Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Dutch House

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

81 reviews

sarah_amy's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

Tom Hank's narration scores most of the points in this novel. I love his art of storytelling. However, I found the story itself uninteresting. The characters had plenty of substance; I liked the relationship between the brother and sister in particular, but the plot itself was quite unmoving. 2 siblings unable to move forward from the past until they eventually do.

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natalie027's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I love that this story isn't told in a linear way. It jumped around in a way that kept me captivated, but it was always crystal clear where we were in the timeline - I was never confused about what was happening, which I was impressed by. The characters all felt unique and real enough that I was invested in (and frustrated by) their choices.

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desana75's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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kmcfall's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book is about self-discovery and family. And also family trauma, transference, and . . . living into your true self, even in your fifth decade.

The writing is beautiful. First person narration works for this book. I love the way Patchett explored a sibling relationship that was forged by shared childhood trauma.

I loved how the Dutch House essentially became a character.

Negative critiques: Danny and Maeve's mom, Elna, did not seem like a real character to me. She was not relatable to me at all, though we finally learned why she could not live in the house. Maeve and Celeste deserved more character development, too.

I did like Elna's redemption. That was beautiful.

That said, Ann Patchett is so deft at creating tales that speak to the core of our existence, and I really loved this book!

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