Cleaning Nabokov's House

by Leslie Daniels

Now in paperback, the stunning debut about a woman rediscovering herself after a divorce explores the heartbreaking and deeply funny aspects of the mess called love. With glowing reviews from the Los Angeles Times , The Boston Globe , The Wall Street Journal , the New York Post , NPR’s All Things Considered , and more.

When Barb Barrett walks out on her loveless marriage, she doesn’t realize she will lose her home, her financial security, even her beloved children. Approaching forty with her life in shambles and no family or friends to turn to, Barb must now discover what it means to rely on herself in a stark new emotional landscape.

With only a questionable business plan in hand, Barb is determined to reinvent herself. She moves into a house once occupied by the literary genius Vladimir Nabokov, author of the notorious Lolita . She discovers what could be Nabokov’s last unpublished manuscript and from there begins a personal journey that is deliciously romantic, darkly comic, and wise.

Written in elegant prose and illuminated by sharp humor and wit, Cleaning Nabokov’s House offers a new vision of modern love and a reminder that it is never too late to find loyalty to our truest selves.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Book Club, Adult Fiction, Womens Fiction, Romance

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Melanie Cohen · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were things I liked about this book, which is about a woman who lost her kids in a divorce and eventually buys up a house once lived in by Vladimir Nabokov. I loved reading the snippets of Nabokov woven throughout the book. Nabokov was the reason I picked it up in the first place. I even thought the writing itself was mostly good, syntactically. However, the problems I had with the book outweighed what I liked about it.
The main character, Barb, was SO annoying within the first hundred pages. There is a way for a character to be self-deprecating without sucking the life out of the reader, but Ms. Daniels didn't do that too well. Luckily, the more the book went on, the less annoying Barb was, so that at the end she seemed almost likable. In general, the author seemed to be trying really hard to make Barb sound witty and deep, and while she almost got there at times, at other times, it sounded like she was trying too hard.
My absolute biggest problem with this book, though, was the "cathouse," as the author calls it. (By the way, what is up with her language? Underpants? Snigger? Daniels wrote for an American audience, and she isn't British, either.) Spoiler alert: That Barb barely mentions legal ramifications of owning and operating a brothel really irked me. Hello, whoring "in the name of research" is still illegal. The only ramifications Barb even talks about are the scandals that might come out if the whorehouse is made totally known. And then at the end, she closes it up, all neat and tidy and with no harm done to anyone. She even used proceeds from her illegal business to win back her kids. No one in the book saw a problem with that. Cheers to her, but that seemed totally unrealistic.
Also, she REPEATEDLY misspells Dooney & Bourke. Shouldn't an editor have caught that?

I wouldn't tell someone not to read this, but I wouldn't recommend it, either. Nabokov fans seeking solace in this book likely will not find it.

[Jacob Appel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleaning Nabokov's House is hands down one of the funniest works of contemporary literary fiction. I find myself rereading the novel over and over again -- anytime I'm experiencing frustrations of my own, I turn to Leslie Daniels and her lovably haywire heroine, Barb, and I find myself suddenly joyful and reaffirmed. Few books can do that. Although the plot is highly original and the Nabokov thread particularly delightful to a fan of his writing, what sets this book apart is the genuine, wry, affectionate and downright hilarious voice of the protagonist. Set in a fictionalized Ithaca, NY, Daniels offers a send-up of small town life that is gentle and clever, rather than biting or satiric. Her characters are intensely likable (okay, except Barb's ex-husband), and Barb's literary agent is among the most entertaining portraits of such exotic creatures to be found. I have recommended this book to many friends over the past several years and -- like the customers at Barb's cathouse -- all report complete satisfaction.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this audio book without remembering why I had requested it. Just going by the title, without any book jacket to set me straight, I thought I’d be hearing a fairly dense literary tale, reflective of Nabokov. Instead I got a nice wry and sardonic romantic comedy, that yes, does have something to do with Nabokov, but not in any way one might have expected. Most of the story is wildly unrealistic, but are we really looking for realism in what turns out to be a cute romance?

