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The Rich People Have Gone Away
Brooklyn, 2020. Theo Harper and his pregnant wife Darla head upstate to their summer cottage to wait out the lockdown. Not everyone in their fancy apartment building has this: not Xavier, the restless teenager in the Cardi B t-shirt, or Darla’s black best friend Ruby and her partner Katsumi, who stay behind to save their restaurant. During an upstate hike, Theo lets slip a long-held secret about his mixed-up ancestry—and when Darla disappears after the ensuing argument, he suddenly finds himself the prime suspect at the centre of a front-page police search for the perfect missing woman.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 6, 2024
About the author
Regina Porter
4 books245 followersRegina Porter is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow. She is the recipient of a 2017-2018 Rae Armour West Postgraduate Scholarship. She is also a 2017 Tin House Scholar. Her fiction has been published in The Harvard Review. An award-winning writer with a background in playwriting, Porter has worked with Playwrights Horizons, the Joseph Papp Theater, New York Stage and Film, the Women’s Project, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Horizon Theatre Company. She has been anthologized in Plays from Woolly Mammoth by Broadway Play Services and Heinemann’s Scenes for Women by Women. She has also been profiled in Southern Women Playwrights: New Essays in History and Criticism from the University of Alabama Press. Porter was born in Savannah, Georgia, and lives in Brooklyn.
photo credit Liz Lazarus
photo credit Liz Lazarus
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
August 13, 2024
By now, we can all spot the symptoms: that little tickle in the front pages, some congestion along the dust jacket, a certain stiffness in the spine.
It’s already too late: You’ve got a full-blown covid novel.
There’s no cure except to spend the next three or four days in social isolation until it’s finished. But honestly, if it’s as good as Regina Porter’s “The Rich People Have Gone Away,” you won’t mind quarantining.
That’s a particularly astonishing accomplishment considering that just four years after the virus came to these shores, we’re already packing up the covid-19 pandemic in the memory chest that holds the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1918. But Porter’s witty new novel, the follow-up to her 2019 debut, “The Travelers,” is bold enough to wave away the gathering fog of amnesia. She reminds us of madly wiping down the kitchen, walking along eerily silent streets, tensing up when someone joins us in an elevator, arguing with unmasked boors who did their own research, googling “where to find toilet paper,” hearing the word “intubation” for the first time and then learning that there aren’t enough ventilators.
Of course, if the only thing “The Rich People Have Gone Away” had to offer were a stroll past a line of refrigerated morgue trucks, I’d tell you to avoid it like the plague. But Porter is doing so much more in this surprisingly delightful and challenging novel. She holds the covid pandemic up to the light and uses it as a prism to separate the mingled wavelengths of American society. The virus itself may not have discriminated, but it was endured by different kinds of people in tragically different ways. You can see some of that illumination right in the title, which nods to the panic that sent moneyed folks scurrying away from cities. But she’s equally interested in the way covid interacted with a much older and more pernicious virus known as racism.
In the opening pages of “The Rich People Have Gone Away” — April 2020 — Theo Harper’s apartment building in Park Slope is so empty that he can enjoy having sex in doorways on the ninth floor. That’s a fair marker of the man’s brazenness and his liminal nature. Porter narrates in a bifurcated tone that channels Theo’s egotism while also holding him at the end of a pin. It’s a technique that renders him both fascinating and repugnant. He’s a. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
It’s already too late: You’ve got a full-blown covid novel.
There’s no cure except to spend the next three or four days in social isolation until it’s finished. But honestly, if it’s as good as Regina Porter’s “The Rich People Have Gone Away,” you won’t mind quarantining.
That’s a particularly astonishing accomplishment considering that just four years after the virus came to these shores, we’re already packing up the covid-19 pandemic in the memory chest that holds the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1918. But Porter’s witty new novel, the follow-up to her 2019 debut, “The Travelers,” is bold enough to wave away the gathering fog of amnesia. She reminds us of madly wiping down the kitchen, walking along eerily silent streets, tensing up when someone joins us in an elevator, arguing with unmasked boors who did their own research, googling “where to find toilet paper,” hearing the word “intubation” for the first time and then learning that there aren’t enough ventilators.
Of course, if the only thing “The Rich People Have Gone Away” had to offer were a stroll past a line of refrigerated morgue trucks, I’d tell you to avoid it like the plague. But Porter is doing so much more in this surprisingly delightful and challenging novel. She holds the covid pandemic up to the light and uses it as a prism to separate the mingled wavelengths of American society. The virus itself may not have discriminated, but it was endured by different kinds of people in tragically different ways. You can see some of that illumination right in the title, which nods to the panic that sent moneyed folks scurrying away from cities. But she’s equally interested in the way covid interacted with a much older and more pernicious virus known as racism.
