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A review by huerca_armada
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Some of the most tedious characters that I had ever encountered before in fiction. While the dynamic between the brother and the sister at the heart of the story felt fleshed out, I could not grow to like either of them. Maybe it has a lot to do with the personal choice of the brother to abandon the path of being a doctor, which he hates, so he can follow in his father's footsteps of being a landlord, but I just can't connect with it. No one under the age of 30 can connect with that. No one who doesn't own property can connect with that. It's a little insane to think that this is the type of character that we are supposed to relate to; for me, the attempts to humanize him and make him a relatable character in pursuing his father's career path just made me feel contempt and antipathy towards his character.
Such as it is, I struggled through the Dutch House. Like the mother of the story, I dreaded to return to the eponymous place, regarding it with barely contained disdain. As the ending drew closer and closer, rather than achieving some sense of catharsis from teh climax of the novel, I could feel only relief at the prospect of the ponderous thing finally coming to a close. The story beats had, by that time, become so familiar to me as to dull and aggravate me every time they finally came to fruition. Because of all of these reasons, I ultimately cannot find it in myself to recommend this book, except to a certain class of people.
Such as it is, I struggled through the Dutch House. Like the mother of the story, I dreaded to return to the eponymous place, regarding it with barely contained disdain. As the ending drew closer and closer, rather than achieving some sense of catharsis from teh climax of the novel, I could feel only relief at the prospect of the ponderous thing finally coming to a close. The story beats had, by that time, become so familiar to me as to dull and aggravate me every time they finally came to fruition. Because of all of these reasons, I ultimately cannot find it in myself to recommend this book, except to a certain class of people.