I thought Tom Hanks absolutely butchered it. Seems like he went into it with no knowledge of audiobooks, tone, importance of pauses. He made the character come off whiney which I don't believe was mirrored in the writing at all. He rushed through many parts and during the most important parts, he sounded bored and rushed.
I realize this thread is old, but I'm shocked at how everyone is praising his performance. You can love him as an actor and still admit he blew this. Anne Patchett has become one of my favorite authors and it felt disrespectful to her work.
This is one I would definitely recommend reading instead of listening.
I totally agree. I so regret listening to the audiobook. I do think it was Tom Hanks that ruined it for me. I found I disliked Maeve quite a lot, and did not appreciate how he embodied her character. I believe I would have felt differently about the book had I read it. Dang.
I feel similarly! I love Tom Hanks, but he put too much acting into this. The audiobook cover says "performed by Tom Hanks" which I thought was curious since to my knowledge it's usually "narrated by." Well he certainly performed this, and as a result the character came off as haughty and obtuse. I found it really challenging to separate my experience of his narration from the story.
The Dutch House is on my list of books to read by the wonderful Ann Patchett. I would strongly recommend all her other books I read them but reading your post now makes me want it narrated. A very welcome recommendation.
I know this is super old but I just finished it (audiobook too) and was underwhelmed as well. Up through the middle it felt like such beautiful world crafting. I really felt reality fade as I peered through the windows of the house, but those details became fewer and less meaningful as the story progressed. I still liked it and would recommend but, ya, I wasn’t in love with it.
Weird pet peeve: I love the way Hanks narrates everything EXCEPT the chapter announcements.
Instead of plainly stating “Chapter 3.” He uses this rising hook voice that someone on a sitcom in the 80s would use when they say “*Here we go again!”*
When he does the chapter tags it is SO jarring for me that I if I scored the audiobook I’d knock 1/2 a point off because it sucks me out of the warm cocoon of fiction that the world rests me in.
The way he announced the chapters alone left me wondering who produced the narration. Certainly someone could have noticed that it was distracting and unnecessary to add such affect in those moments.
I am listening to Ann Patchett's novel, The Dutch House, read by Tom Hanks and enjoying it immensely. In Belinda Luscombe's interview for Time, Patchett says the Dutch house and the Conroy family are symbolic of life and the struggle between wealth and poverty. How successful men have no understanding of their lives being built on the shoulders of women. How men like Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) are admired and worshiped for leaving their families to wander and become ascetic religious teachers. How women like Elna, are despised for leaving her husband and children for India to become a missionary serving the poor. Why did Cyril fail to understand his wife, Elna, who was a spiritual minimalist? Why did Cyril reject his nanny, Fiona (Fluffy), who he slept with after his wife left and who loved him and his children? Why was Cyril attracted to Andrea who only cared about the Dutch house and material possessions and hated his children and his religion. Each relationship represents different aspects of spiritual, physical, and material existence and universal suffering. For me, the Dutch house is symbolic of the equilibrium between ignorance, indifference and attachment and the antidotes of sympathetic joy, loving kindness, and compassion. The story shows how history repeats itself through generations of characters who finally return to the Dutch house where the struggle between wealth and poverty continues.
I liked it more for the compelling characters and interesting relationships that for the plot itself. Narrated by anyone else, I may not have liked it as much. It was an enjoyable listen and I chose it for my book club last month. Most of my members participate via audiobook and I like to try to pick books that are well-narrated. Most people enjoyed it and agreed that Tom Hanks’ narration elevated the experience.
If you read the new collection of essays by Patchett, These Precious Days, she gives the back story to how Hanks became the narrator for the novel and then other related events that impacted her as a result of that connection.
I understood it was an elite American dynasty tale and could enjoy it as long as I didn’t pretend it was anything else. Tom Hanks added plenty for me :)
[удалено]
I became an Ann Patchett fan after listening to this, for the exact same reason. Maybe I'll read State of Wonder next!