In the opening pages of “The Rich People Have Gone Away” — April 2020 — Theo Harper’s apartment building in Park Slope is so empty that he can enjoy having sex in doorways on the ninth floor. That’s a fair marker of the man’s brazenness and his liminal nature. Porter narrates in a bifurcated tone that channels Theo’s egotism while also holding him at the end of a pin. It’s a technique that renders him both fascinating and repugnant. He’s a. . . .
To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...
August 19, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed The Rich People Have Gone Away, a literary fiction story about a pregnant woman who goes missing after an argument with her husband in the woods. Like many others, Theo and Darla Harper leave NYC in the early days of the pandemic. On their way to Darla’s family cottage upstate, they stop in the woods for a hike as part of their usual routine, but this time, they do not leave the woods together.
This story follows Theo, Darla, and others in New York connected to the couple and the search for Darla. The Rich People Have Gone Away explores secrets, relationships, class, and more. The characters are flawed and authentic and even when I didn’t find certain characters likable, I felt invested in each of their stories.
The pandemic is a prominent theme in this book — 2-4 years ago, this would have been a hard pass for me because I just wasn’t interested in reading about it but timing is key, and I’m glad I gave this one a shot. While I can see that this may not be a book for everyone, it definitely worked well for me. The writing was smart and the story different, in a good way — 4.5 stars (rounded up)
Thank you to Netgalley and Hogarth Books for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This story follows Theo, Darla, and others in New York connected to the couple and the search for Darla. The Rich People Have Gone Away explores secrets, relationships, class, and more. The characters are flawed and authentic and even when I didn’t find certain characters likable, I felt invested in each of their stories.
The pandemic is a prominent theme in this book — 2-4 years ago, this would have been a hard pass for me because I just wasn’t interested in reading about it but timing is key, and I’m glad I gave this one a shot. While I can see that this may not be a book for everyone, it definitely worked well for me. The writing was smart and the story different, in a good way — 4.5 stars (rounded up)
Thank you to Netgalley and Hogarth Books for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2024
I really liked this book. It captured me from the start and I was invested in the characters. I think this is a very strong "COVID novel" and it explores a lot of ideas around who we become in moments of crisis. I think there were a few too many perspectivs in the book overall, but think Porter pulled off a really solid book.
June 1, 2024
So I really enjoyed this but I'm not sure I would have if I didn't currently live in NYC. I also think there's one huge twist that will potentially upset a ton of readers... anyway I would still recommend.
July 25, 2024
Holy fever dream Batman. This novel told through short vignettes of various interconnected characters explores race, history, family, and friendship during the pandemic. When Theo and his wife Darla get into a fight out on the trails in upstate New York, a fight ensures leaving Darla frightened and fleeing into the woods. Her disappearance brings interrogation and eyes onto what has been happening.
This book tried to do a lot of things all at once. We had 9/11, racism, COVID, upward mobility, polyamory, and a whole lore more in one novel. While I felt like there was a lot happening that kept me in the book it felt disjointed and I found myself asking why all of these different moments were necessary to tell the story.
This book tried to do a lot of things all at once. We had 9/11, racism, COVID, upward mobility, polyamory, and a whole lore more in one novel. While I felt like there was a lot happening that kept me in the book it felt disjointed and I found myself asking why all of these different moments were necessary to tell the story.
June 19, 2024
DNF, the central plot was so engaging, it just felt painful having to sit through the chapters in between which introduced too many characters that I was never going to remember
August 3, 2024
What a weird book. From the description, I thought this would be a missing person mystery set during Covid. I appreciated the characterization and descriptions. The stories themselves seem disjointed and unrelated, although they are loosely related to each other. My brain kept trying. To make them connect more. I think it was strange and uncomfortable that the main characters were polyamorous. Maybe I am small minded or judgmental, but that’s just something I don’t understand. Maybe that was supposed to intentionally make me uncomfortable, I don’t know.
Ironically I read this while being sick with COVID-19 and quarantining in Iowa.
I was left with a lot of questions, but this was still a worthy read.
Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published August 6,2024
Ironically I read this while being sick with COVID-19 and quarantining in Iowa.
I was left with a lot of questions, but this was still a worthy read.
Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published August 6,2024
Want to read
August 20, 2024Can't wait to read this book. Regina Porter's The Travelers was stunning.
August 13, 2024
I like the title, referring to Covid-19, which sets the stage excellently for an interesting plot. However, I didn't understand how Theo is 30% "African and Native American," it was never explained how many generations back his black namesake existed; and yet the basis of this story's central theme is how this news, or the delivery of this news, by present-day Theo to his newly pregnant wife Darla sets off their violent parting and the authorities' search into her disappearance, and all the very many other families who are affected or tangentially involved in the aftermath. Also I didn't understand how Theo's wife put up with his egoism and promiscuity, or what she gained in return. It was alluded to that Nadine and Irvin Curtis (or maybe it was Nadine's parents, Geraldine and Skip Spaulding, or perhaps Ruby's parents, Frida and Ulysses?) also had an open marriage; I was frustrated that I couldn't keep enough characters memorized, or that too many of them had been introduced to me. The photo illustrations were confusing for me too, because I knew they couldn't be actual depictions of fictional characters, so wondering who they exactly were proved distracting in my case; but that's probably a me problem.
