Rental House
 | |
| Author | Weike Wang |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Literary fiction[1] |
| Set in | Cape Cod, Catskill Mountains |
| Publisher | Riverhead Books |
Publication date | December 3, 2024 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 9780593545546 |
Rental House is a 2024 novel by Weike Wang. Released on December 3, 2024 under Riverhead Books,[1] the novel follows a Chinese American couple, Keru and Nate, as they share a rented cottage on Cape Cod with their families visiting as well as the couple five years later renting a bungalow in the Catskill Mountains.[2][3] Rental House is Wang's third novel following her 2022 release, Joan Is Okay, and her 2017 debut, Chemistry.[1]
Critical Reception
[edit]Los Angeles Times writer Leigh Haber called the book "one of the most nuanced, astute critiques of America now I’ve read in years" and "frequently hilarious". She calls the commentary on the isolation experienced in Asian American immigration and the class disparity within the Chinese diaspora "adept".[3] Kirkus Reviews writes that Wang is an "incisive writer with sharp psychological insight" while praising the novel's dialogue and calling the novel "subtle and powerful in its cultural critique".[1] John Warner, writing for the Chicago Tribune, says that the author is "three for three on delivering sharp, funny, sneakily emotional stories" and that the book is "driven by Wang’s devastating deadpan wit" and is "truly a marvel".[4] In a review for The Washington Post, Porter Shreve calls the novel "funny, deceptively keen and artful" and says that the overly staged setting gives the book a "quiet depth and sadness" with its lack of personality.[5] Writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, Alexis Burling praised Wang as "an eagle-eyed chronicler of the human condition" and called her discussion of societal issues in America "equally adept" as her description of the obliviousness people have with noticing their offensive behavior.[6]
Rhoda Feng of the The Boston Globe criticized the novel's characters, calling them "ghostly vacationers who show themselves quickly out the door". She says that unlike the author's prior works, Rental House is "rarely enlivened with humor or wit" and called the use of third person narration "rote" and having a "clocklike regularity".[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Rental House | Kirkus Reviews". Kirkus Reviews. October 1, 2024.
- ^ "Rental House by Weike Wang". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
- ^ a b Haber, Leigh (2024-11-29). "Portrait of a quiet marriage, or of America's simmering tensions?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
- ^ Warner, John (2024-11-30). "Biblioracle: Weike Wang's 'Rental House' is a sweet and sometimes sad portrait of a marriage". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
- ^ Shreve, Porter (2024-12-03). "In 'Rental House,' a childless couple face society's contempt". The Washington Post.
- ^ Burling, Alexis (2024-11-25). "Review: A masterful if cringe-inducing display of family relationships (not) at their finest". Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide.
- ^ Feng, Rhoda. "Weike Wang's 'Rental House' falls short of her previous work". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2024-12-01.