Newly divorce, and without custody of her children Barb Barrett fills her days answering complaint letters for the local dairy until she happens upon what might be a lost manuscript of Vladimir Nabokov. Looking to improve her lot in life and trying to win back custody of her kids, Barb starts on some unusual entrepreneurial endeavors. Along the way, who does she meet but a handsome and hunky carpenter (could he really have been anything else?). Author Leslie Daniels brings a bit of a twisted eye to all that Barb sees, adding a gentle wit to the language of the story. Reader Bernadette Dunne brings just the right dry tone to the story.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good and kept my interest. But I was annoyed with some things.


1. The author was not clear enough about things at the end. She wasn’t specific. At the custody hearing for the children, the judge asked Barb what she wanted. Barb said full custody or joint custody if it’s irrevocable. The next scene had the couple signing a document. I don’t know which custody she got. I know she got some kind of custody. Also, why did she not ask for at least a little child support? This was stupid. The exhusband was well off and Barb was struggling with writing novels to support herself. I felt an incompleteness and emptiness on that subject.

2. The author was not clear enough about what the universities wanted to buy from Barb. I thought it was something to do with the Nabokov book. She was on a panel presentation about Nabokov. Didn’t say much. Then all of a sudden several universities called her wanting to buy something. I was confused. Then later in the book I realized they wanted her research about what women wanted when they paid for sex at her cathouse. Barb eventually got paid by Princeton. But then she donated most of the amount to charity. What? She needed that money to support herself and her children. Why donate it? That was stupid. I felt this was contrived by the author to gain sympathy for the character.


Through most of the book Barb does stupid or incompetent things. Her mother called her lazy. I happen to know someone like that, so they do exist. But it’s hard to feel sympathy. I was mostly shaking my head at her stupid choices. She was too one-dimensional. She needed something interesting to counter the stupidity.

But the book kept my interest. This is mostly women’s fiction, but there is a positive ending for Barb plus a romantic interest.

Examples of stupidity:
When Barb got divorced, she did not take most of her clothes. She only took a few frumpy things and one pair of nice pants. Then throughout the book she frequently had problems and worried because she had nothing appropriate to wear.

Barb wanted some advice from Rudy and met him at a bar. At the end she paid with a $20 bill. She wished she had two tens because $10 would have been enough, but she over paid because she didn’t have exact bills. Why couldn’t she ask for change before she paid her bill?

More stupidity is in Spoiler above.

FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE:
I don’t like 1st person narrative books. I would have enjoyed this more if it were told in 3rd person.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Barb. Story length: 322 pages. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual language: none to mild. Number of sex scenes: 2. Setting: current day mostly Onkwedo, upstate New York. Copyright: 2011. Genre: womens fiction.

[Kristie J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

O - m - g. I hate to give a book one star, but there were just too many times when I was listening to the audiobook and muttered to myself "Omg" or "You have got to be kidding me" and rolling my eyes. First of all, I get frustrated with books whose titles have very little to do with the story. In this book, Barb's finding of Nabokov's lost manuscript was a minor part of the story and she wasn't exactly cleaning when she found it. I like the basic premise of the book: a middle-aged woman hitting rock bottom after her husband leaves her for another woman and she loses custody of her kids. But, the way she pulls herself together is just ridiculous. She opens her own business, called the Cat House, which is basically a brothel where she hires college-age men to be hookers to the local women in her small town because she feels like the local women need to have more sex. But, she herself refuses to sample her own merchandise at the Cat House because she wants to "remain professional" and she prefers to have an emotional connection. Seriously? She uses the money she makes from the Cat House to get herself back in good financial standing so she can get her kids back. Then, she basically blackmails the female judge at the custody hearing to rule in her favor because the judge used to visit the Cat House. I forced myself to finish the book so I could see how it ended, but I couldn't wait for it to end.

