The Latecomer: A Novel

*A New York Times Notable Book of 2022*
*A Washington Post Notable Work of Fiction*
*An NPR Best Book of the Year*
*A New Yorker Best Book of 2022*

From the New York Times bestselling 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 have a fourth child. 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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448 pages

Average rating: 7.68

63 RATINGS

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6 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Anonymous
Aug 01, 2023
10/10 stars
Triplets Lewyn, Sally, and Harrison are the much-wanted product of their mother's IVF. Johanna, their mother, dotes on them, but is oblivious to them as actual people. She insists that they love each other, and doesn't seem to notice that they prefer not to be in each other's company. Salo, their father, is largely uninterested (although not unloving), preferring to spend his time with his art collection, and, eventually, his mistress, until h...read more
AttorneyStella
Mar 22, 2023
10/10 stars
Loved it. Jean Korelitz is great storyteller
MN/OK Book Club
Feb 09, 2023
Picked by Michelle 10/2022
jenlynerickson
Jan 30, 2023
8/10 stars
I “read like my father used to smoke, just end to end.” Inside bookstores and libraries, I metamorphose into the Chicago “literati, actual and wannabe, davened among the volumes” and promise I’ll just browse. But “This was the flaw in making a bargain with yourself. There is no one else there to agree to the terms.” And that is when I stumbled upon Jean Hanff Korelitz’ The Latecomer, curled up on a chair, “this object so unadorned and yet so clea...read more
Dkiefs
Dec 16, 2022
9/10 stars
This serious was almost a disappointment to me when I found out it wasn’t spooky but it has a great story line. The stories jump around but it does it well so I never felt lost.

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