I like the rough ending here, it's more brilliantly lifelike than Hollywood. It's as if the author touched upon each and every input that led to the BLM movement and moment in America's history, without actually naming it or putting it in the story as such.
From reading about Regina Porter's other novel, The Travelers, I can see that complex multi-layered storylines involving a multitude of character sets is her go-to format. She is clearly a gifted writer, and I look forward to reading more of her work in future.
I like the rough ending here, it's more brilliantly lifelike than Hollywood. It's as if the author touched upon each and every input that led to the BLM movement and moment in America's history, without actually naming it or putting it in the story as such.
From reading about Regina Porter's other novel, The Travelers, I can see that complex multi-layered storylines involving a multitude of character sets is her go-to format. She is clearly a gifted writer, and I look forward to reading more of her work in future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2024
The first few months of the Covid pandemic in New York City were interesting. I stopped going to the grocery store, I took solo walks in a nearby park, and I didn't stop working the entire time. It's not something I want to revisit, so "The Rich People Have Gone Away" was a flashback for me.
While the writing was engaging, I found Theo to be completely insufferable. Just...what a prick. The central plot of a missing woman wasn't able to carry through on the off chapters and there were just one too many side characters. While race was a huge focus, I couldn't get over how...terrible Theo spoke about it. It felt pandering.
I feel like this book will be a hit in Brooklyn, Park Slope specifically. It wasn't for me.....I left that neighborhood 10 years ago.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.
While the writing was engaging, I found Theo to be completely insufferable. Just...what a prick. The central plot of a missing woman wasn't able to carry through on the off chapters and there were just one too many side characters. While race was a huge focus, I couldn't get over how...terrible Theo spoke about it. It felt pandering.
I feel like this book will be a hit in Brooklyn, Park Slope specifically. It wasn't for me.....I left that neighborhood 10 years ago.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.
Want to read
February 10, 2024! ! !
August 19, 2024
I’ve been wary of reading books set in early 2020, but the premise sounded interesting enough to convince me to give this one a try … and I’m glad I did! I loved it even more than expected. I’m team character-driven stories any day of the week, and this novel has an unforgettable ensemble that represents a range of human experience. Porter’s writing is pitch perfect, highly recommend!
August 10, 2024
After an explosive argument with her husband while out hiking, pregnant Darla Jacobson goes missing. Her absence sets in motion a series of events that reveal long-hidden secrets that push Darla, her family, and friends to the brink.
This one is kind of tricky to rate/review. One of the marketing comparisons was the work of Patricia Highsmith, but it's really less of a domestic thriller and more of a collage of life during COVID where every pre-existing tension is pushed to the surface but with fairly low-stakes outcomes compared to the scale of events in the book.
The kaleidoscopic focus on so many different characters means that no one plot is fully rendered, and at times, it's difficult to see how some of these vignettes serve the narrative/themes. The prose is also stylized, which I enjoy but could potentially put readers off.
Even though there are many elements of this book that don't quite work for me, I still enjoyed my time with it. It's ambitious with heart and humanity. It's not going to be for every reader, and I understand why it's getting mixed reviews, but I'm glad I picked it up.
Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC via Netgalley!
This one is kind of tricky to rate/review. One of the marketing comparisons was the work of Patricia Highsmith, but it's really less of a domestic thriller and more of a collage of life during COVID where every pre-existing tension is pushed to the surface but with fairly low-stakes outcomes compared to the scale of events in the book.
The kaleidoscopic focus on so many different characters means that no one plot is fully rendered, and at times, it's difficult to see how some of these vignettes serve the narrative/themes. The prose is also stylized, which I enjoy but could potentially put readers off.
Even though there are many elements of this book that don't quite work for me, I still enjoyed my time with it. It's ambitious with heart and humanity. It's not going to be for every reader, and I understand why it's getting mixed reviews, but I'm glad I picked it up.
Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC via Netgalley!
August 30, 2024
4/ This is a good character driven novel with a slow burn mystery (kind of? maybe more of a happening). It's not necessarily suspenseful but it has nice pacing and explores a lot of social themes through its central characters and a large array of background characters-- the side characters have side characters in this one. Porter has fun exploring how unlikable people can be in her flawed characters, but does an excellent job showing us why they are the way they are. I think Porter also did a good job with the high wire act of depicting and setting this timeline during peak COVID-- it impacts the characters in ways but is not super central to the story, which may have turned me off otherwise.
