Initially, I didn’t t like this novel. However, I returned to it and started to appreciate the writing, storytelling and craftsmanship.

This book was a bit of a miss for me. I had a hard time getting into the plot. It seemed slow and cumbersome.

I did find the overall idea of the plot very interesting. It seemed dark and intense.

I ended up not being able to finish this one fully, but I would like to try it again at another time.

Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.com/2022/07/the-latecomer.html

What a fascinating book! I read The Plot about a year ago and watched the HBO series The Undoing, which is based on Korelitz’s novel, You Should Have Known. This is an author with great skill and talent. Among her many gifts is character development, which is on full display in her newest novel, The Latecomer.

I really like the summary provided in the Kirkus review, which begins “A fatal car crash sets the stage for a fraught marriage and family life.” In its essence, The Latecomer is the story of the relationship between triplets, who began their life as IVF embryos. It follows their lives as well as the lives of their mother Johanna and their father, Sal Oppenheimer, until the triplets are young adults. The third section of the book tells the story of their sister, Phoebe (the fourth IVF embryo) and how the conflict between the triplets becomes resolved. It’s a complicated story, and Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally play huge roles, both with each other and through the eyes of their much younger sister, Phoebe.

There is a lot of family drama, but there is also some illuminating knowledge. For instance I knew nothing about Outsider Art, of which Salo Oppenheimer became an expert collector. Outsider Art is art made by self-taught or naïve artists who had little or no connections with the conventional art world. The work of several outsider artists are mentioned as being part of Salo’s collection. I had to look it all up. Fascinating information.

The triplets are completely alienated from each other. It isn’t until Phoebe enters their lives when they are young adults that they begin to try to understand and relate to each other. I felt that Korelitz did an outstanding job of creating these characters and the dilemmas of their birth and upbringing. She described so well why they had so little relationship with each other, and why their family was so disheveled. However, she also tied it all together well, without any “goodie two-shoes” ending. As the Kirkus reviewer says, “The resolution, complete with a wedding, persuasively and touchingly affirms that even the most damaged people can grow and change.”

I thought the portrayal of each of the Oppenheimer triplets and the chapters dedicated to each of them was spot on and enlightening. The New York Times reviewer speaks of the old-fashioned plot points such as a tragic accident and an extramarital affair, but also contemporary like the test-tube creation of the triplets, and the birth of their frozen-embryo sister. The reviewer says, that “it’s testament to Korelitz’s achievement that her novel leaves us wanting more…The Latecomer is consistently surprising…It is a Gilded Age novel for the 21st century.”

All in all, I loved The Latecomer. I think you will too. I just read that it will be a television series, just as You Should Have Known became The Undoing. The Plot is also being developed as a Hulu series.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

Unfortunately, I had a very hard time getting in to this one. I tried several times and not sure if it was a mood or just the writing style wasn't calling to me.

I have heard some people love this one so don't knock it until you try it!!

Thank you Celadon Books for the advanced copy.

This was a very interesting family drama about 3 generations of Oppenheimers. The dad lacks the parent gene, the mom can't get pregnant and will go to any lengths to get there. When she finally has triplet's she think's they're one happy family. Until the three of them go off to college and basically forget each other exists (even when two of them go to the same college). With the children out of the house the mom finds her life lacking with her husband only interested in his art collection and his mistress, and has a brilliant idea to unthaw the last of the embryos that brought her the triplets and have another child.

This is a story about family that doesn't really want to be a family and shows mostly how the children explore their lives outside their familial and triplet bond. I found it a little hard to relate because I am very family focused person. I liked that they talked about the Judaism and Mormonism religion without it being controversial or stereotypical. And I loved all the art talk. It also was very powerful how the youngest child had the most impact on the entire family. This isn't a light or breezy book. It's complicated and spans different eras, as well as, switching narratives. Overall I'd rate it a 3.75 but rounded up!

Thank you NetGalley, Celadon and Jean Hanff Korelitz for a e galley version for my honest opinion.

