Customer Reviews

May Contain Nuts: A Novel of Extreme Parenting

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

 

 

This book was so entertaining that I finished it in two days (an incredible feat considering I have two very young children). A satirical portrayal of modern parenting, but seriously reflects the lengths of what many elitist families would do to get their kids the "right" academic beginning. I particularly enjoyed this book because many of O'Farrell's characters actually live in my neighborhood. The ending was bit abrupt and unrealistically tidy (could a real Alice, who went through such lengths to get her daughter into a top independent school truly embrace the notion of her daughter being in a public school in just several months???), but it was a fun read nonetheless.

I usually don't read satire, but as a new teacher this book was almost therapeutic in its attacks on obsessive middle-class mums (the British ones are not much different from the American ones). It's also a thoughtful novel about school choice: What's best for your child vs. What's best for you. May Contain Nuts even deals with status quo in terms of race and socio-economics.
Very funny and very reflective.

If you've ever overheard cotton wool kid parents talking to each other about how their fat little kids can't possibly walk or ride a bike to school because they might get abducted, or seen these parents in action first hand for yourself walking down the road with dog leads attached to their kids then you'll realise this book could really be a work of non fiction and that's what makes it even more brilliant.

In this book Alice and David are two of these paranoid middle class British parents, particularly the mother Alice. They force their daughter Molly and their other kids to undertake a rigorous schedule of activities, study and practice exams so they'll get into the right pre school, primary and high schools otherwise they'll have no possible chance of getting into the best universities and avoid being prostitutes, drug users and the like. They fear walking down to their local video store as those black kids in the hooded tops will obviously rob them or worse. Their group of friends aren't any different, reading the labels on food and not allowing their kids to eat anything that may contain traces of nuts just on the off chance their kids may be allergic. Even within these tailored activities such as a running race they force these kids to wear dog leads so they can protect them just in case that dog on the other side of the park happens to come over and kill their children.

These are the cotton wool kid parents, and they see nothing wrong with their behaviour. So the pressure is on for Molly to get into the snobby school Chelsea College but her parents soon come to realise there is a good chance she may not make the cut. They know they must take drastic action, they know Alice must be pretend to be Molly and take the test in her place.

May Contain Nuts is a great read, predictable outcome but the fun is in getting there as Alice starts to realise just how ridiculous her beliefs are!

I picked up this book, mainly because the title made me laugh. I was not disappointed. What I found was a hilarious slice of life dealing with the reality of
extreme parenting today. We all know those uber-parents who devote their lives to the accomplishments of their children, neurotically comparing them to others. We all
know the feeling of frantically trying to keep our children "up to par" with their counterparts.
O'Farrell makes light of those flaws, by creating this laugh-inducing tale of modern parenthood and the ridiculous pressure we put on our kids. Even though the story was a bit over the top,it did make me stop and think. I hope that parents will realize (as I have come to) that kids need to be kids; there will be plenty of time later to be burdened down by the responsibilities and pressures of life. A very funny and entertaining read!

This is one I would probably have passed on if I had seen it in a bookstore. Just not all that interesting.

A genuine laugh out loud book. Absolutely loved it What is sad/funny is that I actually know people like the ones in the book - and they were just trying to get their children into infants! On the other hand, my husband found it too pathetic and couldn't get passed the first few pages.

The first half of this book is downright hilarious, as O'Farrell deftly skewers our child-centric culture, and satirizes parents who will go to any length to ensure their child's safety and success. Unfortunately the second half is less satisfying: our heroine never really admits that what she did was flat-out wrong, and the ending rings a bit false. Even so, if you've ever been even the teeniest bit tempted to somehow work your kid's great test score into a conversation with other parents, you'll find plenty to laugh at. It's a quick read, fine summer fluff that may leave you examining your own behavior when you're done.