"The Latecomer" by Jean Hanff Korelitz ventures into the intricate tapestry of the Oppenheimer family, exploring their journey from a tragic beginning to a fractured present. The novel unfolds gradually, revealing the complexities of grief, guilt, privilege, and family dynamics. While some may appreciate the profound exploration of these themes, my experience with the book left me wanting more.

One of the primary challenges I encountered with "The Latecomer" was its slow pacing. The narrative builds deliberately, perhaps too much so for my taste. The gradual unfolding of events made it difficult for me to stay engaged, and at times, I found myself yearning for a more dynamic and brisk plot progression. The pacing, unfortunately, hindered my ability to fully immerse myself in the story, leading to a disconnect between the characters and their experiences.

The novel's language, while undoubtedly crafted with care, posed another stumbling block for me. The wording felt convoluted at times, making it challenging to follow the narrative effortlessly. While I appreciate the linguistic richness, there were instances where the prose seemed unnecessarily intricate, obscuring the clarity of the storytelling. This linguistic complexity contributed to the overall sense of detachment I experienced as a reader.

Despite these reservations, Korelitz does succeed in weaving together a tapestry of themes encompassing generational trauma, race, traditions, and religion. Exploring these topics is undoubtedly thought-provoking, and the novel's depth reflects the author's skill in character studies. The Oppenheimer family, with its flawed members and intricate relationships, serves as a canvas for examining the intricacies of human experience.

In conclusion, "The Latecomer" is a novel that demands patience and a willingness to delve into its intricacies. While some readers may appreciate the deliberate pacing and linguistic complexity, others, like myself, might find these aspects challenging. Despite its depth of exploring various themes, the book falls short of delivering a compelling and engaging reading experience. I would give "The Latecomer" a 2 out of 5 stars rating, as it left me yearning for a more accessible and briskly-paced narrative.

"The Latecomer" unfolds the narrative of the affluent Oppenheimer family based in New York City, tracing their journey from the poignant initial meeting of parents Salo and Johanna to the birth of their triplets through IVF. The siblings, Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally, lack a strong familial connection and eagerly anticipate pursuing their individual paths. However, as their father grows more distant and their mother increasingly desperate, the family fractures. Upon the triplets' departure for college, Johanna, grappling with solitude, decides to have a fourth child. How will this "latecomer" reshape the dynamics of this fractured family? The novel spans the Oppenheimer triplets' lives from their parents' 1960s marriage to 2017.

Each chapter unfolds through the perspective of a different family member: Johanna, Harrison, Sally, Lewyn, and Salo. Despite their lack of likability and immersion in privileged and first-world problems, the narrative voice compels readers to delve deeper into their stories. Phoebe stands out as an exception. The gripping narrative voice, coupled with an underlying tension, keeps readers captivated and on edge. This complex character study delves into themes of identity, sexuality, race, class, and belonging, offering a compelling and engaging reading experience that's hard to put down.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a compelling premise but falls short in execution. While the novel introduces intriguing characters and weaves an intricate narrative, the pacing feels uneven, causing the story to become quite slow and drag on at various points. Korelitz's writing style is undoubtedly eloquent, but the plot's potential is hindered by a lack of cohesion, leaving readers grappling with moments of confusion. Additionally, the resolution of key plot points may leave some unsatisfied, as loose ends are tied up in a somewhat rushed manner. Despite these drawbacks, the book still manages to deliver moments of emotional resonance and introspection, making it a worthwhile read for those who appreciate character-driven stories, as long as they are aware before reading that the overall pacing is quite slow.

4.5 rounded up. Well this was a pleasant surprise! It’s been on my TBR for a while and for whatever reason I just wasn’t excited about picking it ahead of other books. The beginning hooked me but I wasn’t quite sure where it was going. Somewhere along the way, I great to love the Oppenheimers and their messed up familial relationships. This was very character driven and not a whole lot plot wise happened while still a lot happened! It spans 30+ years and deals with so many serious issues - religion, politics, infertility, sexuality, family relationships, and so much more. But it did it in such a tasteful, potent way. I’m surprised this book didn’t get more love because I thought it was an epic novel and enjoyed Phoebe’s narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

I love a good sweeping family saga, and that's exactly what this is. Starting with the parents and their upbringing all the way through their youngest daughter trying to bring the family back together.

