The Dutch House started off strong, but around 60% quickly became boring and frankly, unnecessary. This book would’ve been much better off as a novella rather than a full length novel.

I enjoyed the storytelling and Tom Hanks narration. I know some people found it overdone or confusing, but personally I loved the time jumps. The first half of the book I enjoyed (although isn’t necessarily my type of story) and would rate around a 3.5 star.

Ann Patchett is a great writer with beautiful prose, but after 60% of the book I didn’t understand why the book was still going. Then, a big event happens around 65%-70% that left me wondering what message the author was trying to convey. The last 40% of the book, Tom Hanks narration was the only thing that left me finish the book. If I had been reading it physically, I probably would have DNFed.

If you’re already an Ann Patchett fan and this is your favorite type of story, I would recommend to give it a try but otherwise, this story won’t change your mind.