Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
Crown (2001), Edition: Reprint, 299 pages
Description
A classic comic bestseller about a wild, witty, and irresistible New York flapper. Here are the extravagant follies and delirious escapades of a grand dame with a heart of gold, as seen through the wide eyes of her young nephew.
Media reviews
El Comercio
“Un relato prodigioso, ágil y clarividente. El libro está plagado de pequeñas bombas literarias que hacen estallar por los aires las relaciones y las estructuras sociales y que al lector le provocan una perenne y gratificante sonrisa desde la primera página a la última.”
ABC
“La tía Mame es tan irresistible como inmune al que dirán y de un optimismo a prueba de bomba, incluso en las peores circunstancias.”
La Vanguardia
“Divertida y alocada, aventurera y caprichosa”.
User reviews
LibraryThing member richardderus
Sparklingly witty, irreverently satirical, this 1955 novel manages to remain timelessly relevant in its cutting send-up of conformity, conservatism, and cupidity. Mame Dennis first swam into my ken during the long, hot, boring summer of 1973, an anodyne to the astoundingly dreary Watergate hearings
What can I say? Mother's always right. I love love loved this book then, and on re-reading it now 37 years later, I love it just as much...maybe more, I know more of how adult Mame felt being handed a kid to raise than I did at fourteen.
It's been perfect for me to read in the Auntie-adjustment period, because it's not a novel, it's a series of interconnected short stories that share a frame. I can snag a quick hit before the next issue arises that requires me to pay attention. It's flat-out hilarious, this cocktail culture send-up; Dennis, a pseudonym for the gay (literally) dawg E.E. Tanner III, was Uncle Mame (title of his biogrpahy, BTW) and had an Aunt Marion who was the model for a lot of Mame's characteristics. Dennis hated confromity, he loathed insincerity, he was revolted by Babbittry, and he skewered his targets on brightly colored little cocktail toothpicks with the hula-themed hors d'ouevre.
Mame and Patrick are limousine liberals, rich people who have it in themselves to understand and work to ameliorate the burdens of those not like themsleves. In many ways, I think Teddy Kennedy would identify with Mame and Patrick. I think they're still, to this good day, sterling examples to the well-to-do. The stories here are about Patrick in larval and chrysalis stages, before Mame effects the rowdy transition of her little love into the oddly spotted butterfly he becomes. It's delightful to trot along behind Patrick as he tells us of his life with his Most Unforgettable Character. (Anyone old enough to remember those articles in Reader's Digest is old enough to follow the archaic references in this book.)
Oh, and those references...there are lots of them, and the book's genesis in the Fifties means they're even older still. A working knowledge of the 1930s and the haute couture of the day is helpful, but not necessary. Just realize that each name dropped is hoity-toity, and move on...or use this Interweb thingie to learn *a lot* about the status symbols of a bygone era. Either way, you won't miss the fun and the funny that whizzes around behind you to tickle your ribs and neck mercilessly, making you laugh harder than you'll remember laughing in a very long time.
Read it and weep...from laughter!
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on TV. I complained to my mother about the absence of entertainment, and she snorted mightily: "How can *anyone* be bored in this house full of books? Here, read this," and she handed me "Auntie Mame."What can I say? Mother's always right. I love love loved this book then, and on re-reading it now 37 years later, I love it just as much...maybe more, I know more of how adult Mame felt being handed a kid to raise than I did at fourteen.
It's been perfect for me to read in the Auntie-adjustment period, because it's not a novel, it's a series of interconnected short stories that share a frame. I can snag a quick hit before the next issue arises that requires me to pay attention. It's flat-out hilarious, this cocktail culture send-up; Dennis, a pseudonym for the gay (literally) dawg E.E. Tanner III, was Uncle Mame (title of his biogrpahy, BTW) and had an Aunt Marion who was the model for a lot of Mame's characteristics. Dennis hated confromity, he loathed insincerity, he was revolted by Babbittry, and he skewered his targets on brightly colored little cocktail toothpicks with the hula-themed hors d'ouevre.
Mame and Patrick are limousine liberals, rich people who have it in themselves to understand and work to ameliorate the burdens of those not like themsleves. In many ways, I think Teddy Kennedy would identify with Mame and Patrick. I think they're still, to this good day, sterling examples to the well-to-do. The stories here are about Patrick in larval and chrysalis stages, before Mame effects the rowdy transition of her little love into the oddly spotted butterfly he becomes. It's delightful to trot along behind Patrick as he tells us of his life with his Most Unforgettable Character. (Anyone old enough to remember those articles in Reader's Digest is old enough to follow the archaic references in this book.)