Read
August 28, 2024I'm only 50 pages in, but I just needed to come here & lament that a character who is apparently so obsessed with Prince that she traveled internationally to see him perform well after he become a Jehovah's Witness & got super-weird states that he died in 2017. I feel like even a pretty casual Prince fan knows that Prince died on April 21, 2016. Obviously this isn't really relevant to the plot, but Porter chose to create a character that introduces herself to us through her love of Prince. The least she could do is Google an obit real quick to make sure she has the year right.
August 14, 2024
The disparate stories of the several main characters—while kind of interesting on their own—never persuasively come together or ultimately add up to all that much. The revelations that come, such as they are, while meaningful, are not so very momentous. I like the ideas here, but this isn’t really a fully-formed novel.
July 21, 2024
I just read an ARC of this that I was sent by the kind people at Jonathan Cape in the UK. I will adjust the edition after publication and add a fuller review closer to publication.
August 25, 2024
In more capable hands, this may have been a good book. However, it ended up being just a lot of disjointed navel gazing by a lot of unlikeable people.
August 24, 2024
Got 135 pages in. Realized that I did not care what happened next to even one of the characters. Looked at my stack of other books waiting to be read. DNF.
August 4, 2024
If you can imagine the worst people you know thinking they’re important, then you know what this book was. There were viewpoints that didn’t matter or hold weight to the story, unnecessary background, and the absolute most miserable main characters you’ll acquaint yourself with. The only redeeming character was Tabitha and her side story also made no difference to the story at large. The author wanted to do a lot but it wasn’t cohesive.
May 26, 2024
This is the first novel about COVID-19 that I have come across that utilizes lockdown in such a way that doesn't center it as the main problem of the book, but rather just something that everyone in the novel is similarly dealing with. As such it is background, not too dissimilar from the NYC boroughs that Regina Porter's characters live in. And what characters! Porter arranges a panoply of people who are all related by blood or marriage in some way, yet separated by space and class enough that they could very well be strangers. And this, in a very significant manner, is what makes the mystery at the heart of the book so compelling.
First and foremost "The Rich People Have Gone Away" is a character study, each chapter peeling away more details about this extended family/friend group so that when one of them goes missing and is presumed dead, all of the pieces that have been put in place get reshuffled to the point where the picture that was previously painted may not be the one belonging to this story.
Like a good Hitchcock film, the suspense in this story isn't around the disappearance, but what that disappearance means for all of the other characters whose lives are now affected.
First and foremost "The Rich People Have Gone Away" is a character study, each chapter peeling away more details about this extended family/friend group so that when one of them goes missing and is presumed dead, all of the pieces that have been put in place get reshuffled to the point where the picture that was previously painted may not be the one belonging to this story.
Like a good Hitchcock film, the suspense in this story isn't around the disappearance, but what that disappearance means for all of the other characters whose lives are now affected.
May 3, 2024
The Rich People Have Gone Away was not at all what I was expecting, however that is absolutely a positive and made this book so much more enjoyable to read. I was interested in the plot description, but what I loved about this book is aside from the main point which is the woman who goes missing in 2020, is how each character's backstory is deeply examined so we have a clear picture of how they know each other and what informs their respective interactions. I also loved that a character who intially seems peripheral ends up with a fully fleshed out story line as do his family members. This of course reflects how in real life people who we may consider peripheral and not notice in our own lives do of course have their own universe and story just like we do, and even if we are the main character in our perpspective, we are a minor character in someone else's.
Regina Porter accurately, thoughtfully, and vividly captures the uncertainty and the terror from the first few months of COVID in New York City and how this time period was experienced differently depending on one's race, class, and even sex. Clearly COVID was not the "great equalizer" as some claimed since, as the title of this book indicates, only those with means could flee the city to try to escape the virus. Thousands of essential workers remained in the city, on the job, and many other working class people remained in the city with dwindling resources as they lost income through furloughs and closures.
This book covers all aspects of the pandemic ranging from the racial disparities in disease outcomes, the varying stages of how people were worried about transmission, lockdowns, to PPP loans and the debate over "who deserved them." Having lived in NYC during this period, it was certainly both a throw back and interesting to approach this topic in general since lots of media tends to ignore that it even happened.
The pandemic is not the only major event discussed as September 11th features very prominently as well as a pivotal and life changing moment for almost all of them. This is one of the only books set in NYC that I have read which addresses September 11th in a manner that is not gratituous, and while this is not explicitly stated to my recollection, it seemed to me that September 11th was part of the plot as a way to invoke another time in NYC that everyone was bound together in a life altering event.
The direction the main plot took was incredibly interesting and never would I have seen it coming. The ending also was very well done by ending on what we all know comes next in 2020 and being so subtle in how it references that. I appreciate how Porter approachs issues of white privilege, missing white woman syndome, male privilege, and other social issues by seamlessly weaving them into the plot and, similar to how she approaches September 11th, not having these topics seem like gratuitous add ons.
Having read this I definitely want to check out Porter's other work.
Many thanks to Random House/Hogarth and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.
