Auntie MameAuntie Mame
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1929, ten-year-old Patrick is orphaned and sent to live with his only relative, his aunt Mame Dennis, in New York. Mame is glamorous, eccentric and endlessly unconventional, throwing wild parties full of artists and bohemians. Through the Depression, her disastrous attempts at jobs, a rich husband and Patrick's snobbish fiancée, she teaches him to live life to the full.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and stayed on the bestseller list for years. It became a play, a film and the musical Mame.
You'll love it if you liked
A Confederacy of Dunces
The Great Gatsby
Catch-22Good to know
It's episodic and light. Some of its jokes reflect 1950s attitudes.
By the numbers
- Readers51 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller44 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
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Quick answers
Is Auntie Mame worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and stayed on the bestseller list for years. It ranks #1,683 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Auntie Mame about?
In 1929, ten-year-old Patrick is orphaned and sent to live with his only relative, his aunt Mame Dennis, in New York. Mame is glamorous, eccentric and endlessly unconventional, throwing wild parties full of artists and bohemians. Through the Depression, her disastrous attempts at jobs, a rich husband and Patrick's snobbish fiancée, she teaches him to live life to the full.
How long does it take to read Auntie Mame?
About 7 hours (280 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Auntie Mame?
If you liked it, try A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald or Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.