The Dutch House

SYNOPSIS:

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.

REVIEW

(4.5 STARS)

From the moment I began reading this book, I couldn't stop.

Patchett's writing is so immersive it truly feels like you're there, with Danny and Maeve, the ghost of a sibling they never knew they had. Her prose is flawless and effortless, and despite being very descriptive, Ann makes it so appealing you don't notice it. She paints the scenario, places the objects and gives them life, in a very organic, cinematic way. She's purposeful and methodical but simultaneously, natural.

Unlike what so many say, Andrea is not the most hateful character in this book. She's the evilest, for sure, but their father is the one I blame for all the unfortunate events that came to pass after his death. How can a man put his new wife ahead of his children without so much as a second thought? It's not like he didn't know what he was doing. He knew, and he let it all happen. Many were the moments when he should've risen his voice to their protection, and yet he remained silent and careless. Danny says 'He had protected me from the world so completely that I had no idea what the world was capable of.' This thought only goes to show the depth of the abuse both siblings went through. Maeve was cast out, Dan was locked in. And when they think they'll get their independence, the truth of what their father did ruins it again, in such a way that Maeve becomes obsessed about revenge and ruins her brother's future.

'The Dutch House' reminded me of a twisted, grown-up version of Cinderella, where the father is absent, the step-mother abusive, and the step-sisters are too young to take sides. However, instead of having a happy ending, this story reveals the complexity of the human character and how a dysfunctional household affects a person's behaviour. Danny and Maeve are wonderful, flawed people, that made de best with what they had and turned out quite alright. But simultaneously, you can see how they could've been.

I must say, however, that this book is very polished. Heteronormative white characters, that go from being rich to having "solely" an education fund. This book screams privilege - white privilege, economic privilege, gender privilege. But at the same time, the author touches important subjects such as family relationships, psychological abuse, male privilege - all of these throughout the three family generations. It's not the most profound book, but it certainly makes you think. I must confess, however, that in terms of plot-twists, Patchett failed to surprise me. In the end, it seems like she's just trying to be dramatic like she wants to destroy you but doesn't really know how to do so.

Lastly, I must warn you of the chaotic timeline chosen by the author. It follows no pattern and no rule, which makes it hard (at times) to comprehend. I didn't have much trouble with it – I think it gave the book a certain flair –, but I saw many people complaining about it.