[Mmars · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are so many books out there that are not really good literature and also not bad popular fiction. For some reason this book sparked my interest. A review? Something I read here on Goodreads or in a magazine review? The title, quite possibly. Sadly, another contemporary fiction book that let me down.

I actually enjoyed the main character and narrator, Barb, in a way. She puts herself down a lot, as one who has just left a marriage might,and she's offbeat but she somehow muddles her way through. Certain humor, especially refereces to "the Pants" became tiresome after a while, as did the short punchy sentences and lack of depth of thought, a common fault of contemporary American fiction.

But, here we go - really now, the premise of how she became financially stable and that perfect man, who loved her? Help me, help me please. Do readers really buy into this? If so, why?

If not for the anecdotes of the children, especially Darcy (I really loved that kid) I'm not sure I would have finished the book. The Cathouse (prostitution under the guise of research) was merely a ploy for readership - come on, this has just got to be the author's fantasy! Help me, help me, help me. I'm dropping this from 3 to 2 stars.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barb Barrett is approaching age 40 when her life gets turned upside down. Her husband is divorcing her and he is taking their two children. She moves into a home once owned by Vladimir Nabokov and finds a manuscript that she believes is a lost work of his. She tries to get it published or at least find out who wrote it as the "experts" don't think it's Nabokov's work. She is also trying to get the kids back. She has to find a way to make a living. How she goes about this is very clever. It involves the men on the university rowing crew team.
She shows that you can come back and even make life better. A strong testament tot the power of working hard, being creative and succeeding despite all odds and at any age.
This is a very creative and funny book. I highly recommend it, it is a great read.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hate to review another book that's not out yet, but cleaning Nabokov's house soooo good, funny and incredibly twisty, spot-on characterizations. It starts out slow, you think it's going to be a depressing small book about this poor kind of nebbishy, odd vague woman whose husband basically steamrolled her in the divorce--and turns out to be laugh-out-loud funny, gentle and humane. Watch for it!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Fun book about a (very) late 30s woman who has to rebuild her life after her divorce and, more importantly, losing custody of her two children. It hovers over some middle ground between chick lit and women’s fiction. Barb, the narrator, is easy to root for because though she’s down you know she’s not out. This book does require quite a bit suspension of disbelief. The narrator opens a whorehouse (revealed in the first paragraph) but the clients are women. Um, I don't think so. The reason there aren’t wildly successful bordellos catering to women is because, as everyone knows, women can get sex for free any time they want it! Young, middle aged, old…all we have to do is ask. There have been many failed women-as-clients cathouses in “real life” and there is a reason for this. The bunny ranch people tried it and failed miserably despite the success of their original venture. Why do some men pay for sex? Because there are many more men wanting action than there are women willing to give it up for free with no strings attached! This is simple supply-demand. Not to mention women, particularly the stay at home mom types in this book, are going to have a hard time explaining why thousands of dollars are suddenly going missing from their bank accounts. On top of this, the town is painted as sexually repressed which is why the service is so needed. Well I hardly think sexually repressed women are going to see an ad in the paper and instantly start storming the gates.

I also think some of the situations in this book were treaded on too lightly. For example, I wish the author explored the shame Barb must’ve felt as a mother losing custody of her children. Let’s be honest, if you hear of the wife not having primary custody your first thought is most likely “whoa, she must be on crack or abusive or something truly horrific” because the mother supposedly never loses custody. But it happens. I kept thinking, why aren’t people more suspicious of her? Where is her sense of shame? (Side note: “Best Kept Secret” by Amy Hatvany does an excellent job on this topic). The author doesn’t at all address the societal bias in this regard. It’s a-okay for the husband to see the kids one weekend a month but if it’s the mother she must be a monster to scare all monsters. This is not even really acknowledged.

