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The Latecomer is one of those #dysfunctionalfamily reads with few (maybe 2 out of the bunch) likable characters. I had the physical book, but mostly listened for Julia Whelan‘s expert narration on the audio which I recommend. A set of triplets (Brooklyn, Jewish, wealthy) grow up chaffing against each other until tragedy strikes and things take a turn right at the cusp of adulthood. The book switches gear and we get to know “the latecomer”. Pick!

Overall I really enjoyed this novel about dysfunctional rich people. It was a lot more in depth than I expected— I thought more of the book would be what the last 1/3 was — so I might have cut a little of it. My main criticism is there was no explanation for why the triplets were so awful to each other. I wanted to toss a couple of them into the sea. I enjoyed this #AuldLangSpine pick from @Amiable

Not the prettiest picture but here are a few of the #AuldLangSpine choices I picked from @Amiable (there will be a couple more once my library holds come in). I think I‘ll start with the tagged book since it is due back first. Hellhound on His Trail is my copy, and it was quite an adventure to find it on my disorganized shelves!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Twisty story of family dynamics and secrets over 40+ years, centered around three triplets who couldn‘t stand each other but whose relationships change when their much younger sister tries to piece together the family history she missed. I struggled a bit in the middle because the characters were so unlikeable, but several got much better with age and growth. Even when I didn‘t like them, I still had a hard time putting the book down.

Really enjoyed reading this over the past couple of days. Messy, dysfunctional family saga. Many twists and turns and unlikeable characters. A good read 👍🏻
Thanks Caroline 😘

Yep…..everyday.

2-7-23: My 14th finished book of 2023! Family saga about triplets born via IVF in the 80s to a mother who just wants everyone to love one another and a father so racked with guilt from an accident that occurred in college that he retreats into the world of art for solace. Spanning from 1972 through 2017, we follow the lives of the triplets who can‘t stand one another, and get introduced to the “latecomer” who brings it all together.

Post # 2: I‘m jumping on the 2023 Reading Brackets train. Two competitions (fiction and nonfiction) because I read and love both genres. Tagged is my fiction pick for January.

A clever, funny, sprawling family saga about the Oppenheimer family, which consists of “test-tube” triplets and the child born years later from the one frozen blastocyst that remained (“the latecomer). I opened the book and just fell into it. If you need to like the characters, this may not be for you. I, however, adored the juicy deliciousness of their collective detestable-ness.

I absolutely LOVED this juicy, twisty, clever, puzzle-like book where the various storylines weave & intersect. PLUS it situates the characters among actual people, like Joseph Süß Oppenheimer (above) - always a bonus for me. Like The Goldfinch, art figures prominently in the plot. Likewise religion, politics, & vocation. But ultimately a story about family finding themselves, individually & together. Not at all too lengthy. Exquisite ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Oh my goodness, I‘m less than 1/3 through but am loving all the juicy twists and turns! Apparently there are more to come.

This is a family saga that covers many years of the Oppenheimer family. It‘s the story of Johanna and Salo, who met at a funeral. A funeral that Salo caused. They get married, have triplets, and the story of each child is woven through the eyes of a narrator that you don‘t know (at first). I just loved this book.

It took me awhile to get into this story about triplets born into a dysfunctional family. But I liked where it went and also where it ended up. You will totally dislike these characters but they will grow on you.

I really enjoyed this. It started a little slowly but then it got me. I liked it better than the Plot - possibly because I was more interested in the characters.

I read 2 books by this author last summer, and rather enjoyed disliking her cast of characters. For 75% of this one though I was not terribly interested in her still unlikable characters. When the last quarter and the latecomer‘s POV took forefront, I was all in and the randomness of the earlier chapters came together. Even though it took a long time to get to a pick, I ended up liking the story.

If you‘re a fan of novels about quirky, large families, this is for you!

Salo and Johanna meet on the heels of him losing his fiancée in a car accident. They marry and conceive triplets via IVF. He becomes lost in his art collection while she tries to make three very different children gel. Later, their college experiences vary even more. But none were expecting their mother to have a fourth child! Years later, lil sis tries to unite her family.

The Latecomer follows a wealthy Jewish family in NYC that is not the picture of a close family that mom Johanna always dreamed of. The story is told by the triplets and, in addition to being a good story, the humor in here was outstanding. I don‘t think I‘ve read anything funnier than the one triplet trying to understand that his college roommate is Mormon. Not sure this will hit for everyone, but it got my sweet spot.

The Latecomer is an intense novel that contains some serious topics, but it is also a great story. I enjoyed the main characters and their relationships and connections to each other. There is an honesty to this novel within its fiction. The audiobook was an enjoyable listen. Julia Whelan did a great job of pulling me into the story with her tone and inflection. The audiobook definitely added to my enjoyment of The Latecomer.

Title: The Latecomer
Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
435 pages
I love the roses on the cover how there's three bloomed and one getting ready to bloom fits the story perfectly.
In the story it follows Salo and Johanna who had triplets Harrison, Lewis and Sally through IVF. IVF is in vitro fertilization in which an egg is removed from a woman's ovary and fertilized with the males sperm in a laboratory.

Continued in comments

The Latecomer is a fictional family saga that follows the Oppenheimer parents and siblings from the 1970‘s until 2017. This was another stunning novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz. She manages to touch on issues around unresolved trauma, liberal education, art, infidelity, race and religion with humor and intelligence. I highly recommend The Latecomer to readers that enjoy entertaining family sagas that explore current issues.

This a a wordy, but entertaining story about a wealthy NYC Jewish family and the relationships (or lack thereof) between three children (triplets). It deals with family, siblings, grief, religion, race, and sexuality. While I don't think most of the characters are particularly likable, they were enjoyable and the story is told with a touch of humour. If you liked “Commonwealth“ or “The Nest“, this is a good choice. I gave it 3.75/5.

#NetGalley #AudioARC

I love a good book about dysfunctional families. The Latecomer had such a promising start with an assortment of characters, messy connections and family secrets. However, this book suffered from rambling that needed editing because it added nothing to the story's progress.

Korelitz's previous book, The Plot, had a similar issue for me. Perhaps this just isn't the author for me. If you enjoyed The Plot, you'll like this one.

#NetGalley #ARC #Audio ♥️🎧 This book covers all the messy, complicated, dysfunctional ways families & siblings hurt each other but also reminds us “so life goes”….I LOVED being immersed in the thorny branches of the Oppenheimer clan but TIGHTER editing was very much needed!!! This would have been 5 stars but I spent way too much tangled in unnecessary prose. The audio narration by Julia Whelan was outstanding 🙌🏻‼️♥️

OMG 😱 #MicDrop 🎤‼️ WOWZA!!! Did not see that twist coming!!!! This book/ audio is SO GOOD but unnecessarily overwritten. 100 pages could easily have been removed and Im only at 74% completed. Excited to listen to the final 25%!!! #ARC #NetGalley

After 3 bails yesterday, I finally settled in with a wonderful audio #ARC ~ I‘m hooked!! Another #MessyFamilyDrama set in #NYC revolving around a prominent Jewish family, The Oppenheimer‘s. I‘m just LOVING EVERYTHING about this clever slow paced but brilliantly written story. It reminds me in some ways of CrossRoads by Franzen but I‘m just more engaged with this book.

Yay great book mail really enjoyed The Plot excited to read The Latecomer 📚💕

Yay!! Book mail to make an icky day better! 😁🦩