First thing I will say is that I am surprised I can enjoy a book so much, when I truly am not a fan of any of the characters. Jean did a wonderful job composing this novel that extends over 60 years of time. She was able to integrate the stories of 6 main characters while adding snippets of history, that kept you pulled in the entire time. There were even some surprise twists that I NEVER saw coming!

I was truly enamored by the author's story telling of love, loss and what a family means. I can't wait to get the chance to read more of her books! I truly urge you to read this book when given the chance.

✨The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz✨

Genre: Fiction
Pages: 448

📚 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 distant and their mother more desperate. When the triplets leave for college, Johanna, faced with being truly alone, makes the decision to add a fourth child to the family. What role will the “latecomer” play in this fractured family?

📝This book can best be described as a character study of the members of the dysfunctional Oppenheimer family. The book starts off with the backstory of Salo and Johanna and the tragic circumstances of their first meeting. Then the chapters alternate between the triplets: Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally.

The author delves into the topics of grief, guilt, loneliness, and ultimately the fragile dynamics of a family. The plot twists were quite unexpected.

I recognize that this book spans 40+ years and that character studies can be comprehensive, but I felt this book could have been shorter. Other than that, I felt like the Oppenheimer family was real, dealing with family issues that readers may see in their own families.

💫Thanks @celadonbooks and @netgalley for my ARC💫

TW: Prejudice, death of sibling, fertility issues, miscarriages, cheating

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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?
Release Date: May 31st, 2022
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 448
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. The cover

What I Didn't Like:
1. Too much info dumping
2. Book reads like a (boring) textbook

Overall Thoughts:
This book deals with a lot of hard subjects. The beginning has Johanna dealing with infertility issues and seeking out help to have a baby.

Story is broken up in 3 parts;
• The parents story of how they met and their relationship
• The triplets and going through life
• The last child

You would think with so much going on it would be exciting, but it feels mindless reading and feeling like I've went no where. I was pretty much bored by page 60. There is SO much info dump that it weighs you down. Everything is read to you in a matter of fact kind of way that it feels like you're taking a history class. I felt like I was going to have an exam after this book.

The characters come off needy and naggy. Joanna bitches that she wants kids and struggles to have them only to bitch that she doesn't like them. It was weird.

Final Thoughts: I dnfed at page 134. It was just not good at all. I wanted to love it since the reviews talked about how good it was. Too much talking and not a lot of stuff happening.

Recommend For:
• Slow burns

Born to a couple who met in the aftermath of a hideous tragedy and who struggled with infertility, the Oppenheimer triplets – Harrison, Lewyn and Sally – are conceived during the early days of IVF petri dishes.

The Latecomer is a propulsive, layered and character-driven novel by an author who has a solid track record of making sure that readers are turning pages. Sometimes redundant, on occasion veering in unnecessary directions, the plot still offers plenty of surprises including one gasp-worthy one towards the end.

Jean Hanff Korelitz has such a gift for a slow burn in her storytelling. Her novels are never formulaic and she doesn’t shy away from unlikeable characters, understanding they can add texture and interest to the storyline. This one had some good subtle, and not so subtle, twists, which kept me interested throughout, though it lagged in some parts with some extensive attention to artwork which became a little dry after a while. If you were are fan of any of her earlier writing, like The Plot, give this one a read!

Many thanks to @netgalley and @celadonbooks for the advanced reader’s copy of this novel.

#bibliophile#stephsalwaysreading#whatshouldIreadnext#bookstagram#bookstagrammer#jeanhanffkoreliz#thelatecomer

The pacing of this story drags a bit, but it does contain a lot of information about Jewish families that a reader outside of the culture may not know. The book is too long for it's own good and what is interesting about the family, is often lost in long winding descriptive paragraphs about things that are pretty insignificant. If you like domestic dramas, this contemporary dysfunctional family story might be for you.

Must say that Korelitz is a compelling writer. I couldn't put the book down.
The story centers around triplets and their dislike for each other, to put it mildly. Their entire family is acutely dysfunctional and that disfunction is taken to enormous extremes. The author did such a thorough job on so many fronts, including infertility and art collecting. The story was almost too dismal but a good read.