I adored the married couple of Bill the mailman and Margie the literary agent. They both come to life on the page. Barb’s kids are somewhat shadowy at times and I have to say Darcy does not act like a 5 year old. My 6 year old is ridiculously precocious, to an oftentimes frustrating degree, and she doesn’t even come close to matching Darcy’s own precociousness. I wasn’t fully buying it. Anyway, all that aside, this was a fun, quick read. I enjoyed the writing style: succinct, witty, and not overly flowery. It’s the author’s clever writing style that elevates this above ordinary “chick lit.”

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what I feel about this book. It was rather all over the place.

Barb, a recent divorcee, loses custody of her children to her ex-husband (or experson as she likes to call him.) Barb is told by the court that they will consider a change in the custody arrangement once she gets her life together, essentially - gets a job, pays the mortgage on her house, states a savings account for her children . . .

It's a good premise.

But it's weird. This story is so all over the place.

Barb lives in the house owned by the late author, Nabokov, author of the book Lolita. While cleaning one day, Barb finds a story that she believes is written by Nabokov.

Somehow Barb sells the story, runs a prostitution ring (or runs as a cathouse as she calls it,) sells her study of such sexcapades to a university, and coerces the judge (a client at the cathouse) into giving her full custody of her children.

This is not what I was expecting.

Based on the description of the book, I was expecting to hear about more treasures found in Nabokov's house. I mean, the book is called Cleaning Nabokov's House. The book is not called Running A Cathouse or something like that.

What an unexpected, strange read.

[Janet Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara Barrett is recently divorced, underemployed, displaced from her beloved New York City, and worried about her upcoming fortieth birthday. Mostly, though, she’s desperately missing her two children. Her control-freak ex has taken custody, having demonstrated in court that Barbara is unstable (possibly true) and an unfit mother (decidedly untrue). She finds what may or may not be an unfinished novel manuscript by Vladimir Nabokov (for a brief time in the 1950s, he rented the house she lives in), which leads, through a series of events too strange to chronicle, to her opening a brothel in her repressed little Upstate town, hiring handsome young studs from the local university to serve the desires of the lonely local housewives. The engagingly weird narrator and breezy, funny writing made me ignore the gaping holes in the plot and even the rather conventional love story that was laid over the later part of the book (and didn’t quite fit IMHO). I thoroughly enjoyed this one from beginning to end.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading books about people who have messed up so deeply and painted themselves into such awful corners that it's nearly impossible to see how they'll ever triumph again. And then I love watching them triumph. CLEANING NABAKOV'S HOUSE has all that and more going for it; it's literary and witty and poignant, but also hysterically funny. A friend gave me the book because it takes place in upstate New York (where I went to college), and because it deals with books and the publishing industry. Some of my favorite parts were the descriptions of the meals the main character makes for herself. I also enjoyed reading about the local color of the town (which grew on me the way it grew on the narrator), and the weirdness of having a job in which you answer customer letters for a dairy company. I sank right in to this book and enjoyed every second. (There's also a reverse cathouse, i.e. where the men are the prostitutes, which never hurts.) Great writing, great characters.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cleaning Nabokov's House is Barb Barrett's story of falling apart during her restrictive marriage and nasty divorce and pulling herself together again so she can get her children back. I found the book to be both full of tired clichés and bizarrely unrealistic and fantastical. Barb's "ex- person", as she calls him, is a caricature of a bad ex, her kids are cute and quirky in a very one-dimensional way, and she is just plain crazy. I found all the stuff about Nabokov's supposed unpublished manuscript (about a baseball romance) highly unbelievable and the story line about the cat house was just ridiculous. Some readers will undoubtedly find all this hysterically funny, but I just thought the whole book silly.

I listened to the audio version read by Bernadette Dunne. She does a fine job, I just don't think a good narrator can save a bad plot.

[Hollis · Rating 2 out of 5]

At no moment did I know what was happening next.

[Kathe Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book a four for the pure reason that it was entertaining; it made me laugh out loud and I wanted to get back to the story and read to the finish. Is she a great writer? No
Did she have a lot of beautiful and handsome characters? Yes Was that needed? No
It was an original plot which I enjoyed.