Regina Porter accurately, thoughtfully, and vividly captures the uncertainty and the terror from the first few months of COVID in New York City and how this time period was experienced differently depending on one's race, class, and even sex. Clearly COVID was not the "great equalizer" as some claimed since, as the title of this book indicates, only those with means could flee the city to try to escape the virus. Thousands of essential workers remained in the city, on the job, and many other working class people remained in the city with dwindling resources as they lost income through furloughs and closures.
This book covers all aspects of the pandemic ranging from the racial disparities in disease outcomes, the varying stages of how people were worried about transmission, lockdowns, to PPP loans and the debate over "who deserved them." Having lived in NYC during this period, it was certainly both a throw back and interesting to approach this topic in general since lots of media tends to ignore that it even happened.
The pandemic is not the only major event discussed as September 11th features very prominently as well as a pivotal and life changing moment for almost all of them. This is one of the only books set in NYC that I have read which addresses September 11th in a manner that is not gratituous, and while this is not explicitly stated to my recollection, it seemed to me that September 11th was part of the plot as a way to invoke another time in NYC that everyone was bound together in a life altering event.
The direction the main plot took was incredibly interesting and never would I have seen it coming. The ending also was very well done by ending on what we all know comes next in 2020 and being so subtle in how it references that. I appreciate how Porter approachs issues of white privilege, missing white woman syndome, male privilege, and other social issues by seamlessly weaving them into the plot and, similar to how she approaches September 11th, not having these topics seem like gratuitous add ons.
Having read this I definitely want to check out Porter's other work.
Many thanks to Random House/Hogarth and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.
May 4, 2024
The novel, "The Rich People Have Gone Away," by Regina Porter is a mesmerizing tapestry that weaves together the lives of a diverse group of New Yorkers. Set against the backdrop of Brooklyn in 2020, this kaleidoscopic narrative explores themes of betrayal, race, privilege, and human connection.
Theo Harper and his pregnant wife, Darla, escape to their summer cottage upstate to wait out the lockdown. But not everyone in their upscale Park Slope condo building shares their privilege. Xavier, the teenager in the Cardi B t-shirt, and Darla's best friend Ruby, along with her partner Katsumi, remain behind to save their Michelin-starred restaurant. As tensions rise, Theo reveals a long-held secret during an upstate hike on the aptly named Devil's Path. When Darla disappears after an argument, he becomes the prime suspect.
Porter masterfully intertwines past and present, drawing us into the lives of ordinary New Yorkers. We glimpse fleeting connections in the building lobby, renewing old bonds and reevaluating distances. The search for Darla brings families and friends together, but it also exposes inequities that persist in our ever-changing city.
The novel pulsates with hope, love, and the reminder that no one truly leaves the past behind. Porter's prose is both lyrical and incisive, capturing the essence of each character's struggle. Her exploration of race and privilege is unflinching, yet she infuses the narrative with moments of grace and redemption.
"The Rich People Have Gone Away" is a triumph! It’s a powerful story that resonates long after the final page. Porter's ability to illuminate the complexities of human relationships is nothing short of remarkable. Whether you're a seasoned reader or a newcomer to her work, this novel is a must-read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Hogarth for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Theo Harper and his pregnant wife, Darla, escape to their summer cottage upstate to wait out the lockdown. But not everyone in their upscale Park Slope condo building shares their privilege. Xavier, the teenager in the Cardi B t-shirt, and Darla's best friend Ruby, along with her partner Katsumi, remain behind to save their Michelin-starred restaurant. As tensions rise, Theo reveals a long-held secret during an upstate hike on the aptly named Devil's Path. When Darla disappears after an argument, he becomes the prime suspect.
Porter masterfully intertwines past and present, drawing us into the lives of ordinary New Yorkers. We glimpse fleeting connections in the building lobby, renewing old bonds and reevaluating distances. The search for Darla brings families and friends together, but it also exposes inequities that persist in our ever-changing city.
The novel pulsates with hope, love, and the reminder that no one truly leaves the past behind. Porter's prose is both lyrical and incisive, capturing the essence of each character's struggle. Her exploration of race and privilege is unflinching, yet she infuses the narrative with moments of grace and redemption.
"The Rich People Have Gone Away" is a triumph! It’s a powerful story that resonates long after the final page. Porter's ability to illuminate the complexities of human relationships is nothing short of remarkable. Whether you're a seasoned reader or a newcomer to her work, this novel is a must-read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Hogarth for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 31, 2024
...cities don't abandon people, people abandon people.
The Rich People Have Gone Away
Regina Porter
Thank you @prhaudio @hogarth books for this well executed audio presentation of a book I went into totally blind, other than knowing it had my favorite NYC setting. However, this is a Covid novel and we all have our own tolerance setting for reliving that nightmare via our books, so you'll have to decide for yourself if you're ready.
