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*A New York Times Notable Book of 2022* *A Washington Post Notable Work of Fiction* *An NPR Best Book of the Year* *A New Yorker Best Book of 2022* 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 – Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally – 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.
Jean Hanff Korelitz's "The Latecomer" deals with the travails of the Oppenheimer family. Solomon (Salo) is haunted by an accident that occurred when he was twenty. Subsequently he marries Johanna Hirsch and they have triplets via in vitro fertilization. As the siblings, Sally, Harrison, and Lewyn grow into adulthood, they do their utmost to avoid spending time with one another. Meanwhile, Johanna's marriage to Salo is disintegrating (it was never a love match to begin with) and Salo is so obsessed with his passion—collecting obscure works of art—that he neglects wife and children.
Most of the book's characters are self-centered and unlikeable. Salo is a cold fish; Harrison is an intellectual snob who denigrates his brother and sister with cutting remarks; Sally and Lewyn (he is kind compared to the other two) both attend Cornell, but they refuse to acknowledge that their sibling is on campus. Johanna prefers to pretend that her children have a close and supportive relationship, although nothing could be further from the truth.
This meandering work of fiction is overwritten, talky, and tedious. I had little interest in the fate of the triplets. A fourth child, Phoebe, the latecomer of the title, is born after the triplets are grown, and she is more grounded and well-adjusted than Sally, Harrison, and Lewyn combined. The author tacks on a contrived and upbeat ending that at least gives us a measure of relief from the dreariness and misery of the earlier chapters. I have long been a fan of Korelitz, but "The Latecomer" is far from her best work. ( )
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! ( )
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.
*A New York Times Notable Book of 2022* *A Washington Post Notable Work of Fiction* *An NPR Best Book of the Year* *A New Yorker Best Book of 2022* 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 – Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally – 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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Wikipedia in English
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Most of the book's characters are self-centered and unlikeable. Salo is a cold fish; Harrison is an intellectual snob who denigrates his brother and sister with cutting remarks; Sally and Lewyn (he is kind compared to the other two) both attend Cornell, but they refuse to acknowledge that their sibling is on campus. Johanna prefers to pretend that her children have a close and supportive relationship, although nothing could be further from the truth.
This meandering work of fiction is overwritten, talky, and tedious. I had little interest in the fate of the triplets. A fourth child, Phoebe, the latecomer of the title, is born after the triplets are grown, and she is more grounded and well-adjusted than Sally, Harrison, and Lewyn combined. The author tacks on a contrived and upbeat ending that at least gives us a measure of relief from the dreariness and misery of the earlier chapters. I have long been a fan of Korelitz, but "The Latecomer" is far from her best work.
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