Cyril Conroy buys his young wife a fabulous mansion as a surprise only to discover she doesn’t like it. The house becomes the center of the family’s life, though, and Cyril’s children are always drawn back to it.

There’s a lot more to THE DUTCH HOUSE than my brief description but I went into the book only knowing Tom Hanks narrated it and I loved letting the story unravel that way. This is a story about love and forgiveness, family and destiny, and so much more and I hated for it to end. (By the way, Hanks’ narration is outstanding.)

This is the kind of book that I get more out of in print version, reading slowly stopping and going, underlining. even better, with other people to discuss. It''s good for when you're looking for thoughtful and insightful over plot.

This novel is as much a story of the house itself as it is of the people who inhabit it.
The story line encompasses several generations of the Conroy family as they deal with issues that many of us face during our lifetimes - difficulty communicating within the family, sickness and health, economic concerns, step parenting, sibling relationships, and what it means to feel at home. And the sumptuous Dutch House is a fully developed character in its own right.

lunch and⁣
The Dutch House⁣
by Anne Patchett⁣
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https://amzn.to/30ds7nv
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What a wonderful, delightful, funny, heartfelt book. Patchett has truly outdone herself, both sticking to what works for her and creating something that feels new in ways for her as a writer. SHe's a great writer with so much empathy and love, and this shines through in her characters, with this story of brother and sister really vibrating and radiating from the page and warming and melting hearts and serving as a novel I'd gladly come back to in the future. I absolutely loved it.

I’m a huge Ann Patchett fan, and this is my new favorite. I love the intricate, decades long, richly drawn story of a brother and sister, especially as read by the magnificent Tom Hanks. Hanks imbues these characters with so much depth and emotion. Even the way he reads the chapter numbers made me swoon.
Danny is not perfect, far from it, but he feels so real to me. His relationship with his sister Maeve is just enthralling and beautiful and painful and funny. I laughed, I cried. It’s so, so good.

I feel like this story was just depressing and some characters were developed very deeply and then there were some that you really wanted to know much more about, although I guess that also mirrors life. Overall I have conflicting feelings about this book but I do appreciate the writing.

Ann Patchett definitely had me hooked with the intriguing characters and complex relationships, all revolving around a house. And while it would sound super smart of me to say that the house was a character itself, that would be a lie. Because it was just the setting- but what a setting it was! The incredibly strong relati0nship between the brother and sister was so cool to see, but I also winced a lot when it got in the way of the brother's relationship with his wife. The relationship of father to children, step mother to children and step children, nannies- it just was fascinating. So although there were no car chases or anything blew up, it was still a story that felt quick, and I feel like some of the characters could have truly been people down the street.

Not surprised at all to find this so very well written. If it is a book by Ann Patchett-it is timely, beautifully done and engaging. Always looking forward to her next.

It's one of those books where not much happens - mostly normal life (though, of course, with quirks) - and yet, I was always interested in what happened next. Who knew following a brother and sister around through decades of their lives could be so captivating, especially when they seem to mostly sit in cars talking? The characters were expertly nuanced and the writing was always exactly what it should be (i.e., I never wished for more or less or something other than what it was). Definitely want to read more Ann Patchett.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett is billed as a dark fairy tale. Spanning five decades, the story indeed tells the story of 2 young siblings and their evil stepmother in their grand castle (ok, mansion). Patchett has an acute insight into the complexities of family life and their dysfunction. This is a character driven story, but the main character becomes The Dutch House itself. I received an ARC from NetGalley (thank you!), however I highly recommend the audiobook which is performed by Tom Hanks. Hanks brought the narrator’s voice to life and brought another dimension to Patchett’s words.

Total perfection! I loved everything about this book. Without a doubt, the is my favorite book by Ann Patchett. Each character has tremendous depth. It's a perfect choice for book clubs.

This is a terrific story, a classic-feeling novel about a family that is among the best of Patchett's work.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I did not want this book to end! I loved the relationshio that Danny and Maeve had. No matter what happened in their lices they were always drawn back to the house where they grew up but were thrown out of unexpectedly after their father passed away. I laughed and I cried throughout the book!

I hadn't read any Patchett before, but I hope this is my first of many. I felt so sorry for the children of the Dutch house, and the twist about their mother near the end was enough to make my mind explode. Danny and Maeve deserve so much more than either of their parents or step mother are willing to give them. Thank God they have each other. This is a tale anyone, but especially a sibling, could feel.

So much to love about this book! Character driven, family sagas are my favorite and this one did not dissapoint! I read along while listening to Tom Hanks read it as well and I never wanted the story to end! This book gets all the stars from me and I highly recommend it!

One expects a level of literary excellence from Ann Patchett and The Dutch House does not disappoint. Family dysfunction at its very best is at the center of this story which revolves around the value of a house and home, with siblings who remain strong for each other through the years of estrangement.

Patchett has done it again. A silent yet sweeping chronicle of two siblings coming to terms with their parents’ choices and trying not to let them become their own.

A terrific read. Loved the brother and sister, the home, the evil stepmom and all the classic Ann Patchett touches.