We all have a few authors that automatically get bumped up
to the top of the TBR pile when they release new books. For Julie (Julz Reads)
and I, Ann Patchett is definitely one of those authors. We had so much fun
doing out last Bookish Banter that we planned on this little collaboration
several months out, Patchett’s new release The
Dutch House being the obvious choice. This novel is set in a truly
magnificent home, focusing on the complicated brother-sister relationship of
Danny and Maeve. Here’s what we thought:
Christine S (CS): The first thing that struck me was the
enormity of the symbolism behind the Dutch House- it almost takes on the
position of a character, in a way, just in terms of how it impacts so many
people in such diverse ways. Richard Powers said in his novel The Overstory that “places remember
what people forget” and I thought the quote was so applicable here, given that
it spans three generations. The house connects everyone together whether they
want to be or not and is a sort of beacon for their eventual reunion. It
sounded absolutely amazing from an architectural perspective, but probably not
like a place I’d actually want to live in. What about you? How did you feel
about the house?
Julie M (JM): I loved the opulence Patchett portrayed
since I’m such a sucker for ornate details. I could live in a house like that. It did feel like a
living, breathing character who’s only role was to witness and harbor the
family drama.
I think the house conveyed a timelessness and I don’t
blame Andrea for wanting to insert herself into the scene. Although her desire to “acquire” the
house seemed a little unfair to her daughters. She never did take them into consideration, like they were
an afterthought to her.
CS: We talked
a little bit about the sibling relationship the other day. It’s logical that
their bonds would be intense and unique, given their upbringing, but sometimes
I just wanted to scream at Danny to stand up for himself and stop letting Maeve
dictate his future as much as she wanted to. Medical training is such a
commitment, even for those that are passionate about the field! I was amused by
her desire to drain the trust, but she was also incredibly selfish at the same
time, since she using Danny to satisfy her own vengeful mission.
JM: I wouldn’t have thought a brother and
sister who were 7 years apart in age would have been as close as Danny and
Maeve, except for the fact that she had to step in as a mother figure after
Elna left. Do you think Maeve’s
selfishness in part had to do with her lack of control over her diabetes? Perhaps
she wanted a doctor in the family because then Danny’s medical training could
make her feel less helpless.
CS: That’s
interesting… she couldn’t fully relinquish the control to him, even on that
issue, though… I do think that control was definitely something at the
forefront of everything she did.
The contrast between Andrea and Elna was of course
striking. One loves the house, the other doesn’t. One lives for helping those
who need it, the other the opposite. Old wife, new wife. I could go on and on.
Andrea of course is totally the antagonist, and I think her eventual memory
loss was actually far less of a punishment than she deserved (not that dementia
is a positive for anyone, but she was in a way released from her crimes by not
remembering them). What did you think about her downfall? And what about Elna?
I know Patchett’s holes in her plotline were intentional, but they did bother
me on Danny’s behalf (like Maeve I guess I feel a little protective of him).
JM: Elna’s sudden reappearance reminded me
of that episode of the Simpsons when Mona (Homer’s mother) resurfaces. She had
to leave for the greater good and spent the rest of her life focused on being
charitable.
I also wanted to see Andrea get more of the comeuppance she
deserved. Like if there had been a
way for Danny and Maeve to legally (triumphantly!) wrest the house away from
her.
CS: Yes! I was
hoping that he was going to somehow come in and buy it out from under her or
something.
The last
character I want to talk about is Celeste- another sort of foil situation
Patchett uses, in comparison with Maeve. I can’t decide if she was an unlikable
character or if any wife of Danny’s was doomed. She came across as a nagging,
unsympathetic, impatient wife sometimes, but when I stopped and looked at
things from her perspective I saw how hard it must be for her.
JM: I think it would have been hard for any
woman Danny married. To play
second fiddle to a domineering sister whom he placed on a pedestal would have
been frustrating. You call her
impatient, while I have to commend Celeste for her patience during the years of
their “break”, but yes, she was overbearing in her own way. It was ironic that it was only after
Maeve died and Danny was able to turn his focus onto his own family that
Celeste finally got fed up with him because she no longer had Maeve as a target
for her contempt.
And what did you think of Fluffy’s return? I was pleasantly surprised with how
helpful she was and how much she devoted herself to the family after so many
years of absence.
CS: Yes! I
definitely had a soft spot for Fluffy. She was a good woman.
Criticism? Personally, I liked it better than Commonwealth, but it’s not my favorite
Patchett (still super solid and I’d recommend, it though). Like I said, I
thought Elna’s character was a little under-developed; she could have rounded
her out a bit more while still staying true the mystery she was conveying. I
also thought there were some parts at the end that felt like they were a little
slower, compared to other parts.
JM: I thought Commonwealth had more
intricate plot threads, but Bel Canto will always be my favorite
Patchett. Her characters are
well-developed and realistically flawed.
Despite the horrid situation they were in after Andrea kicked them out
of the Dutch House, Danny and Maeve were scrappy and self-reliant, and I
appreciated that probably more than anything else about them. And of course, how the whole house
thing came full-circle with Danny’s daughter made for a satisfying conclusion.
That’s it for now! We’ll be back at it again… once we
figure out the book. Ha!
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