Title: Oh, Money! Money!
Author: Eleanor H. Porter
First Published: 1918
Publication Year of Edition Read: 2011
Publisher: Duke Classics
Format: Kindle (Libby)
Genre: Classic Fiction
A windfall shakes up a small town in this charming moral comedy about money, manners, and what truly makes a person rich.
I think it’s safe to say most people would be thrilled to receive a surprise check for $100,000. That’s exactly what happens to three distant cousins of Stanley G. Fulton in Oh, Money! Money! by Eleanor H. Porter. Fulton, unsure what to do with his millions after death, decides to gift each cousin a tidy sum and then secretly move to their small town of Hillerton to watch what they do with it. What follows is clever, chaotic, and thoroughly entertaining.
One of the first things I wondered before picking this up was, “Why hasn’t this been made into a movie?” The premise is tailor-made for it. I was genuinely surprised to learn it never was. But I digress. Oh, Money! Money! was first published in 1918, and the characters’ speech and behavior reflect that era through and through. It won’t read as fluidly as something published today, but its lively cast of characters, each distinct, flawed, and believable, still feels remarkably real, even with the occasional antique turn of phrase.
Porter succeeds in making the small town of Hillerton feel like just that, a place where everyone knows everyone and gossip travels faster than a motorcar. You can easily imagine the chaos this unexpected windfall stirs up among Mr. Fulton’s cousins. She brings to life a distinct and charming era of American history, when even a constantly sputtering automobile was a mark of privilege and a simple motor ride to a neighboring town counted as an adventure.
Not only is there the entertainment of watching what everyone does with their money, but there is also a love story that quietly blossoms along the way. Ultimately, this book delivers a lesson that is no less relevant today than it was in 1918, or even in 800 B.C., and that is that money does not buy happiness. Porter delivers this truth with humor, letting each character spend their windfall in their own way, for their own reasons, and with predictably human results. The pacing may feel slow at times, likely due to the antiquated speech, and perhaps the same message could have been told in fewer pages. Still, that does not make it any less enjoyable.
If you enjoy literary classics, you might enjoy this. If you appreciate satire and a bit of ridiculousness, you’ll find it fun. And if you’re like me, wondering why in the world this hasn’t been made into a movie yet, you should absolutely pick it up. It’s an enjoyable, lighthearted read that still manages to say something true.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓 – A moral comedy that proves money can buy almost everything except happiness.
Let’s Discuss: Do you enjoy older books that mix humor with a moral message, or do you find them too dated to connect with?
Find out more about Oh, Money! Money! on Eleanor H. Porter’s author page at Online Literature.