I can’t say whether this is due to the quality of the writing (this is the first book I’ve read by Patchett) or the quality of the narration, but it was a unique listening experience that changed the way I see (hear?) audiobooks. Listening to Tom Hanks’s narration, I felt like I was listening to Danny recount his relationship with Maeve, like it was just the two of us and he was telling me a story. They have an extraordinarily close sibling relationship that isn’t corny or saccharine. The appeal and magic of this book is the relationship between Danny and Maeve. I half expected her to offer Maeve an apple after consulting a magic mirror, but she’s content to throw them out of their home (the titular Dutch House) upon their father’s death. Their new stepmother, Andrea, is a caricature of an evil stepmother. Their mother left when they were young and their father eventually remarries. The Dutch House follows siblings Danny and Maeve over a period of decades. He “acts” the dialogue in an understated way and doesn’t use a high-pitched voice for female characters. I thought he was reading too quickly at first, even checking the playback speed, but he won me over by the second chapter. Quick note on the audiobook: Tom Hanks does a stellar job. I’ve listened to Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House twice and hate the ending as much as I love the beginning, which makes it hard to evaluate.
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