The first 3/4 or so of the book is told from the alternating perspective of the triplet children. These children grew up not really having any sort of family life and certainly no desire to be near one another. When it is time to go to college (which is primarily where the story takes place), they go in different directions, but are still connected. They aren't kind to each other and certainly are not kind to their mother.

The last 1/4 is where it got really good. This part is told from the perspective of Phoebe, the "latecomer." Phoebe is 19 years younger than the triplets, but seems to understand them better than anyone else. Her voice is different than theirs, and it is refreshing. How everything came together and wrapped up was really interesting. If you are looking for a long family saga, this is a good one.

Three siblings, from a wealthy NY family have an interesting life. They are triplets born during the early days of IVF and their parents Salo and Johanna should feel blessed. But this is a complex family and there really aren’t any family binds. Harrison, Lewyn and Sally can’t wait to grow up and move out. The closer Johanna tried to bring the family closer the farther apart they become. Even their dad gets distant. Until one day, when the kids head off to college Johanna decides to have another baby. Can this baby help the situation? Can this family get back together? This was a good read.. a four star read for me. It was slow to start but I did get hooked on the different plot lines. Overall it was well written and the characters were very honest. I want to thank Netgalley and Jean Hanff Korelitz for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The premise of the book is what originally caught my attention, it was a story that I hadn't read before and had a lot of potential. While I was still right, it was so slowly paced that it was hard to keep reading. When the book did pickup in the last quarter I was fairly entertained. This book was by no means a bad book it is just more for people who want a character heavy slow paced book and not for people who want to be a fast moving storyline with many plot points.

Beautiful cover. I wanted to like this one because a lot of people raved about it but ultimately I had to DNF due to lack of interest. I don't think family dramas and slow burns are my cup of tea. Thank you to Celadon, Jean, and Netgalley for the advance reader's copy!

A brilliantly crafted novel that explores the dark underbelly of ambition and the consequences of deceit. With its intricate plot twists and complex characters, Korelitz delivers a suspenseful and thought-provoking tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The characters in "The Latecomer" are flawed and multi-dimensional, making them feel authentic and relatable, captivating and twisted tale that explores themes of identity, ambition, and the consequences of our choices. With its skillful plotting, well-drawn characters, and richly textured prose, Jean Hanff Korelitz delivers a thrilling and thought-provoking novel

Thank you Celadon Books for the e-gallery of The Latecomer. This book offers so much to enjoy and think about, and it would be an excellent read for a book club. There are many themes that this book touches on: family, art, wealth and privilege, 9/11, education system, religion, hoarding, and more. Korelitz writes each chapter in a different voice and wrote so clearly that I never had to go back and figure out which character was speaking--they all became individuals that I wanted to learn more about. At the end of the novel, she pulls it all together to create an ending I could not imagine. Well written, engrossing, and leaves the reader with much to contemplate: a GREAT READ!


#TheLatecomerBook and #CeladonReads.

While I have seen a lot of good reviews about this book, I myself felt very overwhelmed by the story itself. Maybe there were too many POVs for me, or maybe it was just too much at one time. I felt like for how much I was having to read, I wasn't getting much in return.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

An epic family saga, The Latecomer follows the Oppenheimer triplets and their wealthy parents in NYC. The triplets have never been close to one another, and just as they are headed out on their own following high school, a fourth sibling is added to the mix. Over the following years, we find out the effect the new addition really has over this dysfunctional family.

The Oppenheimers are all an insufferable bunch, and yet I got a kick out of each one of them. The storytelling was well crafted, and although it’s a bit longer of a book, the narration kept me engaged right up until the end, and I looked forward to listening to it.