Personally, I've shunned pandemic novels for the simple reason that it seems too soon. And the few I've read haven't worked well - I think it's too soon for the authors too. But, this one didn't make me want to run and instead wrapped a couple very unique stories and perspectives around NYC's experience with Covid.
I guess that first, this is a story of privilege and class. The privilege that those who were able to flee NYC in March 2020 when lockdown ruled our lives and the city became one of the hot spots. The exodus "upstate" was so commonplace but of course, not available to everyone and that is the crux of the plotline (obviously, given the title).
At first I found this a bit difficult to break into- there are quite a few characters and trying to figure out how they were all going to work together had me wondering. But then something happens that turns what could have been an average pandemic tale into a missing person story and at that point it really hooked me.
The NYC setting is perfectly drawn, but the backstory of the disappearance of one of the main characters (I won't give any spoilers here) was just the right amount of suspense and worked as a powerful side story. Along with Covid, there is a 9/11 plotline that I never saw coming, meaning the way the author wove it. So this novel. really illuminates the resilience of NYC.
The Rich People Have Gone Away is out 8/6 and I think it will work for lots of readers, even those who don't think they want a Covid story. 3.75 stars.
The Rich People Have Gone Away
Regina Porter
Thank you @prhaudio @hogarth books for this well executed audio presentation of a book I went into totally blind, other than knowing it had my favorite NYC setting. However, this is a Covid novel and we all have our own tolerance setting for reliving that nightmare via our books, so you'll have to decide for yourself if you're ready.
Personally, I've shunned pandemic novels for the simple reason that it seems too soon. And the few I've read haven't worked well - I think it's too soon for the authors too. But, this one didn't make me want to run and instead wrapped a couple very unique stories and perspectives around NYC's experience with Covid.
I guess that first, this is a story of privilege and class. The privilege that those who were able to flee NYC in March 2020 when lockdown ruled our lives and the city became one of the hot spots. The exodus "upstate" was so commonplace but of course, not available to everyone and that is the crux of the plotline (obviously, given the title).
At first I found this a bit difficult to break into- there are quite a few characters and trying to figure out how they were all going to work together had me wondering. But then something happens that turns what could have been an average pandemic tale into a missing person story and at that point it really hooked me.
The NYC setting is perfectly drawn, but the backstory of the disappearance of one of the main characters (I won't give any spoilers here) was just the right amount of suspense and worked as a powerful side story. Along with Covid, there is a 9/11 plotline that I never saw coming, meaning the way the author wove it. So this novel. really illuminates the resilience of NYC.
The Rich People Have Gone Away is out 8/6 and I think it will work for lots of readers, even those who don't think they want a Covid story. 3.75 stars.
August 17, 2024
THE RICH PEOPLE HAVE GONE AWAY |
Thank you hogarthbooks
This is already out now!
The main story revolves around a couple who have a fight in the woods and the wife has gone missing amid the beginning of COVID. The book is a COVID novel that explores race, privilege and power. Specifically, it's a white woman that's gone missing and her husband, who is "one drop Black", something that he's been fixated on since he learned of it, is number 1 suspect. During COVID which heightened the disparities of means and privilege, how far can one white family go to find a loved one, whether she's in peril or not?
There are long deviations and side stories of peripheral characters which are just as fascinating and interesting as the main story, backstory not just into the immediate family and friends circle, but also the detectives who start working the case and a kid who lives in the building. During the beginning of COVID, wrapped up and insulated in our own desperate fears of uncertainty and the unknown, many people felt the possibility of death which Porter really accurately depicts with a sentimentality about reaching out to neighbors, desperate for some type of contact, knowing that it probably won't last 2 years post -covid. This deep interior forays into so many peripheral people's lives gave a sense of this desire for more contact that we all wish we'd had.
The exploration of racial and economic identity and privilege was also so well done. For the most part, most of the characters are well off, afforded the means to just pick up and go wherever they want. Many of them do, disappear for a while "to find themselves," or to find someone who seems to give them and their lives meaning for enough time at least until they feel the need to start again. But for some, we see how both financial and now new COVID constraints restrict movement and contact with loved ones.
Very much enjoyed this one. 4.5
Thank you hogarthbooks
This is already out now!
The main story revolves around a couple who have a fight in the woods and the wife has gone missing amid the beginning of COVID. The book is a COVID novel that explores race, privilege and power. Specifically, it's a white woman that's gone missing and her husband, who is "one drop Black", something that he's been fixated on since he learned of it, is number 1 suspect. During COVID which heightened the disparities of means and privilege, how far can one white family go to find a loved one, whether she's in peril or not?
There are long deviations and side stories of peripheral characters which are just as fascinating and interesting as the main story, backstory not just into the immediate family and friends circle, but also the detectives who start working the case and a kid who lives in the building. During the beginning of COVID, wrapped up and insulated in our own desperate fears of uncertainty and the unknown, many people felt the possibility of death which Porter really accurately depicts with a sentimentality about reaching out to neighbors, desperate for some type of contact, knowing that it probably won't last 2 years post -covid. This deep interior forays into so many peripheral people's lives gave a sense of this desire for more contact that we all wish we'd had.
