The Perfect Nanny - Leïla Slimani & Sam Taylor

The Perfect Nanny

By Leïla Slimani & Sam Taylor

  • Release Date: 2018-01-09
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 3.5
3.5
From 884 Ratings

Description

*Soon to be an HBO series starring Nicole Kidman and Maya Erskine*

She has the keys to their apartment. She knows everything. She has embedded herself so deeply in their lives that it now seems impossible to remove her.

One of the 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR of The New York Times Book Review, by the author of Adèle, Sex and Lies, In the Country of Others, and Watch Us Dance

“A great novel . . . Incredibly engaging and disturbing . . . Slimani has us in her thrall.” —Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist and Hunger

“One of the most important books of the year. You can’t unread it.” —Barrie Hardymon, NPR’s Weekend Edition


When Myriam decides to return to work as a lawyer after having children, she and her husband look for the perfect nanny for their son and daughter. They never dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite, devoted woman who sings to the children, cleans the family’s chic Paris apartment, stays late without complaint, and hosts enviable kiddie parties. But as the couple and the nanny become more dependent on one another, jealousy, resentment, and suspicions mount, shattering the idyllic tableau. Building tension with every page, The Perfect Nanny is a compulsive, riveting, bravely observed exploration of power, class, race, domesticity, motherhood, and madness—and the American debut of an immensely talented writer.

Reviews

  • Great, but not for everyone

    4
    By Clfx83
    The book is slow-paced, and sometimes a difficult read. You have to be able to embody the character and notice the minute details which give away some of the chilling thoughts. People complain about the end but I actually think it pieced it together nicely, it’s just not your average ending and not for those used to reading novels where everything has a proper explanation. This book imitates reality, in which we do not always have all the pieces to understand why things happen.
  • The perfect nanny

    5
    By Eva Palomares
    Excellent! Novela adictiva. Contada en tercera persona. Me hubiera gustado saber más, qué pasa después con los padres? Sin embargo, siempre hay un final.
  • The Nanny

    5
    By lover of jungles
    A deep psychological look into the soul of a woman who was traumatized as a child, wife, and mother is “TheNanny.” The first page will have you wondering who and why such a ghastly crime was committed. By the end of the book you will know who and why, such a tragedy. A very insightful read.
  • Nonsensical

    1
    By bailey1469
    Too many holes left open. No actual ending.
  • Disappointed

    2
    By lexiesowers
    This book was very scattered. It was hard to make out timing of events, visualize the characters, and hard to follow who was speaking and at what point in time they were in. I felt it had a lot of added things that in the end had no point to the story at all and just left me with more questions. The ending was very disappointing and unsettling but not in a cliff hanger way but just a missed opportunity for a better ending. -ps I can’t spell or right well so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
  • The Perfect Nanny

    4
    By shay1014
    Great read but ending sucked, it’s like all that for nothing in the end
  • Terrible

    1
    By kandyfox72
    Terrible don’t waste your money!!
  • The Perfect Nanny

    4
    By Brook Gee
    Having been a NY professional who hired a nanny to care for our newborn through the age of 2, I appreciated everything about this novel. The author presents the social issues judiciously, which may explain the low star reviews. The Perfect Nanny isn’t the salacious read most expect from this genre imo. It isn’t a good fit for someone looking for a graphic true crime, villain gets what she deserves type of story. I found it a compelling read and had no issues with the ending. The social issues that led to the tragedy were perfectly executed. That’s the story.
  • Horrible ending

    1
    By Mdlfidl
    Terrible waste of time. No plot twist, everything on page one tells you everything about the book. Worst book I’ve read.
  • I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending

    4
    By imapineapplexo
    I really liked this book, just wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. I wish there was more of an explanation... being vague to avoid spoilers