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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
So, so good. I loved all the characters (well except Harrison) and how the story unfolded. It really made me think about free will.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very slow and nothing happy happening. Then read reviews and people hate the middle with unlikely siblings. So it’s a no.
One of my favorite books of the year, but if you’re seeking a page turner or The Plot 2, look elsewhere. Tons going in this iterative, reflective novel about family, generations, class and privilege and identity, art, sex and sexuality, and belonging, while deeply exploring character from different perspectives. I read The Latecomer slowly, savoring the beauty and intensity of both the writing and the narrative, aching to get back to it each time I took a break. Friends have said they find most of the characters unsympathetic — and I think to myself, you read novels to meet “nice” people? role models? The Latecomer is full of complicated, warts-and-all characters, the sort who populate my most satisfying reading experiences. Mon semblable, - mon frère! (To be frank, I least liked the latecomer herself.) If you have enjoyed Jonathan Franzen, or John Irving, or Hanya Yanagihara, this novel might be for you.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really can’t give this book a better rating because it took so long to get to the point. I understand a good history of the family helped lay the groundwork for the last few chapters, but for me, it was too much. I honestly skipped 6-7 chapters in part 2 and I was never wondering if I missed something.
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I can’t give this five stars because then what what I do about In Memoriam, et al, but boy! did I love this book! What a storyteller Jean Hanff Korelitz
Is, and how deeply and with what familiarity she delves into the many diverse topics and societal framings of this smart, tragicomic novel. The least attention, ironically, is paid to the framing topic of the book: assisted pregnancy. For that, you can go to Dani Shapiro, and others, but on art; progressive education; conservative politics; family dynamics; summers of privilege on Martha’s Vineyard (what could possibly go wrong); the rise of gourmet Brooklyn; Long Island middle-class upbringing; college admissions; old , quiet German-Jewish banking; real estate, terrible trauma and the long arc of healing; my gosh! she absolutely nails it all. I loved every single moment I spent listening to this sprightly narration by Julia Whalen and even applauded the author’s use of a seventeen-year-old Phoebe —or was she thirty -five—as the deus ex machina who brings it all together. If Anthony Trollope or George Eliot were alive today, I think they would heartily approve of the comparison between their writing and Korelitzes. She is definitely a fellow traveler!
Is, and how deeply and with what familiarity she delves into the many diverse topics and societal framings of this smart, tragicomic novel. The least attention, ironically, is paid to the framing topic of the book: assisted pregnancy. For that, you can go to Dani Shapiro, and others, but on art; progressive education; conservative politics; family dynamics; summers of privilege on Martha’s Vineyard (what could possibly go wrong); the rise of gourmet Brooklyn; Long Island middle-class upbringing; college admissions; old , quiet German-Jewish banking; real estate, terrible trauma and the long arc of healing; my gosh! she absolutely nails it all. I loved every single moment I spent listening to this sprightly narration by Julia Whalen and even applauded the author’s use of a seventeen-year-old Phoebe —or was she thirty -five—as the deus ex machina who brings it all together. If Anthony Trollope or George Eliot were alive today, I think they would heartily approve of the comparison between their writing and Korelitzes. She is definitely a fellow traveler!
The narration was off for me. The first two parts read largely as 3rd person POV but occasionally an "our father/our mother" was thrown in to remind me it was actually 1st person POV from someone not born yet.
I liked that the book was split into three parts - the parents, the triplets, and the latecomer. The first part gave the background and laid the groundwork for the rest of the story. I enjoyed this first part and was invested but the characters didn't grab me. The bulk of the story is in the second part. I had a harder time with this as the characters were quite unlikable and I couldn't connect with anyone. I did still enjoy their drama from the outside but I wish I knew more about their motives and what they were thinking. I also found this part too long, it seemed to drag on I was losing interest. The final part starts tying everything together, it pulled me back in and I enjoyed the ending. If I didn't have the audiobook as well, I likely would have DNF at some point during the second part.
If you like a slow burn, mult generational, family drama then give The Latecomer a try.
I liked that the book was split into three parts - the parents, the triplets, and the latecomer. The first part gave the background and laid the groundwork for the rest of the story. I enjoyed this first part and was invested but the characters didn't grab me. The bulk of the story is in the second part. I had a harder time with this as the characters were quite unlikable and I couldn't connect with anyone. I did still enjoy their drama from the outside but I wish I knew more about their motives and what they were thinking. I also found this part too long, it seemed to drag on I was losing interest. The final part starts tying everything together, it pulled me back in and I enjoyed the ending. If I didn't have the audiobook as well, I likely would have DNF at some point during the second part.
If you like a slow burn, mult generational, family drama then give The Latecomer a try.
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes