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macyh3's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
how does the write these things? she just takes all the tiniest thoughts and noticings from the whole world and compiles it into these sagas of complexity and depth. this book is so simple. it’s just life. no crazy twists and no crimes of passion or explosive love stories. the world looks different through her eyes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Death, Blood, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Dementia
emjay2021's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When I read Tom Lake a few weeks ago, I was so taken by it. So, I thought I’d try another Ann Patchett. The audiobook of The Dutch House became available and my cousin had recommended it on the strength of Tom Hanks’ narration. Well, she was not wrong! I loved it. The story was fascinating and sucked me in immediately; the characters were all so well rounded the felt like real people. Everyone was flawed, some more than others. It’s such a sad story and yet Patchett has a deceptively light touch.
I found it very hard to empathize with Danny and Maeve’s mother for abandoning her children, particularly given how horribly Andrea treated them. And their father was not much better, allowing Andrea to dominate them and eventually cut them off from their inheritance. And yet, at the end of the story, both Elna and Andrea, the two mothers who have failed their children so miserably, are locked in a relationship with each other (Andrea unknowingly, Elna deliberately). What a strange ending. It surprised me, and yet at the same time, I was not that surprised.
I loved Maeve. She was flawed but fierce. Danny, the narrator, is not particularly self-aware until the very end, but that’s not really too surprising. I enjoyed his wry observations and his always admiring, loving descriptions of his sister. This is really a story of siblings, a fairy tale like Hansel and Gretel. If you liked Tom Lake I would totally recommend this. And alhough I loved Tom Lake, I feel like this is an even better book.
I loved Maeve. She was flawed but fierce. Danny, the narrator, is not particularly self-aware until the very end, but that’s not really too surprising. I enjoyed his wry observations and his always admiring, loving descriptions of his sister. This is really a story of siblings, a fairy tale like Hansel and Gretel. If you liked Tom Lake I would totally recommend this. And alhough I loved Tom Lake, I feel like this is an even better book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Dementia, Grief, Medical content, and Death of parent
amandaisok's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Dementia
mawest's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Great audiobook read by Tom Hanks. It’s a story of sibling love and how together they overcome the obstacles placed along their lives’ journey. I did appreciate getting “answers” by the end of the novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
moabgirlie's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I only chose this because Tom Hanks narrates and everyone I know who’s read/heard it loved it. I immediately was interested in the story as he told it, but had to look up what it was even about. I’m unsure if I would have actually read it, certainly not in 3 days and not likely at the top of my TBR but I’m so glad I got the audio! It is such a touching story but not sure I would have made the same decision as Maeve at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Grief
b_easelbub's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored this book. 11/10
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
prettiestwhistles's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, and Dementia
Minor: Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
readingwithgoose's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
This could have so easily been boring, but with her writing, somehow I was invested and enthralled the whole way through.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
Moderate: Medical content and Death
Minor: Pregnancy
bearlynormalursa's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Mental illness, Grief, and Emotional abuse
skylarkblue1's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I'll be honest, this was a 1 star until May got a voice and she alone bumped it up to 2 stars lmao. This was a slog of a read with no point and just petty family drama with a shitty step-mother.
The characters are just a nightmare filled with hate, even at the end there's not *that* much character progression between them it's more just "I don't even care anymore" and I felt the same. I disliked essentially all the characters except May and the 2 sisters who took care of the kids at the start. May absolutely didn't read like she was a child for most of it and I honestly had no idea what age she was at any given point (though that goes for most of the characters honestly, more on that later). Characters were just stuck in a rut and didn't really change.
The way time was presented was very confusing. It starts with the 2 siblings as children, and ends with them old. But the timeline is not linear, it'll just randomly skip around without warning for not really any reason. One moment the main character is a teenager, the next sentence is "I got married with 2 kids" and then back to him being a teen again. It feels like it hops around it's timeline more than zelda hops around it's timelines. I barely knew what year it was or how old the characters were unless it was explicitly said - which it wasn't always.
Despite there really not being much that happens, it's incredibly predicable. It's very "oh man this shouldn't happen or this will happen!" and hammers that home until it happens because who'd have seen that coming! Overall it honestly just feels pretty flat. If you dislike even 1 character, you're not going to have a fun time as every character shows heavily throughout (and some of the worst ones even attempt to have a redemption arc).
The characters are just a nightmare filled with hate, even at the end there's not *that* much character progression between them it's more just "I don't even care anymore" and I felt the same. I disliked essentially all the characters except May and the 2 sisters who took care of the kids at the start. May absolutely didn't read like she was a child for most of it and I honestly had no idea what age she was at any given point (though that goes for most of the characters honestly, more on that later). Characters were just stuck in a rut and didn't really change.
The way time was presented was very confusing. It starts with the 2 siblings as children, and ends with them old. But the timeline is not linear, it'll just randomly skip around without warning for not really any reason. One moment the main character is a teenager, the next sentence is "I got married with 2 kids" and then back to him being a teen again. It feels like it hops around it's timeline more than zelda hops around it's timelines. I barely knew what year it was or how old the characters were unless it was explicitly said - which it wasn't always.
Despite there really not being much that happens, it's incredibly predicable. It's very "oh man this shouldn't happen or this will happen!" and hammers that home until it happens because who'd have seen that coming! Overall it honestly just feels pretty flat. If you dislike even 1 character, you're not going to have a fun time as every character shows heavily throughout (and some of the worst ones even attempt to have a redemption arc).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Medical content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Dementia and Chronic illness