Auntie Mame

Auntie Mame
First edition cover
AuthorPatrick Dennis
LanguageEnglish
PublisherVanguard Press
Publication date
January 21, 1955[1]
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback and paperback)
Pages280
Followed byAround the World with Auntie Mame 

Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade is a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his Aunt Mame Dennis, the sister of his dead father.

The book is often described as having been inspired by Dennis' real-life eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner,[2] whose life and outlook mirrored those of Mame, but Dennis denied the connection. The novel was a runaway bestseller, setting records on the New York Times bestseller list, with more than 2 million copies in print during its initial publication. It became the basis of a stage play,[3] a film,[3] a stage musical, and a film musical.

In 1958, Dennis wrote a sequel titled Around the World with Auntie Mame.

  1. ^ "List of the Books Coming Out Today". The New York Times: 21. January 21, 1955.
  2. ^ "MARION TANNER, KNOWN AS MODEL FOR 'MAME' (Published 1985)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-04-10.
  3. ^ a b Crowther, Bosley (1958-12-05). "Screen: 'Auntie Mame'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-17.