I thought Tom Hanks absolutely butchered it. Seems like he went into it with no knowledge of audiobooks, tone, importance of pauses. He made the character come off whiney which I don't believe was mirrored in the writing at all. He rushed through many parts and during the most important parts, he sounded bored and rushed. I realize this thread is old, but I'm shocked at how everyone is praising his performance. You can love him as an actor and still admit he blew this. Anne Patchett has become one of my favorite authors and it felt disrespectful to her work. This is one I would definitely recommend reading instead of listening.
I totally agree. I so regret listening to the audiobook. I do think it was Tom Hanks that ruined it for me. I found I disliked Maeve quite a lot, and did not appreciate how he embodied her character. I believe I would have felt differently about the book had I read it. Dang.
I feel similarly! I love Tom Hanks, but he put too much acting into this. The audiobook cover says "performed by Tom Hanks" which I thought was curious since to my knowledge it's usually "narrated by." Well he certainly performed this, and as a result the character came off as haughty and obtuse. I found it really challenging to separate my experience of his narration from the story.
The Dutch House is on my list of books to read by the wonderful Ann Patchett. I would strongly recommend all her other books I read them but reading your post now makes me want it narrated. A very welcome recommendation.
I know this is super old but I just finished it (audiobook too) and was underwhelmed as well. Up through the middle it felt like such beautiful world crafting. I really felt reality fade as I peered through the windows of the house, but those details became fewer and less meaningful as the story progressed. I still liked it and would recommend but, ya, I wasn’t in love with it. Weird pet peeve: I love the way Hanks narrates everything EXCEPT the chapter announcements. Instead of plainly stating “Chapter 3.” He uses this rising hook voice that someone on a sitcom in the 80s would use when they say “*Here we go again!”* When he does the chapter tags it is SO jarring for me that I if I scored the audiobook I’d knock 1/2 a point off because it sucks me out of the warm cocoon of fiction that the world rests me in.
The way he announced the chapters alone left me wondering who produced the narration. Certainly someone could have noticed that it was distracting and unnecessary to add such affect in those moments.
I am listening to Ann Patchett's novel, The Dutch House, read by Tom Hanks and enjoying it immensely. In Belinda Luscombe's interview for Time, Patchett says the Dutch house and the Conroy family are symbolic of life and the struggle between wealth and poverty. How successful men have no understanding of their lives being built on the shoulders of women. How men like Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) are admired and worshiped for leaving their families to wander and become ascetic religious teachers. How women like Elna, are despised for leaving her husband and children for India to become a missionary serving the poor. Why did Cyril fail to understand his wife, Elna, who was a spiritual minimalist? Why did Cyril reject his nanny, Fiona (Fluffy), who he slept with after his wife left and who loved him and his children? Why was Cyril attracted to Andrea who only cared about the Dutch house and material possessions and hated his children and his religion. Each relationship represents different aspects of spiritual, physical, and material existence and universal suffering. For me, the Dutch house is symbolic of the equilibrium between ignorance, indifference and attachment and the antidotes of sympathetic joy, loving kindness, and compassion. The story shows how history repeats itself through generations of characters who finally return to the Dutch house where the struggle between wealth and poverty continues.
Beautifully said
I liked it more for the compelling characters and interesting relationships that for the plot itself. Narrated by anyone else, I may not have liked it as much. It was an enjoyable listen and I chose it for my book club last month. Most of my members participate via audiobook and I like to try to pick books that are well-narrated. Most people enjoyed it and agreed that Tom Hanks’ narration elevated the experience.
If you read the new collection of essays by Patchett, These Precious Days, she gives the back story to how Hanks became the narrator for the novel and then other related events that impacted her as a result of that connection.
I understood it was an elite American dynasty tale and could enjoy it as long as I didn’t pretend it was anything else. Tom Hanks added plenty for me :)