Oh, and those references...there are lots of them, and the book's genesis in the Fifties means they're even older still. A working knowledge of the 1930s and the haute couture of the day is helpful, but not necessary. Just realize that each name dropped is hoity-toity, and move on...or use this Interweb thingie to learn *a lot* about the status symbols of a bygone era. Either way, you won't miss the fun and the funny that whizzes around behind you to tickle your ribs and neck mercilessly, making you laugh harder than you'll remember laughing in a very long time.
Read it and weep...from laughter!
Show Less
LibraryThing member doxtator
Following the age-old story of the triumphing aunt taking in the helpless babe, the normal tale is turned on its head. Auntie Mame is entirely herself: charming, vivacious, and quirky. She makes room for her orphaned nephew, and then some. The adventures, and the interesting people, just keep
Told from the nephew's point of view, it follows the pair from the late 1920s all the way to what should be Auntie Mame's golden years, but she's too restless to let anything keep her down for long, not even getting older.
Vibrant and amusing, it pits conventional society against individualism, and both sides win out a little bit each time, with the tying vote going in Auntie Mame's favor.
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coming. Told from the nephew's point of view, it follows the pair from the late 1920s all the way to what should be Auntie Mame's golden years, but she's too restless to let anything keep her down for long, not even getting older.
Vibrant and amusing, it pits conventional society against individualism, and both sides win out a little bit each time, with the tying vote going in Auntie Mame's favor.
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LibraryThing member austenheroin
So it's winter and you just want to curl up and forget about the world. Join Auntie Mame and her young nephew Patrick as they throw decadent parties, romance the Deep South and explore naked co-educational schools in the middle of the Great Depression. This is comfort food and a stiff drink all
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rolled into one. Show Less
LibraryThing member MrsLee
This book is great humor therapy. The adventures of a woman who refuses to be boxed into conventional behavior, as seen through the eyes of her young nephew are both funny and poignant. Essentially a self-centered woman, when Mame becomes the guardian of her nephew she manages to raise him with
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love. Show Less
LibraryThing member sjclance
What an enjoyable book. Rediscover this. You will laugh out loud (and that is rare for me!)
LibraryThing member tapestry100
Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade is one of my favorite books. I stumbled on the reprint edition when it came out in 2001 at my local Barnes & Noble, and the cover caught my eye (yes, I did judge this book by its cover, and I'm so glad that I did, since it caused a love affair with Mame that has
This current read was done with my book group (I'll be honest: this was my first selection for the book group, which had already been established when they invited me to join, and I was a little concerned how the book would be received. I'm happy to report that it was a rousing success with everyone!), so it was interesting to have three fresh perspectives on the book, as sometimes after so many readings, some of the finer nuances get lost in the sheer delight of rereading a favorite book (at least it does for me).
Mame herself, quite naturally, was the name reason for everyone enjoying the book. Starting off in the Roaring 20s, we watch as Mame's fortunes wax and wane with the Stock Market crash of the late 1920s, and how she struggles to keep her little make-shift family together, which she does through her own indomitable will. Told through the eyes of her nephew, Patrick, we watch as Mame raises him to the best of her ability, and while her techniques for raising a child may not be orthodox, they are certainly effective. Eventually, Mame meets the perfect man for her, and her fortunes are restored and she's back to her madcap ways. Through everything, though, Mame remains strong and resolute in her beliefs of equality and what's best for the people around her. What starts off as a seemingly ridiculous little adventure with a ragtag cast of characters becomes a heartfelt testament to what family means, both with the family we are born with and the family that we make for ourselves, and how important it is to stay true to yourself, even in the face of adversity.
For me, this will be a book that I will go back to over and over again for the rest of my life. I adore it; I adore the character of Mame; and I adore the message that Patrick Dennis leaves us with this book. If you've never read it before, please give it a chance. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
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lasted for twelve years now). Every couple of years, I need a Mame fix and I pull the book off the shelves and reacquaint myself with all the characters and madcap adventures found within (as well as the sequel, Around the World with Auntie Mame.This current read was done with my book group (I'll be honest: this was my first selection for the book group, which had already been established when they invited me to join, and I was a little concerned how the book would be received. I'm happy to report that it was a rousing success with everyone!), so it was interesting to have three fresh perspectives on the book, as sometimes after so many readings, some of the finer nuances get lost in the sheer delight of rereading a favorite book (at least it does for me).
