Perhaps 4.5 stars, but the audio version narrated by Tom Hanks most certainly pushed this to a full 5 star reading/listening experience. This is a love story...not romantic, but a deep, abiding love between two siblings, Maeve and Danny, who were abandoned by their mother when they were young. They grew up in the Dutch House of the title, a stately mansion in the Philadelphia suburbs, with their distant father, and really looked after by the household staff. But when their father ends up marrying a much younger woman with two daughters of her own, their lives will change drastically.
This novel is such a generous, warm-hearted character study...done so beautifully by the gifted Anne Patchett. Do not pick this one up if you're looking for a propulsive plot. But just put aside some time and move into The Dutch House for a few days...you'll be sorry when it's time to leave.

There is a reason why Ann Patchett is an award-winning and celebrated author and "The Dutch House" just further proves that point. The storytelling is beautiful and the exploration of the relationship between siblings, especially when the ones who are supposed to take care of them let them down so devastatingly, is so well done. Overall, another lovely piece of literature from Ann Patchett - one that book clubs will enjoy discussing and will quickly fly off library shelves.

What an exceptional story this turned out to be! The craft involved in the design of the plot is pure perfection in this engaging and sensitive read. This family saga of an American family takes place in a house that has been built by a Dutch couple. The house essentially became a character to me in its own right. The story is told in two timelines both from the point of view and is filled with highly engaging characters that are well characterized and written with flawless skill. The plot is nicely done and engaging as well as interesting. I completely enjoyed this so much that I purchased it after receiving this Netgalley as well as have listened to the Audiobook version.

This is a long rambling book. The problem is that I have been reading it for a long time and am only 54% finished and, more to the point, I don't know where the book is going. There seems to be no plot, no "hook" to make us, the Reader, want to continue to read. After reading over half the book, I don't get the connection to The Dutch House, except for the obvious point that they had lived there. But the house itself doesn't seem particularly unique, nor the lives of those who had inhabited it. and they are not so interesting as for me to care what happens to them.

So, what is the main theme of the book? Why am I continuing to read it? Usually there is a big question mark in books, i.e, the reason we want to read to the end, to find out what is going to happen to our protagonists. I see no questions here. and may not finish it.

I must say that I discussed this book with another friend who did read it to the end, and even after finishing it, she had the same opinion, re the absence of a plot.

That said, Patchett is an accomplished writer, but she hasn't authored in this case, an interesting book. So while it's not annoying to read her prose, it is annoying for the book to not be leading to any kind of conclusion.

How can you go wrong with an Ann Patchett book? Beautifully written and each page makes you excited to read more. Filled with fairytale analogies, the Dutch House makes you question who is the main character: the House, Danny or Maeve. This is the story of a fractured family, memories,, loss, grief and rebuilding. It is about a bond between a brother and his sister and the attempt to make sense of the past. Don’t miss this book.

Ann Patchett has written a powerful story of a family struggling to come to terms with changes that adversely affect them. Like in Cinderella, the two Conroy children find themselves adrift after the death of their father. Andrea is the mean step-mother who takes over the Dutch House, the children’s childhood home.

Patchett’s prowess as an author raises this book above the average. She uses nuance more than dramatic events to show the strains and pressures of the human condition. The Dutch House plays a critical role in the book. It is the opulent albatross that becomes a contentious object among the family. To the children who grew up there, it acts as a powerful magnet; to the woman who recently became its owner, it represents solidity and financial prominence. Danny and Maeve are the disenfranchised children who have lost their bearings. They are drawn to the house, despite their dysfunctional upbringing there.

The story takes place over decades. It follows the siblings who are tethered to one another and also to the house, as they longingly gaze at the home from the curb. The characters, like the house, are well-defined and complex. This is a story that quietly makes an impact. One will remember the Dutch House long after finishing the novel. Strongly recommended to those who love sensitivity, great writing and a moving story.

One of my favorite books from 2019 - I loved the characters, and the development of the house itself as a character in the story.

Such a great book! Told through the eyes of Daniel. Maeve and Daniel (brother and sister) are raised in the Dutch House, a home purchased by their father as a surprise for their mother. Mother leaves, father remarries (to a not so nice woman), and all chaos ensues. Good dysfunctional family tale.

