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The Latecomer
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 16 hrs and 18 mins
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The Latecomer
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Summary
From the New York Times best-selling author of The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz's The Latecomer is a layered and immersive literary novel about three siblings, desperate to escape one another, and the upending of their family by the late arrival of a fourth.
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 add a fourth child to the family. What role will the "latecomer" play in this fractured family?
A complex novel that builds slowly and deliberately, The Latecomer touches on the topics of grief and guilt, generational trauma, privilege and race, traditions and religion and family dynamics. It is a profound and witty family story from an accomplished author, known for the depth of her character studies, expertly woven storylines and plot twists.
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Critic reviews
"Jean Hanff Korelitz is an ambidextrous writer: not only can she write a tight and absorbing literary thriller like The Plot, but with The Latecomer she draws us in again, this time with her ease, grace and wit, in a satisfying novel that spans generations, lives and fates." (Meg Wolitzer, New York Times best-selling author of The Female Persuasion)
What listeners say about The Latecomer
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Claire
- 07-12-23
Fascinating book ( & another please read ..reviewer!)
In total
Agreement with other reviewers and have already given word of mouth recommendations to a number of people. It’s a book which builds, but grabbed me from the first sentence.
I love the clever way family dynamics and the curiosity as to how they work leads to examination of societal norms as well as a social acute social on certain demographics and cultural norms.
I agree that it’s a book we will all get something from . 
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rachael E Stiles
- 20-12-22
Brilliant and engrossing
I like to choose the longest books I can find to last as many commutes as possible before the next credit arrives, but it’s not always easy to find ones that also have a good, well-written story, read by a not-annoying narrator (Julia Whelan is always a safe bet). This book had everything. Clever writing, interesting characters. Loved it. After 14 hours I still wanted more.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sandy Frew
- 13-02-24
Just wonderful
Such a good book brought to life by great narration. The way the author develops the many characters was superb. Couldn’t recommend it more.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Claudia W.
- 20-01-24
Very unique story
Took a while to get going, but once the story was established, it was complex and fascinating.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Liz C.
- 23-01-24
Brilliantly narrated
Story really draws you into this complicated family saga. An excellent listen, especially on a long car journey
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JB
- 10-12-22
Brilliant book!
And read superbly .
Greatly enjoyed !
Read it !!
Worth all the time and concentration. Well done !
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Harry W.
- 18-06-23
Please read this!
This book is captivating and raw, quirky, rich, and just so so good — you will not be disappointed
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Daniel W.
- 22-08-22
Brilliant
I love a multi-generational story, and this is one of the very best I've read. The plotting is excellent, the pacing of the reveals too. Even though I saw them coming, the twists were still very enjoyable when they arrived.
The audiobook production is also spot-on. Perfect quality, and the narrator's accents for dialogue are in just the right point between being noticeably distinct and jerking you out of the story.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- T Robertson
- 15-01-24
Loved this book! Got me through a convalescence and made my flu more bearable!
Just loved this story and the characters. Brilliant narration. Beautiful balance of tragedy, human frailty, adolescence and adulthood, love and forgiveness. Highly recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 14-08-24
What a relief - A good book!
There are too many average to rubbish books out there. This is not one of them. A thoroughly engaging story and bingeable listen.
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