How to Leave the House

A Novel

By: Nathan Newman

Length: 9 hrs

Publisher's summary

“A wild and funny ride through modern life.”—The Financial Times

It's Natwest's last day before he leaves for university, and there's only one thing on his mind: the deeply embarrassing package he ordered to his house—which still hasn't arrived. He won't leave town without it. Any alternative is too distressing to consider ...

This is the story of twenty-four hours in the life of Natwest, and his small-town odyssey in pursuit of the missing package. And yet it's also the story of a middle-aged dentist who dreams of being a respected artist—but the only thing he can seem to paint is the human mouth. And it's the story of a tortured imam involved in a quasi-romantic entanglement with the local vicar; and an octogenerian mourning the death of her secretive husband; and a troubled teenager whose nudes have leaked on the internet. It's the story of Natwest's obnoxious ex-boyfriend, and his class-traitor mother and her childhood boyfriend, and the life-changing secrets he knows about Natwest's past.

Alternating between Natwest's idiosyncratic inner world and the perspectives of the other characters—and dazzling in its energy, imagination and originality—this is an outrageously funny and tenderly moving story about being connected to everyone and everything at all times; about love, friendship, and the lies we tell ourselves; about unhappy endings, happy endings—and whether anything really is as simple as one or the other.

©2024 Nathan Newman (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“It’s impossible not to be charmed by this big-hearted story. . . an exciting debut from an author whose assuredness and polish could easily be mistaken for that of an old pro.”—Bustle

“Raucous. . . smart and funny, Newman’s debut is a refreshing take on juvenilia and the enduring potency of art discourse.”—Kirkus

“Newman debuts with a witty and endearing mosaic novel…The situations are enjoyably farcical, but there’s also depth to them, as Newman delves into his characters’ hidden passions and shows how they grapple with their self-defeating choices. This raucous adventure is great fun.”—Publisher's Weekly