- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday (2 May 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0385606087
- ISBN-13: 978-0385606080
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.2 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 233,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
May Contain Nuts
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More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
A satire about competitive, over-protective parents driving their children to tutors, to ballet, to insanity ...
Product Description
‘The other day there was a feature on the radio about the dangers of asteroids falling from outer space. When David came home he wanted to know why the children were splashing around in the paddling pool wearing their cycle helmets.’ Alice never imagined that she would end up like this. Is she the only mother who feels so permanently panic-stricken at the terrors of the modern world – or is it normal to sit up in bed all night popping bubble wrap? She worries that too much gluten and dairy may be hindering her children’s mental maths. She frets that there are too many cars on the road to let them out of the 4x4. Finally she resolves to take control and tackle her biggest worry of all: her daughter is definitely not going to fail that crucial secondary school entrance exam. Because Alice has decided to take the test in her child’s place . . . May Contain Nuts is a wonderful satire on the all-consuming madness of modern parenthood; a compelling journey across divided inner-city communities to a place where normal people don’t spend hundreds of pounds to have their four-year-old’s scribbles assessed for signs of genius or pay a handyman to assemble their Kinder Egg toys. With the comic eye for detail that has sent his books to the top of the bestseller lists, John O’Farrell has produced a funny and provocative book that will make you laugh, cry and vow never to become that sort of parent. And then you can pass it on to your seven-year-old, because she really ought to be reading grown-up novels by now . . .
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This my first time reading a John O Farrell book and I was not sure what to expect. The book is written from the point of view of Alice an over anxious middle class mother desperately wanting the best for her children and loosing site to the fact that if she does everything for them they won't learn to do things themselves. After reading the first couple of pages (involving the `heroine' causing a car crash after ambushing an unsuspecting speeding driving with a mannequin dressed as Tony Blair in school uniform!) I was worried that the book was going to be ridiculous rather than satirical.
However I was wrong, though some of the premises in the book are a little off the wall (a mother sitting an exam for her daughter for one) he keeps the right side of satire and has written an extremely entertaining book. The over pushy parents timetabling every second of their children's life were priceless and sadly recognizable. I laughed out loud on several occasions especially at the children's book club.
The only problem that I had with the book was though I applaud the message that it is important that a school concentrates on pupils as people and not just their exam results I do think the last few chapters of the book were just a little over idealized. Generally a really good read.
However I was wrong, though some of the premises in the book are a little off the wall (a mother sitting an exam for her daughter for one) he keeps the right side of satire and has written an extremely entertaining book. The over pushy parents timetabling every second of their children's life were priceless and sadly recognizable. I laughed out loud on several occasions especially at the children's book club.
The only problem that I had with the book was though I applaud the message that it is important that a school concentrates on pupils as people and not just their exam results I do think the last few chapters of the book were just a little over idealized. Generally a really good read.
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I picked this book up with no real enthusiasm, but after ten pages I was in fits of laughter. It is a very funny book indeed, and sharp as a razor. The characters are exaggerations but if you have a children of school age, or even better, if you know parents who do, you will immdediately recognise the absurd behaviour of people obsessed with protecting and promoting their little darlings. A wonderful, hysterical, bitter sweet satire of our time!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A very funny read. Especially for anyone who has been around over-anxious/over-competitive middle class parents in the UK. Some great scenes (i.e. teaching young kids to play contract bridge) and dialogue.
The ending lacks subtlety (tho' has a good message). But perhaps O'Farrell deliberately wrote a book that does not demand too heavy attention levels, so that tired and distracted parents can read it without too much trouble.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Funny and thought-provoking
This is a very funny book about middle class English mores. Alice is the over-protective mother of an 11-year-old girl and decides that in order to get her into the school that she... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tinhead
May Contain Nuts
I absolutely loved this book and have read it numerous times. The reviews that say that this book is not funny are utterly wrong - it's absolutely hilarious! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mia
rereadable
One of the few books I have enjoyed to read over and over again. Towards the end its not so good but overall a good read.
Published 6 months ago by abi39
May Contain Nuts John O'Farrell
This book cheered me up when I was feeling down! A really funny take on parents and the pressures they feel under when bringing up offspring. Read more
Published 6 months ago by muse1
Hillariously Funny..
I downloaded this book to my kindle after reading 'The best a man can get' which I brought from a charity shop. This was my most expensive kindle book so far, but well worth it! Read more
Published 13 months ago by kestral
hilarious book. Very Much a Laugh out Loud book
I thought this book was hilarious from the start. I have young children but am by no means middle class, I found the characters easy to build and the scenes very easy to... Read more
Published 19 months ago by A Russell
Depends on your schooling
State school fans will love it. Private school fans will hate it.
Personally I thoroughly enjoyed it but then, like John, I despise private school fans (pedestal, tower... Read more
Personally I thoroughly enjoyed it but then, like John, I despise private school fans (pedestal, tower... Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2010 by C. Parker
Possibly worth reading for the first half...
...but I'd feel happier if I'd borrowed this book rather than bought it! The reviewer (currently "most helpful critical") who says that the first part of the book is hilarious, but... Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2009 by Dr. P. Stevens
Very funny book!
This book was everything I look for in a good humour book. It's a satirical look at parents who would literally do anything to make sure that their kids succeed. Read more
Published on 20 May 2009 by Blatant Biblioholic
Nowhere near as good as his other books
Read This If Your Life before you read this one - it's full of characters that you dislike straight away!
Published on 5 May 2009 by Stephen Chapman
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