Jean Hanff Korelitz's 'The Latecomer' is an ambitious multigenerational novel that follows the Oppenheimer family from the parents' troubled courtship through their triplets' young adulthood. The story centers on Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally—triplets born to wealthy, emotionally distant parents—and later their surprise younger brother Phoebe, the titular latecomer who disrupts the family's carefully maintained dysfunction.

Korelitz excels at creating distinct voices for each sibling: Harrison becomes a pompous academic, Lewyn struggles with addiction and identity, Sally channels her anger into activism, and Phoebe emerges as the family's potential salvation. The novel's greatest strength lies in its unflinching examination of how privilege can both protect and poison, particularly in its portrayal of parents Johanna and Salo, whose own traumas and selfishness create a household of emotional neglect despite material abundance.

The book tackles weighty themes including Holocaust legacy, cultural appropriation, addiction, and the corrosive effects of wealth with intelligence and nuance.

However, at nearly 500 pages, the pacing suffers from Korelitz's tendency toward lengthy exposition and her determination to give equal time to each family member's perspective. Some readers may find the characters' self-absorption exhausting, though this appears intentional—Korelitz isn't asking us to like the Oppenheimers, but to understand how they became so damaged. The novel's structure, jumping between time periods and viewpoints, occasionally feels scattered, and certain plot threads (particularly Sally's college activism) feel less developed than others. This book will appeal most to readers who enjoy character-driven literary fiction and aren't put off by deeply flawed, privileged protagonists. Fans of family sagas like Jonathan Franzen or Donna Tartt will appreciate Korelitz's psychological insight and social commentary. However, readers seeking plot-driven narratives or sympathetic characters should look elsewhere. The book requires patience and tolerance for the wealthy's problems, but rewards careful readers with sharp observations about family dynamics, generational trauma, and the ways we both perpetuate and break cycles of damage.