Book Review—The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz

The Latecomer is Jean Hanff Korelitz’s latest novel. The book is about the Oppenheimer family. Salo and Johanna are married after a tragic event. Salo delves deeply into the art world, while Johanna desperately wants a family. Set in the 1970’s, Johanna has IVF treatments and has triplets, Harrison, Lewyn and Sally. However, the siblings cannot stand each other. Salo becomes more distant from the family while Johanna tries to foster connection between her children. 

Korelitz takes us into the world of the siblings and their parents. The novel encompasses topics of art, as mentioned earlier, as well as privilege, race and family dynamics, as the siblings leave home and go to college. It is then that “the latecomer” arrives.

I became thoroughly engrossed in this novel. The writing is superb, and the story is compelling. I listened to the audiobook and narrator Julia Whelan is, as always, outstanding. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Other books by Jean Hanff Korelitz include:

The Plot (my review is linked)

You Should Have Known (which was adapted into the HBO movie, The Undoing with Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman)

Admission (which was adapted into a movie with Paul Rudd and Tina Fey)