Albert's review of Netherland (original) (raw)

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Albert's Reviews > Netherland

Netherland by Joseph O'Neill

Netherland
by

18868296

I wasn’t sure I would like this novel. I read it because it was part of my quest to read certain award winners. The low ratings on GR were concerning and the publisher’s description was not exciting. When will I learn my lesson? I can’t say that every time I have had reservations about a novel that it turned out that I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it has happened often enough that I should know that my preconceptions can be wrong.

In my defense, it is difficult to explain why I like this one, and I definitely felt the publisher’s description missed the mark. As some readers have observed, the sport of cricket plays a substantial role in the story, but I did not find its inclusion distracting. While I may have learned a little about the game from the novel, I did not find my lack of knowledge of cricket a challenge and I didn’t feel I needed to develop a deep understanding of the game to enjoy the story. Cricket was just part of the background or context for the story. It was a pastime that helped see Hans through some difficult times.

I was pleased that 9/11 did not play as a large a role as the publisher’s description led me to believe. Many of the characters in the novel lived in NYC and lived through 9/11. 9/11 significantly impacted their personal relationships and how they viewed life but did not physically impact them or alter their lives in any visible way, which is true for most people living in the city at that time. This does not mean that the characters who lived through this event minimized it; instead, they had to assimilate what happened to them despite any evident changes to their lives.

This is the story of an average man, Hans van dan Broek, who grew up in the Netherlands, raised by his widowed mother. We meet him in London, where he is working; he has fallen in love and married Rachel. Hans and Rachel then move to NYC for a work opportunity for Rachel and there have a son, Jake. Hans and his family must adjust to the impact that 9/11 has on their lives, but it is Hans’ relationships with his mother, Rachel and a friend, Chuck Ramkissoon, that are the core of the story. While I know some readers did not like the prose style, I was quite taken by it. It has a calm, dispassionate feel that matches the personality of Hans; there is a love for life, however, that is subtle but persistent.

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Reading Progress

August 31, 2024 –Started Reading

August 31, 2024 – Shelved

September 8, 2024 –Finished Reading

September 9, 2024 – Shelved as:reviewed

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