Book Review: ‘Rental House'

A Contemporary Novel of Manners

Publisher’s Note: This review was originally published December 3, 2024 at The Buffalo Hive, where Katherine Xiong is a contributing writer and Frank Housh is a contributing editor.

By Katherine Xiong

Weike Wang has made her name as a writer of contemporary “novels of manners,” a genre made famous by Jane Austen two centuries ago. Her books are character studies, featuring close examinations of upper middle class women in white collar jobs and complicated relationships. 

Wang’s latest novel, “Rental House” (released December 3, 2024), is a magic trick of a book that convinces the reader of the high stakes of social conventions while simultaneously exposing how small and absurd they may actually be. 

Readers familiar with Wang’s prior novels, “Chemistry” and “Joan Is Okay,” will find a familiar Wang protagonist in Keru, a successful Chinese-American woman at odds with family and cultural expectations as she approaches middle age.

“Rental House” adds a partner to Wang’s archetype: Keru’s hu…