Book Review: The Dutch House - Ann Patchett

 

⭐⭐⭐

I have had a mixed experience so far with Ann Patchett: I loved Commonwealth, I was so involved in the story, and I did not like at all Bel Canto which I abandoned mid way through.

With The Dutch House I have mixed feelings too, I liked the plot (who doesn't like a dysfunctional family?!?) and, to a certain extent, the characters, especially in the first part, but I did not feel anything while reading, no joy, no sadness, no empathy, nothing at all and this is why I am giving it a 3 stars. The writing style lacked a bit of heart in my view, a bit of warmth, it was very clinical and kind of matter-of-fact and the characters' emotions were never fully disclosed (or I couldn't read them through the lines). 

I am not really sure if in the future I want to read another Ann Patchett's novel...

Title: The Dutch House

Author: Ann Patchett
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 352
Publication year: 2020

The Plot:

Danny Conroy grows up in the Dutch House, a lavish mansion. Though his father is distant and his mother is absent, Danny has his beloved sister Maeve: Maeve, with her wall of black hair, her wit, her brilliance. The siblings grow and change as life plays out under the watchful eyes of the house's former owners, in the frames of their oil paintings.

Then one day their father brings Andrea home. Though they cannot know it, her arrival to the Dutch House sows the seed of the defining loss of Danny and Maeve's lives.

The Author:

Ann Patchett is the author of six novels, including Bel Canto, which won the Orange Prize for Fiction. She writes for the New York Times Magazine, Elle, GQ, the Financial Times, the Paris Review and Vogue. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Book Review: Verity - Colleen Hoover

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A very creepy and disturbing read!

I won't give any spoiler BUT I would just recommend not to read it when home alone at night!

This novel is a mix between romance and thriller and it surely has you glued to the pages to know what is going to happen.

Verity is my second read by Colleen Hoover and while I did not love either, they are for sure thought provoking books and quite of the ordinary comparing to your average fiction book out there now. 

I will definitely read some other titles of hers!

Title: Verity

Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Sphere
Pages: 336
Publication year: 2018

The Plot:

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

The Author:

Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of multiple novels and novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.