Paul Rudnik, in his introduction to the book, says "Auntie Mame is America's diabolical answer to Mary Poppins." I couldn't agree more. Auntie Mame is every child's wet dream of a guardian. She is eccentric, liberal, fun-loving, often drunk, and always exciting. Alternately Patrick's best friend, a needy relative, and a caring mother, Auntie Mame is never dull.

According to Auntie Mame, nine a.m. is the middle of the night, adopting the accent and habits of any culture makes you of that culture, alcohol is an everyday, all hours necessity, and intellectualism is akin to godliness. According to a review at Powell's, "She was anti-establishment, anti-bourgeois, anti-racist, anti-bad taste, and anti-pretension. She was also pro-youth, pro-sex, pro-tolerance, pro-nudity, and pro-drugs (though her drug of choice was gin)." In other words, she was rather awesome. I fell in love with this woman quickly, and while I'm not sure I would want her as my guardian, I would love her as an aunt.

Along with the characters, I also enjoyed the organization of the book. Each chapter is a separate escapade featuring Auntie Mame and more often than not Patrick, the narrator of the story. The book is held together by simple but effective hook: Patrick is telling these stories about the past after reading about an Unforgettable Character in Reader's Digest. His purpose is to show how this Unforgettable Character is nothing when compared to his Auntie Mame. The beginning of every chapter summarizes another characteristic of this Unforgettable Character, and the rest of the chapter shows how Auntie Mame was both the embodiment and the antithesis of that exact characteristic.

The best part about reading this book, in my opinion, is that it was published in 1955. This isn't some modern look at the 20s and 30s. The liberal views on homosexuality, religion, education, family life, and relationships are from the perspective of a 1950s man - and they could fit right in with the most liberal of our contemporaries.

I highly recommend this book! ( )

I loved the movie with Rosalind Russell an thought it would be a good way to refresh my memory. It was much more informative than the movie but it did not contain my favorite quote " life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death". If you love the story the book is great. It also describes NYC at an interesting time in our history. ( )

This was a fun, light read.

What an enjoyable book. Rediscover this. You will laugh out loud (and that is rare for me!) ( )

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 love. ( )