fiction
The Oppenheimer family has triplets who don’t like each
other, a wealthy father who is present minimally, and a mother who is trying to
hold everything together. Then, when everyone’s lives are on the brink of
significant change, their family structure is upended.
The Latecomer is a story about a wealthy New York family. While not individually hateful, neither are
the family members particularly lovable. They are just sort of present and living their lives unremarkably for much of the novel. Yet, they
do have unusual characteristics/experiences which kept me interested in finding
out more. Mr. Oppenheimer has a couple defining moments which he carries
through his life. The family is magnificently wealthy yet they don’t feel the
need to flaunt it while living comfortably. The triplets don’t like each other at all. (I’ve never heard of
multiple birth siblings not getting along, especially when Jean Hanff Korelitz
never provided a reason for their mutual disregard. This aspect of the family
dynamics felt a bit unbelievable to me and is the only real reason for docking
this novel a star.)
It’s really hard to say why I enjoyed it so much. It’s a
little of a soap opera, but not much. It’s a little of a train wreck, but not
much. I suppose it’s just well written and the scenarios pulled me in. And I
like a story whose pieces fit together well. I thought the Passover seder
chapter was so funny! This is also one of those rare instances where the book
cover is perfect. I loved that too. And
the ending was gratifying. At its heart, it’s about acceptance and personal
growth.
Julia Whelan is always a terrific voice actor but I’ve often
described her “narrator voice” as being too bratty or snarky for the story. I
have to say that, for this novel, her snark was perfect! When voicing specific
characters she has an amazing vocal repertoire, even men’s voices, and is a
fantastic actor. But due to her narrator voice I usually can’t give her an
A+. For The Latecomer, an A+ is
well-deserved!
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