[Nicolas Shump · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that I was drawn to this book because of the title. The book jacket tells me that the author, Leslie Daniels is an accomplished writer and editor with an MFA degree. So I knew that I could expect polished writing and a good narrative structure, unless she tended more towards the metafictional side of things. Thankfully she doesn’t.
Instead, Daniels crafts a compelling and ultimately optimistic novel about literature, fame, motherhood, and the costs of divorce. Barb Barnett is the protagonist who leaves her husband, only to find that trying to get a fair shake in divorce proceedings in her ex’s hometown is nearly impossible. So, she not only loses her marriage, but she loses her children too. She rebounds and finds work that affords her a fair amount of freedom during the day. She learns that the house she is staying in had once been occupied by the famous Russian emigre novelist, Vladimir Nabokov. When she finally begins to decorate her house, mostly for her children’s sake, she finds a set of notecards that may or may not be the foundation for a manuscript from Nabokov.
The potential novel is about love and baseball, one of which is not unfamiliar territory for Nabokov. With her newfound fame, Barnett finds herself deciding whether or not to sell the manuscript or try to publish it. She also is invited to a Nabokov convention where she finds herself surrounded by skeptical and condescending professional scholars. She holds her own and Daniels allows her to deliver one of the best short descriptions of what Nabokov’s writing, and I would argue by extension, what great literature does to you.

“’I know about his sentences. His sentences are impossible to imitate, but I know what they do.’” I told them what I had discovered about Nabokov’s sentences: Because the word string and the thoughts behind the words are so original, the reader’s brain can’t jump ahead. There is no opportunity to make assumptions, no mental leapfrogging to the end of the sentence. So the reader is suspended in the perfect moment of now. You can only experience now. The sentences celebrate the absolute instant of creation. ‘It takes your breath away, ‘ I said.”

Barb Barnett continues to rebuild her life and I do love the plot twist that Daniels employs as Barnett fights for her children. Some of the strongest passages and chapters are those that deal with the pain of divorce and the hurt created by not being able to spend time with your children. For anyone who has been through a separation or divorce, Daniels’ prose rings true. This is a well-written, clever, and doggedly optimistic book that earns its optimism through mostly plausible circumstances and situations.

[Aindrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, because it was about a person who went through an unfair part of her life(as we all have) and pulled herself out of it. She didn't give in or up and even though it took her a while she succeded without compromising who she was as a person.

[RNOCEAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

*CLEANING NABOKOV'S HOUSE* by Leslie Daniels
“I knew I could stay in this town when I found the blue enamel pot floating in the lake. The pot led me to the house, the house led me to the book, the book to the lawyer, the lawyer to the whorehouse, the whorehouse to science, and from science I joined the world.” So begins Leslie Daniels’s funny and moving novel about a woman’s desperate attempt to rebuild her life. When Barb Barrett walks out on her loveless marriage she doesn’t realize she will lose everything: her home, her financial security, even her beloved children. Approaching forty with her life in shambles and no family or friends to turn to, Barb must now discover what it means to rely on herself in a stark new emotional landscape. Guided only by her intense inner voice and a unique entrepreneurial vision, Barb begins to collect the scattered pieces of her life. She moves into a house once occupied by Vladimir Nabokov, author of the controversial masterpiece Lolita, and discovers a manuscript that may be his lost work. As her journey gathers momentum, Barb deepens a connection with her new world, discovering resources in her community and in herself that no one had anticipated. Written in elegant prose with touches of sharp humor and wit, Cleaning Nabokov’s House offers a new vision of modern love and a fervent reminder that it is never too late to find faith in our truest selves."


