Customer Reviews

Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the great comic reads of all time. If you liked Cary Grant and Myrna Loy in the movie, you will love the book even more. Also look for the equally funny sequel, Blanding's Way--sadly out of print, but easily located on rare book websites.

more than half a century has passed since this little gem appeared, yet it stands the test of time. why? like all great humor--oral or written--this comedy of errors is firmly rooted in reality. its protagonists stand halfway between hope and fear. we understand their desires, their motivations, their anxieties because they are ours. this is the only book not written by jane austen that has prompted me, repeatedly, to laugh aloud. besides its surpassing treatment of the ever-present human need and struggle for security and comfort, this slender volume also serves as a period piece: in the personage of mrs. blandings, the author quite unintentionally paints a picture of the dominant view of women, in the age before liberation, as fanciful, frivolous, and helplessly dependent. if you check your gender at the door, you'll find this delectation well worth the reading.

Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House is simply one of the best pieces of humorous prose ever written. It is witty, urbane and insightful. A must read for any first time home builder.

I was walking through a model home a few years ago and this book was one of the "props" on display on the bookshelf. I picked it up and after a few minutes decided I would have to get my own copy. My wife and I went through the home-building process early in our marriage and this book brought back much of the humor and heartache of that experience - mainly the humor. Hodgins was a polished writer with a keen sense of humor. This book was written over a half-century ago but the joys and agonies of building a home have not changed - except for the prices! It is a "must" for anyone who wishes to buy an ancient home and bring it into modern times. The Blandings started with that idea and ended up tearing the old house down and starting over. This book provides a smiling look at human nature and the people encountered along the road to a dream house, including real estate agents, home sellers, well drillers, carpenters, plumbers, meddling neighbors, and all the rest. Nothing is more fun or frustrating than watching your own home grow from a hole in the ground to a castle in the sky. I recommend this book to those lucky people who get to have that experience at least once in their lives.

I am an architect who designs custom home remodeling projects. I lend this book to some of my clients, for fun, and to help them develop the sense of perspecive that is sooo helpful for living with the million decisions and surprises of remodeling your house. Fifty years old or not, it's a hoot. The movie of the same name, also from the '40s, with Myrna Loy and some famous man, Clark Cable? misses most of the fun of the book.

How can a book written in postwar 1946 have any relevance today you say? Just try to buy or build a home from scratch and you'll see.Even people who are remodeling a few rooms as I just did can relate to the wonderfully agonizing world of contractors,builders, workman who 'get it wrong',supplies,appliances,change orders,delays and costs which never seem to end up totaling what you were told at the start of the job.I loved and admired the movie which is and always will be a true classic. But I always wanted to read the book as Cary Grant can be seen doing at the very end of the movie.Well I did and boy was it right on the money.I couldn't put it down and can't remember laughing so much as I compared notes and emotions with Mr. Blandings after each chapter.It is interesting to note the changes which were made from book to movie but they don't amount to much as each version has its own merits.It is written in a manner that is still fresh for todays reader and is wholesome and easy on the mind and intellect.Just plain fun with the ring of correctness with regard to building terminology and what problems and stressors the homeowner/builder faces even today.This book should be mandatory reading for all who aspire to home ownership one day.Get it and make it the first book you put on your new library shelf in your new or old home.That is if you can afford it.That new library might turn out to be a closet if your not careful with the plans.

I give this book 5 stars because it was a great book... for adults. But my disclaimer is that it does contain some language and inferences making it unsuitable for children. (I was surprised that it contained some offensive language and dissappointed because I'd hoped to read it aloud to my kids.)

I read this title and the sequel "Blanding's Way" in 3 weeks and loved them. I was delighted with the skillful way the author presented the stories. But the book differs signifigantly from the movie. For example,in the movie Bill Cole's role is vastly enhanced and the blanding daughter's roles are vastly decreased. But the differences just made it all the more interesting to read.

I also did not find the book slow at all. Such an intelligent, sophisticated book is like candy to a word worm like me. On another personal note, this book was very illuminating to the New England mentality. We relocated to New England from the west coast a couple of years ago and found out (the hard way) that the people here look at newcomers with a raised eyebrow. Our family joke is that New England's motto should be "Welcome to New England! When are you leaving?" (haha) Eric Hidgins paints such a hilariously accurate picture of this exsasperating phenomenon.

So...five stars for a great read (for adults). Don't forget to check out the sequel, Blanding's Way, at the library when you're finished with this one. It's super fun to find out how the story ends!

As a fan of the movie with Myrna Loy and Cary Grant, I decided the give the book a try. Although it omits some of the movie's funniest gags, the book has its share of laughs, but doesn't flow as well.

Despite its short length (just over 200 pages) I find that it read slowly, and that I looked upon the last few chapters as a chore rather than a delight.

I attribute this mostly to the fact that the book's chief characters, the Blandings, are relatively lifeless. They are overshadowed by, and much less interesting, than the cast of locals that make building their country home the difficult and amusing tale it is.

I've been watching Mr. Blandings builds his dream house for years!
I bought the book for my wife because she enjoys the actual writing that accompanies the wonderful movie. It was a joy to read from where the movie came from and departed from.
Simply wonderful and it was wonderful to watch my wife smile and smile through out the entire reading of the book- every book that a movie is based on should be this good!

I have owned a copy of this delightfully humorous book for many years. It is one I always recommend to friends and aquaintances who are building a house, although I always suggest they wait about a year to read it, until the frustrations of construction are a memory. I have previously bought and given away used copies - I was intrigued to find that the book is back in print. This copy was for a friend who was very frustrated with her builder. Hope she enjoys it!