Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

Last House by Jessica Shattuck

1 review

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

As the world begins the transition away from oil toward renewable energy, Jessica Shattuck reflects on the greed, hubris, and optimism of the Age of Oil in Last House, a historical fiction novel that follows an American family whose fate becomes inextricably intertwined with the oil industry. Upon his return from World War II, veteran Nick Taylor prioritizes material and domestic stability. He finances a house in the suburbs for his wife, Bet, and their children, Katherine and Harry, with his job as a lawyer for an American oil. As part of his work, he plays a small but not insignificant role in the CIA-backed coup in Iran that places the Western-friendly Shah in power. Nick buys a house in rural Vermont called Last House as a summer retreat alongside several other American power brokers in Iran. Last House alternates between the perspectives of Nick, Bet, and Katherine as their family’s connections with the oil industry prove to be their greatest blessing and their greatest source of sorrow throughout the 1950s and tumultuous 1960s. 
 
Although it positions itself as a meditation on themes of ambition and hubris, at its heart Last House is an engrossing historical family saga. Shattuck paints Nick, Bet, Katherine, and Harry as complex and vibrant characters who struggle to navigate the challenges of their time. She demonstrates a strong sensitivity to the rifts and bonds that develop between the characters throughout the story. The chapters from Katherine’s perspective are particularly compelling. She captures Katherine’s voice so vividly and completely that it’s easy to forget that we are not, in fact, reading the words of an aging Baby Boomer reflecting on her life. Part of what makes Katherine’s chapters so remarkable is that Shattuck recaptures the unique socio-political atmosphere of late-1960s America in a way that feels authentic and textured. These elements combine to make an utterly riveting story that chronicles how the Taylor family’s connection to oil inches them closer and closer to tragedy. 
 
Last House succeeds brilliantly as a family story, but Shattuck stumbles when she attempts to bring broader thematic commentary into the narrative. At times, her characters philosophize about their lives in a pointed and inorganic matter; at others, Shattuck simply asks the novel’s thematic questions outright rather than let her readers come to them on their own. Additionally, the chapters at the end of the book, which take place in 2026, feel shoehorned in to connect the story to present-day political and climate concerns. Not every literary fiction book needs to explicitly meditate on the current state of the world to be considered worthy; sometimes, it’s enough to just tell an emotionally impactful and engaging story, which Last House undoubtedly accomplishes. 
 
TL;DR: Last House is an engrossing family historical drama with complex and vibrant characters, a riveting plot, and an evocative setting. Much like some of its characters, however, it fails to realize some of its more grandiose ambitions. 
 
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with an advanced reader copy of Last House by Jessica Shattuck in exchange for an honest review.
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