****Rate this 4/5. A light read that was at times poignant and touching and also incredibly funny when

[Carla Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barb Barrett is a hero to women who think they are trapped in a marriage or a life that doesn't fulfill them. Okay, possible she could think things through a little better than she has lately, but then again, her instinct seems to be her best guide. Stuck in a marriage to a man who seems to want to control her every move, along with squashing her personality and individuality, Barb decides that she has had enough and leaves, taking her two children, Sam and Darcy, with her. Unfortunately, she hasn't given thought to the fact that her husband knows everyone in their small town, including the judge who presides over their divorce, and she loses custody of her children. Rather than collapse and feel sorry for herself, though, Barb buys a great house that brings her closer to her children, opens her own business (again, maybe could have been thought through a little better), and proceeds to turn her life into what she wants it to be. Moving into a house once rented by Vladimir Nabokov, and finding a manuscript for a book that may or may not have been written by him is the first step in Barb's journey to finding herself, and proclaiming herself to be in charge of her own life.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the opening graph -- “I knew I could stay in this town when I found the blue enamel pot floating in the lake. The pot led me to the house, the house led me to the book, the book to the lawyer, the lawyer to the whorehouse, the whorehouse to science, and from science I joined the world.” -- I knew I liked Leslie Daniels and her main character, Barb Barrett.

The book isn't chick lit, exactly, and certainly not that that brings to mind Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. But it is about a woman finding herself. Whatever stage of life you're in, surely you can identify with that.

(And don't think I didn't contemplate the feasibility of opening a brothel for women. If you're interested in investing, holler. I have ideas.)

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you goodreads for chosing me to read your book. I wasn't sure what this book was really going to be about by the cover. I thought the book started out to be one of those run of the mill stories, about a women who lost her children to a bad divorce and how she struggled to make ends meet, etc... Well, Cleaning Nabokov's House has many twists and turns, which you sure would not expect when you first begin to read this book. I thought the book was entertaining and showed how thinking out of the box, can really get you back on your feet.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How many women do we know who just stay in a marriage such as Barb's was to the experson? Yet, Barb has the courage to walk away. True, she may not have thought to closely on the consequences of her actions and flounders for a time. I thought through her voice you could hear when she became responsible for her future and the outcome she desired. The steps she takes to that end are a little unconventional, but every one is different in how they deal with things. I was unsure of story at first, but came to enjoy it as Barb's voice and life perspective changed."

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently, rating books.. I have been a bit generous. This book is probably a 2 1/2.
Barb's life is a mess, divorce, reaching 40, husband got kids, underemployed, lonely, missing her NYC and dead father.... she is really a woman in transition.
In the midst of all, Barb buys a home, once rented by author of Lolita (Nabokov). Barb finds notes for a book and the story takes off.
Some far fetched incidents, underdeveloped characters, but still really quite funny in spots.
Was a fast read, so you're not overly invested if you take a chance and read.

[Krysia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first few chapters about her marital problems with the experson were quite funny. The novel ended up being much different from what the description on the book's cover led me to believe it would be, particularly concerning Nabokov.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barb Barrett is recently divorced, a total mess, and at first hard to like. As the book progresses she takes an unusual path to get her life back together. The journey is comedic, Barb is gutsy, and the trip is wild. I won this book in a Firstreads give away.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a fun time reading this incredibly improbable story. I liked that it was supposed to take place in Ithaca NY and that the fictitious university was supposed to be Cornell. Two of my children, a daughter-in-law and my husband are alums. Reality must be suspended; it was a fun read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Might have been good timing after some heavier reading but I thought charming and made me smile many times. Example:

"He gave a plosive little gaelic pluff which could have meant 'piss off' or 'I might sleep with you if you wore better shoes'.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

What started out as a charming and promising book, quickly took a wrong turn as the main character desides to open a male cathouse to service the bored women of the town. Don't bother.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

So funny! Chuckles, chortles, chuckles, snorts, this book is so funny. Thank you, Leslie Daniels! More, more!

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book took some unexpected turns for me. i didn't exactly love her portrayal of upstate NY moms . . . me being one myself. It was an ok read. A romance in disguise.