As the glowing reviews piled up I resisted this temptation — I questioned how this book could ever live up to the hype that it was getting? People were literally stopping me in the street to ask if I had read it yet? Finally, I gave in.

“Netherland” is the story of Hans, a Dutch banker living in New York City with his English wife and infant son. When 9/11 occurs the family is forced to relocate to the Chelsea Hotel. The destruction at the World Trade Center towers serves as the catalyst for the detonation of their marriage. Shortly thereafter, Hans watches numbly as his wife and child move back to England.

O’Neill employs a series of time shifts in “Netherland.” As the story begins Hans has just learned that his good friend Chuck has been murdered back in New York. Hans is living in London when a reporter from the New York Times calls to ask him about the late Chuck.

Learning about the deceased seems like a classic crime fiction opening. The dearly departed Chuck passed away in twisted fashion. Much of the book consists of flashbacks to the times that Hans and Chuck had spent together.

When his wife leaves him Hans becomes untethered, lost. Every other weekend he flies to England to visit his son. Back in New York he has too much time on his hands. He doesn’t seem to have any friends. By a chance circumstance Hans becomes involved with a group of men who play cricket every weekend.

These cricket players are all immigrants. Through cricket Hans meets Chuck Ramkissoon, a flamboyant wheeler dealer from Trinidad. They become friends. Chuck gives Hans driving lessons. It eventually dawns on Hans that Chuck is engaged in some criminal enterprises while using Hans as his driver.

O’Neill is an astute observer, gifted in his expression. Hans observes that “like an old door, every man past a certain age comes with historical warps and creaks of one kind or another, and a woman who wishes to put him to serious further use must expect to do a certain amount of sanding and planing.”

As Hans reflects on the collapse of his marriage he sees “that the steamboat of marriage must be fed incessantly with the coals of communication.” As his relationship languishes Hans becomes obsessed with playing cricket. Apparently, the author is a long-time cricket enthusiast.

Is “Netherland” an entertaining piece of fiction? Most definitely. Will it be honored as one of the classics, a great American novel? I think not. It reminded me of eating certain types of cuisine. It had some delicious flavors and textures but nothing that really stuck to this reviewer’s ribs. It lacked substance.