Scan barcode
A review by andreeavis
Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I have complicated feelings about Long Island Compromise, as it has the potential to be a great book, but the characters are extremely unlikeable, entitled wealthy people dealing with intergenerational trauma by NOT dealing with it. Let me explain.
The story digs into the aftermath of the kidnapping of a Jewish-American patriarch and the impact of this trauma on his family. The story of the kidnapping is captivating, but we then jump into the future and follow three self-entitled rich children into their adult messy lives: Nathan, the eldest son, suffers from extreme anxiety and loses all his wealth in a bad investment with a friend; Beamer, the middle son, is a screen player (whose success is based on someone else’s work) addicted to drugs and BDSM (explained in details I could have gone without); Jenny, the youngest daughter has a brilliant brain but rebelled against the family wealth while to studying in two Yvy League universities way into her 40s.
The kidnapping trauma reflects on their dysfunctional lives, but it’s not addressed until the final chapters when we go back in time again to understand how the kidnapping entirely shifted the dynamic of the family and impacted each of the siblings and their parents irreversibly. I found the final chapters well-built, bringing forth some difficult conversations that were insofar avoided, and the ending healing, in a way.
So, the story is interesting, however, the parts about the siblings, which make up most of the narrative, were hard to digest. It’s not easy to feel compassion toward whiny, privileged, rich adults who behave like children. Also, Jenny’s part, while more introspective, had thoughts and conversations on the extreme shame and depression wealth can create for people, which I found hard to be sympathetic toward.
The book has potential, the prose is beautiful, and the storytelling is exquisite, but I felt the siblings were underdeveloped and exaggerated, painted more like caricatures than real humans. Also, the narrative around the siblings is forcedly humorous, which makes it hard to read at times. The details around Beamer’s sexual preferences were irrelevant to the story in my opinion and I almost skipped those parts. Overall, I found it difficult to read this, even though some parts are excellently executed.
The story digs into the aftermath of the kidnapping of a Jewish-American patriarch and the impact of this trauma on his family. The story of the kidnapping is captivating, but we then jump into the future and follow three self-entitled rich children into their adult messy lives: Nathan, the eldest son, suffers from extreme anxiety and loses all his wealth in a bad investment with a friend; Beamer, the middle son, is a screen player (whose success is based on someone else’s work) addicted to drugs and BDSM (explained in details I could have gone without); Jenny, the youngest daughter has a brilliant brain but rebelled against the family wealth while to studying in two Yvy League universities way into her 40s.
The kidnapping trauma reflects on their dysfunctional lives, but it’s not addressed until the final chapters when we go back in time again to understand how the kidnapping entirely shifted the dynamic of the family and impacted each of the siblings and their parents irreversibly. I found the final chapters well-built, bringing forth some difficult conversations that were insofar avoided, and the ending healing, in a way.
So, the story is interesting, however, the parts about the siblings, which make up most of the narrative, were hard to digest. It’s not easy to feel compassion toward whiny, privileged, rich adults who behave like children. Also, Jenny’s part, while more introspective, had thoughts and conversations on the extreme shame and depression wealth can create for people, which I found hard to be sympathetic toward.
The book has potential, the prose is beautiful, and the storytelling is exquisite, but I felt the siblings were underdeveloped and exaggerated, painted more like caricatures than real humans. Also, the narrative around the siblings is forcedly humorous, which makes it hard to read at times. The details around Beamer’s sexual preferences were irrelevant to the story in my opinion and I almost skipped those parts. Overall, I found it difficult to read this, even though some parts are excellently executed.