After little Patrick’s father dies, he is left to the care of his eccentric and adventurous aunt, Mame. His childhood goes from one of routine and order to one rather more unusual, and over the course of his adolescence and early adulthood, his colourful Auntie Mame keeps providing him with amazing anecdotes. Each chapter starts with the author reading about some saintly spinster from New England who took in an orphan, leading to his own recollections of his life with his aunt. Suffice to say, anything the spinster did in the Digest article he’s reading, Mame did too, only more elaborately and with a lot more hijinks.
Growing up in Norway, I was entirely unaware of Auntie Mame, the 1955 novel that was turned into a movie, a Broadway play and a musical (which was also filmed). My best friend Lydia gifted me the book several years ago, and I have to admit it languished on my shelves until now, when I finally picked it up and was absolutely delighted.
Full review here.
This is one of my top-5 books of all time. It always makes me happy.
One time when I was a kid and home sick from some family function, my dad sat with me and was all excited because PBS was showing a great movie that night–Auntie Mame with the glorious Rosilind Russell. I loved it and was so happy to find it was based on an even better book.
I adore this book also! Mame is one of my life icons to emulate. I could never come remotely close to her élan, but I can always try.