I would recommend this book if you’re a fan of literary fiction and family dramas!

I picked up The Latecomer because I loved Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel The Plot (review hopefully coming soon.) The Latecomer is not a thriller like The Plot but I liked it just as much. It asks the interesting question about how it feels to be born from the “leftover” embryos after your parents go through IVF, several years after your siblings have been born. What would your life look like if you had been one of the triplets instead of the much younger singleton? It’s also about sibling dynamics. The triplets do not get a long at all, dashing their mother’s hope that they would always be a close family. That’s one of the reasons she decided to have a fourth child, thinking it would bring everyone together.

I really enjoyed The Latecomer. I could relate to the mother wanting her children to stay close to each other and to her. I have four kids and I hope they stay close. And my youngest is nine years younger than his closest sibling so he’s kind of a latecomer as well!

Jean Hanff Korelitz is on her way to becoming one of my favorite authors. Highly recommended.

I had high hopes for The Latecomer by Jean Haniff Korelitz after reading the synopsis and seeing some of the early praise come in. However; I found this novel to be dry and couldn’t get past the first twenty percent of the novel.

The Latecomer departs from Korelitz’s recent thriller genre, but hearkens back to the family entanglements of her first book, The White Rose. Following a family through the parents’ meeting during college through Manhattan of 9/11, Salo Oppenheimer carries his tragic past through life, with devastating results. How much do we choose? Has Fate already decided our lives? The characters of his family, mistress, and second family are vivid and complex.

A DNF for me. It was unnecessarily long and didn't hold my attention. I do think this could work for other readers but unfortunately wasn't for me.

Thank you Celadon Books and Netgalley for the gifted e-ARC to read and review!

Pub date: May 31, 2022

I'm a fan of Jean Hanff Korelitz’s writing and previous books; espeically The Plot. She writes literary fiction with complex characters and relationship dynamics. It can take a bit to get into the meat of the story, but it's worth the wait. The Latecomer is a study in privilege, giref, generational trauma, really complicated family dynamics, while also being a coming -of - age story (it will make sense once you read it). Dysfunctional rich family stories are a personal favourite of mine and this one brings in new elements and considerations. It's a big book, but thedetails, the plot and the character development makes it worth your time to spend 500 pages with the Oppenheimer family.

Might have been a case of bad timing but I just couldn’t get into this one. It’s a DNF for me. Thank you to the publisher for the advance reading copy.

I loved The Plot by Jean Haniff Korelitz, but this one was a bit of a slog. Not enough reward for all of the work or unraveling it.

I struggled a little reading this book, but after I finished it, I was glad I persevered and completed it.  I thought the second half of the book was better and more enjoyable and more interesting to read than the first half of the book.  The book is a lot about family dynamics.  There are incidents that occur in different characters lives that you feel like they have an impact on who that person is, etc. and while the incident was mentioned, I felt that a few of these incidents should have been further discussed/analyzed on exactly the impact.  I think the reader is left to interpret the impact and I think the first first half of the book would have been more interesting if this had been done.  There’s a lot of up front content in the first half that personally I didn’t think had as big of an impact on the characters as the items that weren’t really explored.  An example is the car accident on Salo throughout his early marriage and young life of the triplets. 

I found most of the characters in the book well defined. The author did a good job of making you feel like you knew the feelings in different situation - like I could feel the pain and stress at the clambake - I thought this part of the story was very well written.   

What I liked about the book - the ending - I liked how the author wrapped everything up in the end and Phoebe’s roll in the triplets lives and her conversation with her mother.  I liked the way the author lets you find out about what happened to Salo after his decision to leave for LAX. I liked the whole concept of the four eggs and the thought about which eggs were chosen and the impact it has on everyone’s feelings as well as the readers feelings. I loved Phoebe. 

What I would change about the book - I would spend some time understanding the impact of the accident on Salo as it relates to his marriage and the triplets.  I felt like the high school years for the triplets was also not very well defined - again, how the triplets did things in high school as it related to each other.