The exploration of racial and economic identity and privilege was also so well done. For the most part, most of the characters are well off, afforded the means to just pick up and go wherever they want. Many of them do, disappear for a while "to find themselves," or to find someone who seems to give them and their lives meaning for enough time at least until they feel the need to start again. But for some, we see how both financial and now new COVID constraints restrict movement and contact with loved ones.
Very much enjoyed this one. 4.5
August 27, 2024
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
This was a win for me! 4.5 stars, rounding up. Some context on me as a reader: I am far more likely to venture into experimental literary fiction than commercial mystery or ensemble stories, and that really worked in my favor when it came to reading this book. The Rich People Have Gone Away IS a mystery novel — perhaps less of a "whodunnit" and more of an exploration of a missing persons case — but it also dives deep into its themes and doesn't hesitate to pull us away from the flashy plot to do so. For some readers, that will be distracting or frustrating. For me, it worked brilliantly.
This is a COVID novel. It explores the lives of multiple interconnected families during the Spring and Summer of 2020 in New York City, and does not shy away from the class, racial, and political implications, as the title might suggest. Porter is a master of complex characters, and this book has made me want to pick up others she's written. I knew her writing would get along with my reading sensibilities when the first few pages made me say aloud, "Oh, I hate this man." I still did by the end, but I loved that the text never wrote him off — instead, it pushed the reader to see him as a human being without coddling or validating the many things he gets wrong.
I read a lot of ~sad girl litfic~, and if you're looking for the energy of complicated and often unlikable protagonists paired with the pace of a mystery and the commentary of a book that could only have been written from inside of and just after a global pandemic, this book is absolutely for you. Loved it, ripped through it in two days, would recommend.
This was a win for me! 4.5 stars, rounding up. Some context on me as a reader: I am far more likely to venture into experimental literary fiction than commercial mystery or ensemble stories, and that really worked in my favor when it came to reading this book. The Rich People Have Gone Away IS a mystery novel — perhaps less of a "whodunnit" and more of an exploration of a missing persons case — but it also dives deep into its themes and doesn't hesitate to pull us away from the flashy plot to do so. For some readers, that will be distracting or frustrating. For me, it worked brilliantly.
This is a COVID novel. It explores the lives of multiple interconnected families during the Spring and Summer of 2020 in New York City, and does not shy away from the class, racial, and political implications, as the title might suggest. Porter is a master of complex characters, and this book has made me want to pick up others she's written. I knew her writing would get along with my reading sensibilities when the first few pages made me say aloud, "Oh, I hate this man." I still did by the end, but I loved that the text never wrote him off — instead, it pushed the reader to see him as a human being without coddling or validating the many things he gets wrong.
I read a lot of ~sad girl litfic~, and if you're looking for the energy of complicated and often unlikable protagonists paired with the pace of a mystery and the commentary of a book that could only have been written from inside of and just after a global pandemic, this book is absolutely for you. Loved it, ripped through it in two days, would recommend.
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July 20, 2024"The Rich People Have Gone Away" by Regina Porter
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Hogarth for permission to read this work before publication.
TW: identity theft, domestic violence, abandonment, death, drug use
Porter centers this novel around three families in Brooklyn facing life in lockdown, in March/April 2020. We all remember that as a scary, unstable time when even the things most familiar to use felt foreign. The story seems to revolve around pregnant Darla, her bisexual husband Theo and the unspoken tension in their marriage. When an argument goes to far, Theo is suspected of killing his wife and is faced with his perceptions of his race and family. Irving and Xavier are managing life without wife/mother Nadine, who contracts the virus and is hospitalized for weeks. Ruby, a childhood friend of Ruby's, is struggling to keep a business open with her partner Katsumi when most businesses were shutting down.
There were moments that I enjoyed in this novel and found thought-provoking, but the end felt too preachy and the piece worked a little bit too hard to wedge multiple identities for its characters. People are varied but these characters had a mille-feuille quality that felt like diversity for the sake of diversity. I think many millennials will appreciate the perspective of living through 9/11, then the stock market crash, and then the pandemic. I found it to be good, but not great.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Hogarth for permission to read this work before publication.
TW: identity theft, domestic violence, abandonment, death, drug use
Porter centers this novel around three families in Brooklyn facing life in lockdown, in March/April 2020. We all remember that as a scary, unstable time when even the things most familiar to use felt foreign. The story seems to revolve around pregnant Darla, her bisexual husband Theo and the unspoken tension in their marriage. When an argument goes to far, Theo is suspected of killing his wife and is faced with his perceptions of his race and family. Irving and Xavier are managing life without wife/mother Nadine, who contracts the virus and is hospitalized for weeks. Ruby, a childhood friend of Ruby's, is struggling to keep a business open with her partner Katsumi when most businesses were shutting down.