Mame herself, quite naturally, was the name reason for everyone enjoying the book. Starting off in the Roaring 20s, we watch as Mame's fortunes wax and wane with the Stock Market crash of the late 1920s, and how she struggles to keep her little make-shift family together, which she does through her own indomitable will. Told through the eyes of her nephew, Patrick, we watch as Mame raises him to the best of her ability, and while her techniques for raising a child may not be orthodox, they are certainly effective. Eventually, Mame meets the perfect man for her, and her fortunes are restored and she's back to her madcap ways. Through everything, though, Mame remains strong and resolute in her beliefs of equality and what's best for the people around her. What starts off as a seemingly ridiculous little adventure with a ragtag cast of characters becomes a heartfelt testament to what family means, both with the family we are born with and the family that we make for ourselves, and how important it is to stay true to yourself, even in the face of adversity.
For me, this will be a book that I will go back to over and over again for the rest of my life. I adore it; I adore the character of Mame; and I adore the message that Patrick Dennis leaves us with this book. If you've never read it before, please give it a chance. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
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LibraryThing member gbill
This is a fun read. It starts with a young boy orphaned in 1929 who must go live with an Aunt who loves a good party and who considers 9 A.M. the “middle of the night”. Soon she has him circulating about during her cocktail parties, and later sends him off to an alternative school taught in the
Each chapter is another misadventure for the pair as the boy gradually grows up to be a man, but common to all of the tales, and underneath the humor, there is social critique of both the idle rich and the uncultured bourgeois. Auntie Mame firmly disagrees with racism, elitism, and ignorance wherever she finds it. This madcap, sophisticated lady seems to be the prototype for many a derivative character in our culture to this day. Dennis slips humor and cultural references in very smoothly to his writing, and while he occasionally also indulges in stereotypes, I found this to be a smart, edgy book, particularly for 1955.
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nude to release inhibitions. For while Auntie Mame is cultured and lives for the finer things in life, she also flouts conventionality, encourages new ways of thinking, and loves the avant-garde. Each chapter is another misadventure for the pair as the boy gradually grows up to be a man, but common to all of the tales, and underneath the humor, there is social critique of both the idle rich and the uncultured bourgeois. Auntie Mame firmly disagrees with racism, elitism, and ignorance wherever she finds it. This madcap, sophisticated lady seems to be the prototype for many a derivative character in our culture to this day. Dennis slips humor and cultural references in very smoothly to his writing, and while he occasionally also indulges in stereotypes, I found this to be a smart, edgy book, particularly for 1955.
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LibraryThing member lydiasbooks
Loved this. Really enjoyed it. Despite the nagging feelings that it was silly and unnecessary, I should be reading something else better/ more suited to me; this book just made me keep right on reading. Funny, silly, jolly, fun; I wanted a cool aunt of my own, but sadly it looks more like I'll be
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the kooky aunt to my nieces and nephews instead. I hope I do as good a job of it as this character! I can't quite believe she is fictional... Show Less
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Subtitle: An Irreverent Escapade
Oh, what an absolute delight! I love Mame … she’s outrageous, convivial, adventurous, kind, a bon vivant, prone to exaggeration, unable to resist, unabashedly lacking in marketable skills, and yet full of confidence. She’s also completely and utterly devoted to
What started as a few essays in periodicals has been framed into this novel “memoir.” It’s funny and tender, horrifying and enthralling. I was appalled at some of Mame’s escapades, but enthralled by others, and always I was in her corner, cheering her on.
I’ve wanted to read this for years, ever since I had seen the marvelous movie starring Rosalind Russell, and I admit to picturing her throughout the novel.
Oh, what an absolute delight! I love Mame … she’s outrageous, convivial, adventurous, kind, a bon vivant, prone to exaggeration, unable to resist, unabashedly lacking in marketable skills, and yet full of confidence. She’s also completely and utterly devoted to
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her nephew, Patrick, who’s been orphaned and placed in her care at the tender age of nine. Oh, what an education he gets!What started as a few essays in periodicals has been framed into this novel “memoir.” It’s funny and tender, horrifying and enthralling. I was appalled at some of Mame’s escapades, but enthralled by others, and always I was in her corner, cheering her on.
I’ve wanted to read this for years, ever since I had seen the marvelous movie starring Rosalind Russell, and I admit to picturing her throughout the novel.
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LibraryThing member mitzlarue
This fabulous book should be required reading for all ages. It's a wild ride through the twenties on and is a blast to read. You'll laugh out loud at her life, her antics and the way she raises (if you can call it that!) her nephew, Patrick. Enjoy
LibraryThing member TRWhittier
Every once in a blue moon, on a night when the stars are celebrating with a glass of champagne, and the air is heady with the scent of perfume, a person like Auntie Mame is born. While often criticized as not being of much "practical merit," - that is, not having much insight into the world of
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commerce, nor much interest in it- these beings are as vital to the overall good health of society as is the food we eat and the water we drink. "Madcap Mame," Dennis' eccentric Aunt, may not have been the model surrogate mother, but she made sure that her nephew developed his spirit as well as his mind. If you are fortunate, as I am, to have a person like this in your life, this novel will make you appreciate her/him even more than you already do. And if you don't appreciate this person, Auntie Mame will have a very serious "Little Morning Chat" with you about that. Show Less
LibraryThing member yorkjob
Great novel, sheds a lot of light on the great movie with Rosalind Russel.
