Book Review: "Cleaning Nabokov's House" by Leslie Daniels

Title: Cleaning Nabokov’s House

Author: Leslie Daniels

Publisher: Touchstone

ISBN, PUB Date: 978-1-4391-9502-4, March 1, 2011

Reviewed by: Tiffany Schlarman for Author Exposure

Barb, a 39-year-old recently divorced mother of two, finds herself without custody of her children due to her charmless ex-husband. After living out of her car, Barb stumbles upon a house she loves and makes a down payment using funds her late father left her. The house happens to be the former residence of famous author, Vladimir Nabokov. While cleaning one afternoon, Barb finds a hidden manuscript. Convinced that it was written by Nabokov himself, Barb decides to figure out a way to publish it. Ultimately, this process of publication sets Barb on a journey from self-pity to self-discovery. In the end publication, parenthood, and love are all possibilities if she will take the risk.

Cleaning Nabokov’s House was quite a different type of novel in regards to its story line. I had a hard time getting into this odd story. While I understand the outcome and overall point of the novel, it was hard to follow this while reading. The story seemed to jump around and not really land or connect until the very end. Most notably, the story takes a weird turn when Barb finally decides to fight for her children and starts checking off the list of “to do’s” in order for the court to take her seriously. One of these items is a job, yet her business plan is one that could, and in real life would, ruin her attempt at custody. I thought this novel did not have a realistic feel to it.

I was unable to connect with the main character who obviously was depressed about losing her children, yet did absolutely nothing to fight for them. I also did not find any depth to the supporting characters of this novel. The “ex-person”, as Barb calls him, was quite annoying and unattractive. His attitude as a father seemed more self-serving than interested in his children’s welfare. The minor characters were the most loveable, but were not enough of an influence to make-up for the main character’s pitfalls.

The writing style of the book was easy to read despite the slow pace. It flowed easily and the author was able to guide the reader efficiently. My level of interest in this novel would have been increased if it was not so depressing and gloomy. I felt misguided by the quotes of praise on the cover as I didn’t find the novel funny. It is a novel of deep pain and emotional healing.

Overall, the novel is a good length with an interesting theme that could have been more developed with better pacing and character traits. The setting was unique and fitting. The author has great potential with this debut! I hope to see her next novel a little less scattered and a little more grounded. My thoughts landed me right in middle ground with this novel. I didn’t love it, yet I didn’t hate it. I must include, too, I enjoyed the cover art that has been released since my receipt of this ARC—it is fitting.