The pacing of Ann Patchett's The Dutch House was uneven for my taste. I found it too easy to start and stop the story. The narrator, Danny, has many roles throughout the story, however I never felt he was as layered and complex a character as I would have liked. The house itself is a stronger character than Danny. I believe that my disjointed reading contributed to my lack of engagement with the characters. I never could quite reconcile the behavior of the Mother with the character I envisioned. The Dutch House is an entertaining family saga, and I believe it will be a book discussion favorite. I certainly wanted to talk about it after reading.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

I am late posting this review, so I will make it brief. I am a fan of Ann Patchett's and this book did not disappoint. The bond between brother and sister is inspiring. This is an interesting read. I recommend it!

This story of a boy who was damaged by his parents but saved by his sister unexpectedly captivated me. The eponymous Dutch House serves as a symbol of excess, a setting for the story to play out, and ultimately a pivot point for much of the plot. But this book is really a love story between the two children who grew up there. Danny was only five when his mother abandoned the family, and his older sister, Maeve, became his savior as his distant father brought an avaricious new wife to the house. As the book progresses, Danny and Maeve continue to be drawn to the house even as Danny repeats the sins of his father.

The book is told in the first person, in Danny’s voice. This causes some problems in characterization, ultimately leaving us with somewhat flat characters, none of whom are fully sympathetic. Danny, with only an emotionally distant father as a male role model, never fully develops an ability to express his feelings. He doesn’t connect well with the other characters, and he is unable to fully flesh them out for the reader. While he clearly loves Maeve, and relies on her, he is unable to imagine her life beyond his own experience of it. Likewise, his own lack of depth is played out in all of the characters.

The writing is straightforward and transparent, allowing the reader to both become immersed in the story and move quickly through it. Not much surprising happens, but the events make sense practically if not emotionally.

Another gorgeous, atmospheric tale by Ann Patchett, one of our greatest living writers. Slow-building, mid-century gothic feel.

Absolutely loved this book. Strong, complex characters, beautiful writing, and a plot compelling enough that I stayed up late every night to finish "just one more chapter". I wouldn't put this in the annals of great literature, but the story has stayed with me, and I loved every moment I spent in The Dutch House.

A pleasant family drama with a large house at his center. Excellently read by Mr. Tom Hanks. I've read a number of Patchett's books and (other than Bel Canto), I don't think they are really for me. I find them a little dull.

The characters are so well-written and intriguing that the reader is drawn into the story and cares about the outcome for each of them. It is a unique story with an interesting premise.

The Dutch House is brilliant. It's smart and thoughtful and makes you think about so much, like all good literary fiction should. In short, it's an Ann Patchett novel, a writer who has proven time and again that she can deliver beautifully written works (of fiction and nonfiction) that ask questions as fascinating as the stories that are told. I wish this had gotten more award recognition, and I hope for a better cover in the trade pb edition, but those are the trappings that The Dutch House deserves.

MESMERIZING! I loved this novel and its quirky characters. Even the ones I hated were fascinating. Ann Patchett is one of my must-read authors.

The Dutch House is the story of a paradise lost, a tour de force that digs deeply into questions of inheritance, love, and forgiveness, of how we want to see ourselves and of who we really are. With the elements of a gothic tale: two siblings expelled from their wealthy house by a wicked stepmother, and lived nearly in poverty, but close to each other in order to survive.

At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.

The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.
As I expected Ann Patchett did not let me down. Her writing is exquisite, and she is a genius in moving the story from the present to the past in a way that makes you be attentive but not confused.
I highly recommend it

Ann Patchett brings her talent in force to this new title. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to other readers.

A house with a past playing a main role in a book. Most of the book is not playing inside the house though and that makes it even more interesting.
Maeve and Danny grow up wealthy and due to mistakes and laws they loose everything. It makes you consider if you have arranged it well yourself.
This story hit close to home and it made me think a lot about my past and growing up.. It was easy to recognize the feeling that the house you spend the first years of your life in will always be your home.
It is not an exciting, action filled story but it is difficult to put down due to the emotion and the atmosphere.