected.
September 27, 2015
A tired, disgruntled millionaire wonders what his heirs will do with his money after he is gone. The twist ... he has never met them. Curiosity and a good bit of distrust in humanity give him the idea to fake his death and give them each a large gift. Now he can get to know them and see how they handle sudden wealth. What is the best way to help the poor? What can sudden wealth do to people? It is such a sweet story. My father, my mother and myself all really liked it.
August 21, 2016
OH, how I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its cast of characters. This book was written 100 years ago but is as relevant today as then. I'm going read every book this author has!
July 6, 2022
What an underrated, lovely little book! I had zero expectations but it was so intriguing and beautifully written. I'm really surprised how this doesn't have more reviews, it's such an entertaining work!
So I strongly recommend, it's the first of the older books I've read that actually entranced me.
First, the plot. A millionaire giving 100k to his distant and unknown cousins because he does not know who should inherit his money and then watching how they will spend it. Undercover. Right under their noses.
That alone seems so fun to read!
But then we also have the memorable Blaisdell family cast who each spend the money they get a tad differently, and who all, once in a while, come to Maggie Duff to complain about their lives and get comforted. Maggie is very close to the Blaisdells but since she is not a Blaisdell, she does not get the 100k.
The Blaisdells go through happiness and difficulty with their new money, the family dynamics were interesting to read about. Maggie was sort of acting like a therapist for all of them, what with solving all their mental and real life problems, her kind heart is evident and known all around. I felt bad for all her difficulties and could not understand her apparently undying will to help others but she grew on me.
> I haven't even written about the best part. While undercover, the millionaire connects with the Blaisdell family, making many friends, while he is boarding with Maggie, who is of similar age. They actually start to have feelings for each other and it's the sweetest thing. The undercover disguise, of course, has to disappear so he can ask for her hand in marriage but it's a complicated affair...
I absolutely love undercover identities and the times when it's necessary to uncover them and reveal their true selves, so this was a fun surprise.
All in all, really such a charming book. The writing style feels so authentic. Read this because I liked the Pollyanna books as a child, also from Eleanor H. Porter.
So I strongly recommend, it's the first of the older books I've read that actually entranced me.
First, the plot. A millionaire giving 100k to his distant and unknown cousins because he does not know who should inherit his money and then watching how they will spend it. Undercover. Right under their noses.
That alone seems so fun to read!
But then we also have the memorable Blaisdell family cast who each spend the money they get a tad differently, and who all, once in a while, come to Maggie Duff to complain about their lives and get comforted. Maggie is very close to the Blaisdells but since she is not a Blaisdell, she does not get the 100k.
The Blaisdells go through happiness and difficulty with their new money, the family dynamics were interesting to read about. Maggie was sort of acting like a therapist for all of them, what with solving all their mental and real life problems, her kind heart is evident and known all around. I felt bad for all her difficulties and could not understand her apparently undying will to help others but she grew on me.
> I haven't even written about the best part. While undercover, the millionaire connects with the Blaisdell family, making many friends, while he is boarding with Maggie, who is of similar age. They actually start to have feelings for each other and it's the sweetest thing. The undercover disguise, of course, has to disappear so he can ask for her hand in marriage but it's a complicated affair...
I absolutely love undercover identities and the times when it's necessary to uncover them and reveal their true selves, so this was a fun surprise.
All in all, really such a charming book. The writing style feels so authentic. Read this because I liked the Pollyanna books as a child, also from Eleanor H. Porter.
September 21, 2018
Sometimes, like when you’re on a really long plane flight, as I was recently, all you want is a well-told story. And Porter, most famous as the author of Pollyanna, knows how to tell one. Stanley Fulton is a fabulously successful businessman (it’s never clear exactly how he made his millions) whose wealth and fame haven’t brought happiness, love, or health. In his early fifties, it dawns on him that he has no one to leave his fortune to, his closest relatives being three distant cousins in the New England town of Hillerton whom he’s never met.
Fullerton fakes an expedition to South America, “disappears,” shows up in Hillerton under an assumed name, leaves a provisional bequest of $100,000 to each cousin, and watches what they do with the money. The one who spends it most wisely will get his millions. Along with the three cousins–the one with the extravagant wife, the one with the pathologically cheap wife, and the ditzy spinster (all flaws in this novel are doled out to the women), there’s their stepsister Maggie, who turns out to be the most sensible one of the lot. The story is slow in unfolding at the beginning–just give them the money already, Stanley!–but it’s fun to watch what unexpected wealth does to these ordinary people.
I read this book as part of my My Year in 1918 project (myyearin1918.com)).
Fullerton fakes an expedition to South America, “disappears,” shows up in Hillerton under an assumed name, leaves a provisional bequest of $100,000 to each cousin, and watches what they do with the money. The one who spends it most wisely will get his millions. Along with the three cousins–the one with the extravagant wife, the one with the pathologically cheap wife, and the ditzy spinster (all flaws in this novel are doled out to the women), there’s their stepsister Maggie, who turns out to be the most sensible one of the lot. The story is slow in unfolding at the beginning–just give them the money already, Stanley!–but it’s fun to watch what unexpected wealth does to these ordinary people.
I read this book as part of my My Year in 1918 project (myyearin1918.com)).
March 27, 2018
Great fun! I enjoyed listening to this on loyalbooks.com I was looking for something different and entertaining to listen to and this fit the bill! I highly recommend this book for just some simple silly fun!
