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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz's The Latecomer is a layered and immersive literary novel about three siblings, desperate to escape one another, and the upending of their family by the late arrival of a fourth. The Latecomer follows the story of the wealthy, New York City-based Oppenheimer family, from the first meeting of parents Salo and Johanna, under tragic circumstances, to their triplets born during the early days of IVF. As children, the three siblings â?? Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally â?? feel no strong familial bond and cannot wait to go their separate ways, even as their father becomes more distanced and their mother more desperate. When the triplets leave for college, Johanna, faced with being truly alone, makes the decision to have a fourth child. What role will the "latecomer" play in this fractured family? A complex novel that builds slowly and deliberately, The Latecomer touches on the topics of grief and guilt, generational trauma, privilege and race, traditions and religion, and family dynamics. It is a profound and witty family story from an accomplished author, known for the depth of her character studies, expertly woven storylines, and plot twists… (more)
I really didn't like this book at first (basically, all of the Oppenheimers suck) and was very close to abandoning it. But I decided to give it one more shot, and to my surprise I started to like it, and having made it to the end (a very satisfying ending, which I wasn't expecting), I can say I'm really glad I stuck with it. Messy family stories don't always work for me, but the author kind of brilliantly pulls this one off.
One thing I really appreciated about this book was Korelitz' portrayal of Jonas, the Mormon roommate, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a whole. Sure, most of the characters thought Mormons were nuts, but the narrative is not only respectful of LDS beliefs and culture, it is astonishingly accurate and fair, something I'm not used to seeing from non-member writers. ( )
I debated between 2 and 3 stars mainly because I felt bogged down for 3/4 of the book. The triplets were thoroughly unlikable and it was such a long slog of a backstory. The last quarter of the book was a much faster read and I was curious to find out how they all ended up. ( )
Captivating story of disfunction, love, intellect, and more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down! Often painful, often witty, often thought provoking. If you were fortunate enough to grow up in a family dynamic that embraced the whole family - good for you, if you witnessed the other side and often felt left out - you will relate! ( )
3.5 rounded down, I think. Justice for Johanna. This book needed some editing down and more of the titular latecomer! I like sweeping family dramas through generations, but I couldn’t relate to the triplets here. Did they have to be so awful to one another and their poor mother? With that said, the prose was wonderful and once I got towards the end of the triplets’ section, I felt like I needed to barrel towards the end. Some really satisfying (for me) loose ends were tied too. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while, but man did it frustrate me at times! ( )
I caught him with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world and still bring him back with a twitch upon the thread.
—C. K. Chesterton, via Evelyn Waugh
Dedication
For Leslie Vought Kuenne, Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â in memoriam
First words
The Oppenheimer triplets—who were thought of by not a single person who knew them as “the Oppenheimer triplets”—had been in full flight from one another as far back as their ancestral petri dish.
Quotations
Last words
The next morning, still together, we departed: to the ferry, and the mainland, and north to the parking lot of an old diner in Concord, New Hampshirite, where the last of the Oppenheimers met her bus and held her family—-most of her family—-close, and then let them go.
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz's The Latecomer is a layered and immersive literary novel about three siblings, desperate to escape one another, and the upending of their family by the late arrival of a fourth. The Latecomer follows the story of the wealthy, New York City-based Oppenheimer family, from the first meeting of parents Salo and Johanna, under tragic circumstances, to their triplets born during the early days of IVF. As children, the three siblings â?? Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally â?? feel no strong familial bond and cannot wait to go their separate ways, even as their father becomes more distanced and their mother more desperate. When the triplets leave for college, Johanna, faced with being truly alone, makes the decision to have a fourth child. What role will the "latecomer" play in this fractured family? A complex novel that builds slowly and deliberately, The Latecomer touches on the topics of grief and guilt, generational trauma, privilege and race, traditions and religion, and family dynamics. It is a profound and witty family story from an accomplished author, known for the depth of her character studies, expertly woven storylines, and plot twists
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One thing I really appreciated about this book was Korelitz' portrayal of Jonas, the Mormon roommate, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a whole. Sure, most of the characters thought Mormons were nuts, but the narrative is not only respectful of LDS beliefs and culture, it is astonishingly accurate and fair, something I'm not used to seeing from non-member writers. (