I received an advanced copy of this for my honest opinion.

It took me a while to get through The Latecomers as the plot was slow and had ebbs and flows to it. I really enjoyed reading the book and seeing the story unfold through multiple points of view with many different topics throughout the book.

It isn’t a sad story but it is a heavy book. It didn’t feel like a book I would be able to get through quickly but it was a book I wanted to digest as I read it. It kept my attention throughout the whole book.

The story revolved around Sala Oppenheimer, his wife Johanna, and their children. It was an interesting read with a different perspective about three siblings who were who were created through invitro-fertilization. The siblings were treated as triplets but didn't identify as being triplets and resented each other. Harrison, Lewyn and Sally were all very different and did their best to avoid interacting together. I hadn’t ever thought about what it would be like or if growing up in a uterus with similar make up was enough of a bonding experience to develop a connection from the moment of birth.

The book is about all kinds of relationships (siblings, parents, lovers and friendships). The book is mostly character driven although there is a plot but most of it surrounds the character's emotional and mental state.

I definitely recommend this book to read. I would rate it a 9/10.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the story well-enough, but simply put, I just plain enjoy the others other two page-turning and finely exectued female thrillers. Took me so long to get into it (and I even listended to the audiobook read by one of my faves) which sometimes gives me a push. Not unhappy unread, but pleased that I can put add it to my read rather than currently reading shelf.

I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

I've read a couple of books by this author in the past and thoroughly enjoyed them. I also found the description to be very intriguing as it mentions several high profile topics in today's world. As a result, I was very excited to read her latest - The Latecomer.

Once again, Jean has put together an excellent novel.

While this is a work of fiction, the entire book deals with characters, places and topics as they really are in the "real" world. She also makes the point that you can have all the riches in the world, but that it doesn't guarantee either happiness or sanity.

There are also several unexpected yet very believable plot twists which keep the story engaging right until the very last word.

I find myself wishing there had been a few more chapters of Oppenheimer family drama. I'm going to miss this family!

Things I liked:
The family members' characters and their interactions (or lack thereof) which each other
The wide range of high profile topics that are touched on
The unexpected and well placed plot twists
Things I didn’t like:
I'm hard pressed to come up with something I didn't like. I'd have to say the start was maybe a little slower than I would have liked, but I also get the sense that it was intentional.
I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone. A great read that would appeal to a vast audience!

Oh boy, this was a slog to get through. Unfortunately, it was so dense that I found myself struggling to engage. Once I put it down, it was hard to make myself want to pick it back up to read.

After reading the Plot and loving it, I thought I was in for a treat with Jean Hanff Korelitz's newest novel, The Latecomer.

Sadly this book didn't do it for me and this was greatly in part to the characters.

The blurb should say, this book is about Johanna. A mother of triplets (test tube triplets) who was treated like trash by everyone she loved.

I got so tired of listening to her kids berate her for trying to make them into a family. It got old really fast.

The triplets were selfish, self-centered, egoistical, and really just insufferable. Please don't think her husband was any better. Salo never cared for her. He was more than ok with having a side piece and another family with her. He was never present for the family he had created first. He never showed an interest in Joanna, her children, or fidelity. He was a waste of space.

I’m addition, this book screams a need for editing. It was long and redundant. Nothing really happened except the disgust the triplets professed in thinking of spending any time with their mother.

I know some of my book friends love this book and you should read their reviews. After all, I'm in the minority.

Cliffhanger: No

2/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Celadon Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love nothing more than an epic, character driven family saga and The Latecomer delivered! It’s about the a very flawed New York family. Johanna has wanted nothing more than to be a mother, while her husband Salo, is indifferent and loves his art collection more than anything. Through IVF, they have triplets Sally, Harrison and Lewn who all grow up together. Many years later Phoebe comes along via surrogate.
I listened to the audiobook (@justjuliawhelan narrated) and enjoyed the bonkers family dynamics and plot twists in this novel, and there were parts that had me scratching my head.