LibraryThing member Amante
Book was great, movie pretty well follows the book
LibraryThing member caseybp
If life is a banquet than this book is the meal the drinks and the desert in one.
LibraryThing member CrayolaCrayon
Auntie Mame is definitely the book to read when your bored- and the sequel's even better! The book never has one boring part where you wish that you had never gotten stuck reading it. This book is a comedy!
LibraryThing member allyballybean
Enjoyed - easy to read, surprisingly modern for its period.
LibraryThing member phoebesmum
A bit of a disappointment; I thought this would be funnier than it was – something on a par with, say, 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. It was entertaining enough, but never laugh-out-loud funny. It's also oddly uneven: the ditzy Mame of the early anecdotes turns into a wise mentor in between one
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story and another and, by the end, she's reduced to not much more than a walk-on role. Still, I would forgive a lot of far worse faults in view of the episode where Mame takes on Patrick's anti-Semitic would-be in-laws. Show Less
LibraryThing member krobbie67
This was a fun, light read.
LibraryThing member rayski
Written in 1952 and very much dated, but still entertaining when not too silly. Might have only been a star and a half, but I added a star because Mom sent it to me. It’s the story of the author’s loony, flamboyant, but very worldly aunt and all the situations she gets herself into. Cute, no
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more than that. Show Less
LibraryThing member CRMJones
Wonderful tale of an wacky aunt and her little love
As a huge fan of the Rosalind Russell movie "Auntie Mame" I read this book in anticipation of comparison between the two. I was not disappointed!
Much of the book is close to identical with the movie, which makes reading that much more enjoyable. It
This book will stay on my Kindle for re-reading when I need a laugh!!!
As a huge fan of the Rosalind Russell movie "Auntie Mame" I read this book in anticipation of comparison between the two. I was not disappointed!
Much of the book is close to identical with the movie, which makes reading that much more enjoyable. It
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is virtually impossible to know if this is fiction or partially/fully biographical. The joy of the antics continues from start to finish.This book will stay on my Kindle for re-reading when I need a laugh!!!
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LibraryThing member BurlingtonReader
A dandy of a book. Auntie Mame and her escapades are truly unforgettable. A winner.
LibraryThing member jillrhudy
Patrick's madcap aunt is so zanily unpredictable that his service in World War II--during which he is wounded in action--is restful by comparison to the scrapes Mame gets him into. By about the fifth chapter you will be surprised by nothing this woman does. She's one of the most incredible, ageless
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chameleons you'll ever meet in a book, remaking herself over and over for men, for depression, for war, and for the pure fun of it. Worth reading for the spirited arguments alone, and laugh-out-loud funny on almost every page. Long live Mame! Show Less
LibraryThing member etxgardener
It's been decades since I've read this book, but catching the old movie drew me to the rather dusty volume on my shelf, and it was just what I needed. Auntie Mame is one of my favorite characters in literature, and even though this book is almost 60 years old, it still had me laughing out lous.
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Watching the stage musical inspired me to find this one at the library. In this day and age, it's wildly politically incorrect but other than that outrageously funny.
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
The book is made up of various short stories that follow Patrick's childhood through adulthood. I really enjoyed this gloriously campy period piece. Yes, it’s filled with period-typical stereotypes and attitudes towards women and “foreigners”, but that didn't bother me because I don't think
Auntie Mame is one of the most memorable and likable characters in literature. She’s fabulous, ridiculous, charming, and mischievous. I thought this was one of the funniest comic novels I've ever read. The humor derives not only from the plotting and the complex, problematical situations which Mame (and sometimes Patrick) create but also from the writing itself, which is lively, witty, and masterful.
TBR 1460
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you can read a book published almost seventy years ago and compare it to current era-correctness.Auntie Mame is one of the most memorable and likable characters in literature. She’s fabulous, ridiculous, charming, and mischievous. I thought this was one of the funniest comic novels I've ever read. The humor derives not only from the plotting and the complex, problematical situations which Mame (and sometimes Patrick) create but also from the writing itself, which is lively, witty, and masterful.
TBR 1460
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Awards
Indies Choice Book Award (Honor Book — 2003)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1955
Physical description
299 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0767908198 / 9780767908191