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hayleybeale 's review for:
The Latecomer
by Jean Hanff Korelitz
I was underwhelmed by the author’s much-acclaimed The Plot but I LOVED this audiobook, splendidly narrated by Julia Whelan.
The novel, following the Oppenheimer family, is abrasive and very funny, while thoughtfully reflecting on religion, race, art, and politics. The family dynamics are cracked: the triplets can’t stand each other and often deny their sibling’s very existence; the parents’ connection is based on one tragedy before finishing in another.
Of particular interest to me is the terrifically jaundiced evisceration of educational establishments. The Walden School in Brooklyn Heights has a socialist ethos and paradoxically high tuition that feels a lot like the school I work at. Several Oppenheimers go to Cornell though this is preceded by donations of Old Masters. One triplet, conservative blowhard Harrison, attends Roark University for a rugged and early 20th century education. The details are so hilariously precise that I can only imagine the author’s own experience is in some way reflected.
Does it get a little mushy towards the end? Yes, the ending is tidier and cozier than felt entirely appropriate but was still satisfying. I highly recommend listening but I’m sure it reads well on the page too.
The novel, following the Oppenheimer family, is abrasive and very funny, while thoughtfully reflecting on religion, race, art, and politics. The family dynamics are cracked: the triplets can’t stand each other and often deny their sibling’s very existence; the parents’ connection is based on one tragedy before finishing in another.
Of particular interest to me is the terrifically jaundiced evisceration of educational establishments. The Walden School in Brooklyn Heights has a socialist ethos and paradoxically high tuition that feels a lot like the school I work at. Several Oppenheimers go to Cornell though this is preceded by donations of Old Masters. One triplet, conservative blowhard Harrison, attends Roark University for a rugged and early 20th century education. The details are so hilariously precise that I can only imagine the author’s own experience is in some way reflected.
Does it get a little mushy towards the end? Yes, the ending is tidier and cozier than felt entirely appropriate but was still satisfying. I highly recommend listening but I’m sure it reads well on the page too.