Summary:
At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves.
The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.
Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.
My take: 5 looks
Very interesting character study, and the effect of family dynamics on each member. The story is narrated by Danny, the youngest child of Cyril and Elna Conroy. Early on, Elna abandons her family to work with those in abject poverty, a la Mother Theresa. Danny’s older sister, Maeve, takes on the roll of mother to him as he grows. There are constant maternal characters in the maid and the cook, who are sisters, and the appearance of a cold and manipulative step-mother and her two young daughters.
The house is central, but not in the way that it becomes a character in and of itself. While it elicits emotions from the people living in the house, and it is definitely an imposing structure, it is more of a symptom rather than a cause. For example, Cyril falls in love with it and presents it to Elna as a gift. Elna sees it as a garish waste of money, an afront to good taste, and hates it from the beginning. The second wife, Claudia, marries Cyril simply to get into the house. She has loved it from afar for years, and finally becomes the mistress of the manor.
It is the only home the two main children have ever known, and find that they are slowly and systematically ushered out by their new stepmother.
While all of this is happening, the two main siblings are aging, going to college, living their lives. To avoid getting into the weeds of the story here, and to avoid any further spoilers, I will get straight to what I considered the matter of the book: the deeply interlocking relationship of Maeve and Danny. Maeve lives her life for Danny, never fulfilling any desires or dreams she may have of her own life. As a matter of fact, to see her vision of Danny come to life seems to be her main driving force.
And Danny readily complies, oddly enough. There may be a little pushback, but nothing of consequence, and they both go through life knowing that this is the nature of their relationship. She decides that he will become a doctor, so he does. However, he hates practicing, and so never uses his degree. Instead he somewhat carries on in his father’s footsteps of renovating properties, especially those in gentrifying neighborhoods, and either sells or rents them.
Meanwhile, there is a very odd habit/tradition/compulsion for the two of them to drive back to the house and sit in the car, parked on the street, and stare at the house. Even after they move away, when they are in town, they do this. So, while there is the idea of Danny renovating properties, there is the juxtaposition of his stagnant life. There is a definite growth cycle that he enjoys professionally; but personally, he simply cannot or will not move on.
And, as life so often does, they are all doomed to repeat the past. In one way or another, you will see the characters from the beginning emerge from the aged characters at the end. In tiny ways, in subtle ways, and in ways that almost knock you over.
Patchett’s writing is, as always, beautiful. Her story is compelling and emotional. There is a lot going on in this book. A lot of important characters, and decades told through the pages. But it is not cumbersome, trite or gratuitous. Patchett’s ability to tell the story of so many disparate characters, living intersecting lives, and tying all of the threads together in the end is a marvel of her talent.
Highly recommended.