September 11, 2019
An enjoyable enough book by the author of Pollyanna. What I enjoyed most about it was reading my 1918 hardback first edition inscribed to my great grandmother by her sister, and knowing she and all the women in the family since then had handled and read this very volume.
August 16, 2021
By the author of Pollyanna, a fascinating exploration of the effects of money on different personalities. The edition I read was illustrated by contemporary college artists (from the Kolaj Institute) which added a welcome contemporary contrast to the sometimes dated narrative.
July 21, 2018
A book with an insight of what money does to people! It's just not the money but how it's spent!
September 17, 2018
Good read
I loved the book and finished it in one go!
Made for a delightful read.
One glad book for Pollyanna !
I loved the book and finished it in one go!
Made for a delightful read.
One glad book for Pollyanna !
January 1, 2020
Very difficult to read such an old book with an old writing style. But its a generational family favorite that needed reading.
January 24, 2020
Great read aloud for all ages, especially 8 and up. We had lots of good discussions resulting from several themes in the book.
May 3, 2020
An innocent study of the effects acquiring a lot of money at once can have on the recipients. Just thought provoking enough to make this a worthwhile read.
September 20, 2021
The very rich Stanley G. Fulton comes up with a scheme to find out which of his distant cousins would best use money he bequeathed to them.
July 26, 2022
This was an interesting look at what money reveals about people.
January 9, 2023
Not sure when I laughed so hard over a book!!
August 10, 2024
This is a wonderful light read. The idea of a businessman giving money to a bunch of relatives and then going undercover to spy on them to see how they handle it is captivating. Add in a romance and you’ve got the makings of a book that’s hard to put down. And it’s funny!
August 23, 2020
Multimillionaire Stanley G. Fulton can't decide which of his three nearest relatives to leave his money to. He doesn't know them and they don't know him so he decides to observe them incognito as a genealogist researching a book about the family history.
"I'm going to make my cousins a little rich, and see which, if any of them, can stand being very rich."
It's a lame premise but a gifted comic writer could make something of it. Jim is an estate agent with a snobbish wife, Frank a grocer married to a mixer, Flora is a spinster with a kindly nature. The effect of the bequests is to cause a 'tempest in the teapot.' No hilarity however.
Immediately it's obvious that the most deserving recipient would he "Poor Maggie" Duff, a half-cousin who selflessly tends to all the needs of the rest of them. It took far too long to get to the place it was always headed. The moral is equally obvious:
"money won't buy happiness, unless we exchange it for the things that will bring happiness. If we don't know how to get any happiness out of five dollars, we won't know how to get it out of five hundred, or five thousand, or five hundred thousand"
Maybe, but I'd rather have the five hundred thousand.
"I'm going to make my cousins a little rich, and see which, if any of them, can stand being very rich."
It's a lame premise but a gifted comic writer could make something of it. Jim is an estate agent with a snobbish wife, Frank a grocer married to a mixer, Flora is a spinster with a kindly nature. The effect of the bequests is to cause a 'tempest in the teapot.' No hilarity however.
Immediately it's obvious that the most deserving recipient would he "Poor Maggie" Duff, a half-cousin who selflessly tends to all the needs of the rest of them. It took far too long to get to the place it was always headed. The moral is equally obvious:
"money won't buy happiness, unless we exchange it for the things that will bring happiness. If we don't know how to get any happiness out of five dollars, we won't know how to get it out of five hundred, or five thousand, or five hundred thousand"
Maybe, but I'd rather have the five hundred thousand.
August 16, 2016
Porter is miles away from her Pollyanna world with this book. (And thank God for that. Pollyanna is the leading cause of diabetes.)
Stanley Fulton is a multimillionaire with no one to leave his money to except for some distant cousins back East that he has never met. To see which one would handle the big money the best, Fulton first sets out to test the cousins with a just a taste of wealth in the form of $100,000 for each of them. (The book was published back in 1918 when a hundred thou really meant something.) Naturally this sudden windfall brings nothing but chaos; not at all what Fulton meant to do.
Stanley Fulton is a multimillionaire with no one to leave his money to except for some distant cousins back East that he has never met. To see which one would handle the big money the best, Fulton first sets out to test the cousins with a just a taste of wealth in the form of $100,000 for each of them. (The book was published back in 1918 when a hundred thou really meant something.) Naturally this sudden windfall brings nothing but chaos; not at all what Fulton meant to do.
July 6, 2012
I thought I'd like another book by the writer of Pollyanna, but I didn't. I chose this one as her highest adult rated book, as I thought her weakest point in Pollyanna was how she portrayed children, which is, a bit two-dimensional.
This book had a good beginning and charming main character BUT the rest of the characters ended up being two-dimensional(!) and the story so predictable that there was nothing exciting in it for me. At one point I was reminded of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.... Where one Blaisel family was too cheap, one too overspending, and one juuuuust right.
So about 30% in, without much action to boot, I'm abandoning it with my hopes dashed. :(
This book had a good beginning and charming main character BUT the rest of the characters ended up being two-dimensional(!) and the story so predictable that there was nothing exciting in it for me. At one point I was reminded of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.... Where one Blaisel family was too cheap, one too overspending, and one juuuuust right.
So about 30% in, without much action to boot, I'm abandoning it with my hopes dashed. :(
May 21, 2019
The book was very funny! I enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews