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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
It’s been a long time since I read a family saga like this but the Oppenheimers are FASCINATING. And somehow I was reading this book at the exact right time of the year as Sept 10 figures heavily in the narrative. A couple of twists I was NOT expecting which were absolutely beautifully constructed. I read this authors The Plot last year and was stunned by it so I’m an official fan now.
challenging
emotional
slow-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
The first 3/4 of this book is a slog. It reminds me of most of the ‘best sellers’ that are long and descriptive and don’t really have much happening. The last 1/4 is a totally different book. The beginning could have been edited by half and would have been better. It ties up pretty well, although I do not understand why the Latecomer would go to Roarke and that is never explained. I don’t think Roarke actually exists and don’t believe it is on the list of Colleges that Change Lives. I feel it does a real disservice to that book and those schools, as Roarke is presented as cult like and a very conservative, MAGA like place to be. It is also a place where very rich and connected people interact. Most of the schools on that list are liberal, with a few exceptions. The schools that I am familiar with from the list are focused on social justice, the polar opposite of how Roarke is portrayed.
This is one of those books I'm glad a book club suggested we read. I'm not sure I would have stuck with the tale of the Oppenheimer family beginning with a devastating accident in patriarch Salo's youth that leaves unresolved trauma that affects his relationship with Johanna, his future wife, and the decision to undergo painful, costly fertility treatments that result in not only the triplets, but the fourth child (and title character) --Phoebe who serves as narrator. The characters are often oblivious, spoiled, needy, but somehow still sympathetic and I was along for their respective journeys.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Almost all of the characters were brutally unlikeable. The only saving grace was Phoebe and part three: “The Latecomer.”
As another review said, “reading this book was a chore.” Just happy I can move on with my life now.
As another review said, “reading this book was a chore.” Just happy I can move on with my life now.
Differentiated characters. Unique plot.
Interesting to me that the author, a Dartmouth grad, threw shade at Dartmouth.
Interesting to me that the author, a Dartmouth grad, threw shade at Dartmouth.
Holy shit. I can't remember the last time I read something that penetrated my soul so thoroughly. First of all, it took me a while to figure out who the narrator is, because for the first half (or so) of the book, it refers to "our mother" or "our brother," but it never refers to "I" or "me." Sally, Harrison, and Lewyn are the children of Salo and Johanna Oppenheimer, triplets who were conceived "in a petri dish," as it is described, and most of the story is about them. There is a good amount of backstory about Salo and Johanna, and the boring and tragic pieces that influenced and defined their early lives. The big middle chunk is about the triplets, who never bonded, with each other or with their parents, and so all five members of this family end up living very separate lives. The narrator is, in fact, their sibling, the titular latecomer, who was also conceived in the dish, but left on ice for over a decade until Johanna decided she needed another child. The siblings all describe Phoebe as their same age, but born later, which seems weird, but is actually very apt. The thing that really got me about this story is the humanity that is expressed in every one of these characters. The distant father, scarred by his seminal tragedy, the desperate mother, frantically and blindly keeping her family "together," the siblings, each working out their own path, both driven and bewildered by their estrangement from the other members of their family. And Phoebe, the latecomer, who eventually grows into her narrative voice, the catalyst for everything that needs to be spoken to, addressed, hashed out, laid to rest, so that the family (the unit, and also the individual members) can attain some peace. Which is not to say that peace or resolution is in any way inevitable -- the family members each achieve their own comfort and direction, while interacting with each other only as little as they can. But, Phoebe's curiosity, and her siblings' sense that she deserves to know about their shared history (and also the small matter of outside influences that begin squeezing between the cracks), allow all to be known and understood. The language of this book, the tone and the words, is so matter-of-fact, and yet so expressive, I actually lay in bed at night, after turning off my light, thinking and wondering about the characters as if they were people I really knew. And I feel sad to say goodbye to them, just as they seem to be getting their lives together.
Triplets Sally, Harrison and Lewyn may be bonded by birth, but that’s where their similarities end. This literary novel starts with their mother Johanna and then the story is told from the perspective of the three siblings. But when the family starts to fall apart, Johanna makes the decision to add one more sibling to the mix. The latecomer Phoebe picks up the story amid heartbreak, politics and deceit.
There’s some twists throughout but the true centerpiece of the story is the family dynamics through the decades. This is the second book by author Jean Hanff Korelitz, known for her debut The Plot.
Thanks to Macmillan and Edelweiss for the review copy. This is my honest review.
There’s some twists throughout but the true centerpiece of the story is the family dynamics through the decades. This is the second book by author Jean Hanff Korelitz, known for her debut The Plot.
Thanks to Macmillan and Edelweiss for the review copy. This is my honest review.
4.5/ Well written slow-burn literary fiction that dips a toe into mystery. The narrative point of view is a great authorial choice and helps push the story along in slower moments in the beginning. The first few chapters are a *lot* of (well written) expository family history, but the story takes off once the triplets are born.
Overall the work excels most in its development of each character (even the minor players get their due). It's a dark, reflective family saga-- so if that's not your jam steer away, but those who enjoy will be rewarded.
Overall the work excels most in its development of each character (even the minor players get their due). It's a dark, reflective family saga-- so if that's not your jam steer away, but those who enjoy will be rewarded.