There were moments that I enjoyed in this novel and found thought-provoking, but the end felt too preachy and the piece worked a little bit too hard to wedge multiple identities for its characters. People are varied but these characters had a mille-feuille quality that felt like diversity for the sake of diversity. I think many millennials will appreciate the perspective of living through 9/11, then the stock market crash, and then the pandemic. I found it to be good, but not great.
August 8, 2024
The Rich People Have Gone Away is an ambitious novel set in NYC during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. NYC is hotspot for the virus so, Darla & Theo decide to escape the city and quarantine upstate; while hiking things quickly take a turn and Darla goes missing bringing a diverse cast of characters together as they try to find her. Porter does a fantastic job at writing an eclectic cast of characters whose stories jump off the page. I enjoyed each character, even Theo lol but, as far as their interconnected relationships it was a miss for me. This was a unique prose I have never read anything like it. The portrayal of the pandemic and the different experiences each character had with Covid was so well done and realistic. I imagined future generations reading this novel and them being blown away by the events that transpired the Spring of 2020. I enjoyed this novel, but at times the multiple pov’s made the story feel a bit disjointed. This is a character driven story, and the suspense/ mystery are a backdrop to the characters so, if you pick this up expecting a classic who done it mystery this will not meet your expectations, but I encourage you to do read it because of the cast of characters and it is very well written. Many thanks to NetGalley and Hogarth for an advance copy in exchange for honest review.
August 14, 2024
Building your novel around, for me, a thoroughly unlikeable character - Theo Harper - is a brave move by Regina Porter but the book works because of all the other elements. Theo's wife Darla disappears on an upstate NY mountainside following an argument hot on the heels of them abandoning New York in the early months of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Throughout the remainder of the book we're introduced more in-depth to their close friends, family, neighbors, and lovers.
Multiple characters and storylines and issues are woven into the tale with Darla's disappearance at the center of everything. Slavery in the US, the 'single drop' approach to race and racism, inter-racial marriage, socio-economic-engendered snobbery, LBGTQ+ issues, the pandemic itself, and even the September 11 attacks and their impact on the personal and national psyche. We delve deeper into the lives and experiences of Theo, Darla, and Darla's friend Ruby Black (as well as a Black high school student) and see the once seeming utopian existences begin to fracture under the weight of events (inside and outside their control) and decisions made.
This book is all about interconnectedness of people and events and, although I did find it a little difficult at times to keep everything and everyone straight in my head, I very much enjoyed the story and the writing.
Throughout the remainder of the book we're introduced more in-depth to their close friends, family, neighbors, and lovers.
Multiple characters and storylines and issues are woven into the tale with Darla's disappearance at the center of everything. Slavery in the US, the 'single drop' approach to race and racism, inter-racial marriage, socio-economic-engendered snobbery, LBGTQ+ issues, the pandemic itself, and even the September 11 attacks and their impact on the personal and national psyche. We delve deeper into the lives and experiences of Theo, Darla, and Darla's friend Ruby Black (as well as a Black high school student) and see the once seeming utopian existences begin to fracture under the weight of events (inside and outside their control) and decisions made.
This book is all about interconnectedness of people and events and, although I did find it a little difficult at times to keep everything and everyone straight in my head, I very much enjoyed the story and the writing.
August 8, 2024
🗽Set in Brooklyn, at the heights of the pandemic in 2020, The Rich People Have Gone Away follows Theo and his pregnant wife, Darla, head upstate to their summer cottage to wait out the lockdown. Not everyone in their Park Slope condo building has their privilege: not the Cradi-B t-shirt wearing teenager Xavier, who's mom is in the hospital nor Darla’s best friend Ruby and her partner Katsumi, who stay behind to save their Michelin-starred restaurant. During a hike, Theo divulges a long-held secret—and when Darla disappears after the ensuing argument, he finds himself the prime suspect.
🗽Regina Porter does an excellent and beautiful job uniting so many difficult and complex topics in the backdrop of a thrilling plot. The characters felt so raw, real and flawed. I applaud how the author addresses race, privilege, identity, marriage, and sexuality against societal expectations and contructs. I did not expect the book to have so many twists and turns and it surprised me further with each page turned. The layers of each relationship and conversation was enriched due to the pandemic and the lockdown that followed. Highly recommend this one!
🗽Regina Porter does an excellent and beautiful job uniting so many difficult and complex topics in the backdrop of a thrilling plot. The characters felt so raw, real and flawed. I applaud how the author addresses race, privilege, identity, marriage, and sexuality against societal expectations and contructs. I did not expect the book to have so many twists and turns and it surprised me further with each page turned. The layers of each relationship and conversation was enriched due to the pandemic and the lockdown that followed. Highly recommend this one!
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