Everyone says to never judge a book by the cover, but it is something that has yet to fail me. In the case of this one, there are no regrets. Naturally, I wasn’t certain how I would feel about it before, and even starting the first chapter but I was pleasantly surprised by it.
Going to go straight into it and say that I gave The Dutch House five out of five stars on Goodreads, there was something to the book that fascinated me and pulled me in the more I read. An unusual rating on my part but the book almost allowed me to reflect on elements of my own life and take a much needed break from all the academic texts that I was reading over the last few months. You could say that this was almost a palette cleanser, not in a harsh way, but more in a ‘I really needed to read a good book after all that’ kind of way.
Without going into too much detail about what happened, the story follows a family over the course of several years, through trials and hardships, love and loss, new life, and inevitably death. There was mystery to the novel, though it was a retrospective novel almost, nothing was revealed until it was necessary. I think because of this I thoroughly enjoyed it, as well as it being almost in some way relatable and feeling as if you’re hearing story from a friend.
All in all, I definitely recommend this book. There is a pull to it that makes you want to turn the page to find out more of what is happening to the family and to the house. This tale of unjust actions, love, family, and friendships is definitely a quick read. Nothing is left out and everything is tied up and finished nicely, not leaving room for straying thoughts or questions at the end.
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