The Dinner

A Novel

By: Herman Koch, Sam Garrett - translator

Narrated by: Clive Mantle

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The darkly suspenseful tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives—all over the course of one meal. Now a major motion picture.

“Chilling, nasty, smart, shocking, and unputdownable.”—Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl

It’s a summer’s evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the polite scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse—the banality of work, the triviality of the holidays. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened. Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act—an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families.

As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.

Tautly written, incredibly gripping, and told by an unforgettable narrator, The Dinner promises to be the topic of countless dinner party debates. Skewering everything from parenting values to pretentious menus to political convictions, this novel reveals the dark side of genteel society and asks what each of us would do in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

©2009 Herman Koch; Translation © 2012 by Sam Garrett (P)2013 AudioGO

Engrossing, but unpalatable

Any additional comments?

3.5 stars. An odd, sarcastic, brutal, and unsympathetic little book, and hard to categorize. There is a bit of the feel of slice of life, but then also a tinge of mystery/thriller, and parts that feel nearly satirical. Other reviews have likened it to Gone Girl (per an unreliable narrator) and American Psycho (for the way there is offhand violence and mocking of upper class pretension). The set piece is an upscale Dutch restaurant, the main players are four adults (two brothers and their wives), the mostly off-stage players are the children of the couples (one biological son each, plus a single adopted son). Told from the point of view of the younger, less successful brother, the novel opens and goes on for a few chapters where the reader (absent outside influences) will think this might just be a cutting commentary on the upper class and preoccupation with one's station and reputation. But slowly things begin to worm their way in - hints and remembrances, offhand statements and stolen glances. And things become increasingly sinister and discomfiting. In the end, you leave this book with no likable characters, a stomach-turning conclusion, and a good deal to think about. Unlike American Psycho, the violence is controlled and not over the top, and in that way it is more disturbing. A strange book that I can't say I liked, but did make me think.

keeps you engaged

Unique story telling flipping from present to past and back. Told only through one character. Loved his internal snarky coments . Excellent narrator!

Interesting listen

The narration was great. Creepy story but was interesting would recommend to read .. Well done

so so

struggled to keep up with plot line as well as difficulties with transitioning with generarations

Excellent book

If you could sum up The Dinner in three words, what would they be?

Riveting story about human choices, biases and how far people will go for their children.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Serge and Babette Loehman

Which character – as performed by Clive Mantle – was your favorite?

Serge

If you could take any character from The Dinner out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Michel

Any additional comments?

People will really do unimaginable things for their loved ones. This book presents an easy slippery slope of rationalizations othewrsie normal peple would make when pushed to the wall.

Weirdly compelling

Perfect voice for the story which appears deceptively sluggish at first, but somehow did not let me go to the end, to which I listened twice.

The Dinner

Narration was wonderful. The story of parents, and how far they will go for their children. Worth the listen!

Not what I expected!

Where does The Dinner rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would say in the top 1/2.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character is Paul, who is the Narrator. He believes is is living an amazing happy life. However, in an instant, everything changes. He is caught between doing what he knows is right, and what is right for the family he loves.

Have you listened to any of Clive Mantle’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, it was good! A bit different, but I liked it!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

"Good Brother, Bad Brother?"

Any additional comments?

This shows that there are two sides to everyone.

better than most, worst than much

Any additional comments?

This was a good beach read with a touch of horribleness just to keep you reading. Kind of like Girl on a Train, the plot kind of sucks you in. The characters are all hideously awful - immoral, selfish, disgusting. Their concern, while real, is firmly in the area of far left field, with all the selfish loonies. But despite this, I found the writing to be above average, and attention to detail excellent. Descriptions of feelings, perceptions, and predictions were canny, clever and often funny. if you can stomach a rich person's problems written about over several hundred pages, read this because the author's skill is decent and the plot at least sucks you in....

Wow! A suspenseful, mind twister

Where does The Dinner rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I enjoyed this audio book a lot compared to my other reads. It is narrated brilliantly allowing the reader to feel intimately apart of the conversations going on the main characters head. He is an unreliable narrator, at best, of this deep and often laughable tale.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked that there were no redeemable characters in the whole novel, just a few by-standers who get sucked into the family tornado that passes through the restaurant that night.
Unbelievably, the story takes place in a single location but the narrator takes you in his mind to the events leading up to The Dinner.

What about Clive Mantle’s performance did you like?

He was able to portray the book narrator in a way that I felt I was actually in the main character's mixed up flawed brain. Mr. Mantle is successful with "being" the flawed unreliable narrator of the book.

I highly recommend this book in audio format for that reason alone. From reading reviews I felt the story was "experienced" in a unique fashion that might have been lost in another format.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I believe the events leading up to the end were essential. Without ruining the experience, keeping an open mind while reading is important as the tale takes twists and turns that I never expected.

Any additional comments?

This book is definitely not for those easily offended by foul language and grotesque psychological tales in which you have more questions after reading it than before.
A great Book Club read! So much you will want to discuss!