Showing results by author "Herman Koch" in All Categories

¿Hasta dónde es capaz de llegar un padre para encubrir a un hijo que comete un delito injustificable? ¿Debe prevalecer el instinto de protección paterna, o la lealtad a unas normas sociales que garantizan la coherencia y la fortaleza del grupo? Estas y otras preguntas de igual calibre surgen como dardos durante la lectura de La cena.

A summer's evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant. 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 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.

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 15-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.

When Robert Walter, popular mayor of Amsterdam, sees his wife toss her head back with laughter while chatting to one of his aldermen at a New Year's reception, he immediately suspects the worst. Despite their long and happy marriage, Robert is convinced that Sylvia is cheating on him - with the respectable alderman who is dedicated to the environment, no less. The man who wants to spoil the capital's skyline with wind turbines.

Once a celebrated writer, M's greatest success came with a suspense novel based on a real-life, unsolved disappearance. It told the story of a history teacher who went missing one winter after his brief affair with a stunning pupil. Upon publication, M.'s novel was a bestseller, one that marked his international breakthrough.That was years ago, and now M.'s career is almost over as he fades increasingly into obscurity.

When a medical procedure goes horribly wrong and famous actor Ralph Meier winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser needs to come up with some answers. After all, reputation is everything in this business. Personally, he’s not exactly upset that Ralph is gone, but as a high-profile doctor to the stars, Marc can’t hide from the truth forever.

Mr. M is being watched. As a famous writer, he is no stranger to the limelight, although interest in his work has been dwindling of late. His print runs are smaller than they used to be, as are the crowds at his bookshop signings.... Our narrator clearly takes a keen interest in M.'s work, and indeed in every aspect of his life. But what exactly are his intentions? And to what does Mr. M owe the honour of his undivided attention?

 Desde la publicación de La cena y Casa de verano con piscina, la forma de Herman Koch de abordar sin ambages la ambigüedad moral, la hipocresía y la violencia solapada que carcomen a la sociedad moderna ha logrado capturar el interés de más de un millón de lectores en todo el mundo, tanto en Europa y Latinoamérica como en Australia y Estados Unidos, donde La cena llegó a estar entre los diez libros más vendidos de la lista del New York Times. 

When a medical procedure goes horribly wrong and famous actor Ralph Meier winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser needs to come up with some answers. After all, reputation is everything in this business. Personally, he's not exactly upset that Ralph is gone, but as a high profile doctor to the stars, Marc can't hide from the truth forever.

Robert Walter, alcalde de Ámsterdam, hombre carismático y popular, es también un gran observador: una carcajada apenas más sonora de lo habitual y un gesto ligeramente más íntimo de lo apropiado le bastan para concluir que su esposa, Sylvia, tiene una aventura con el concejal Maarten van Hoogstraten. 

Autor de gran renombre en los Países Bajos -su anterior novela, La cena, fue Libro del Año y ganó el Premio del Público de ese país-, Herman Koch vuelve con otra estimulante historia de suspense donde una trama tejida a la perfección es el soporte para explorar sin ambages temas tan actuales como la ética profesional, la falsedad de las relaciones sociales o la difícil comunicación entre padres e hijos, así como los límites de la libertad sexual o el sentido de culpa en el seno de una sociedad permisiva y autocomplaciente.

Succès phénoménal aux Pays-Bas, alliance détonante d'une comédie de mœurs à l'humour ravageur et d'un roman noir à la tension implacable, "Le Dîner" dresse le portrait de notre société en pleine crise morale. Deux frères se donnent rendez-vous avec leurs épouses dans un restaurant branché d'Amsterdam.

Wie weit darf Elternliebe gehen? Was darf man tun, um seine Kinder zu beschützen...

Dans la veine du Dîner, une comédie noire au suspense redoutable où il est question - entre autres - des affres de la vie conjugale, de la disparition d'un chat, de préjugés racistes, d'un François Hollande en goguette, de la finitude de l'univers, de tri des déchets... le tout sur fond de satire sociale acerbe. Maire d'Amsterdam, aimé du petit personnel et respecté des puissants de ce monde, époux comblé, heureux père d'une adolescente, Robert peut savourer pleinement le sentiment d'une vie accomplie.

Seine Triumphe sind schon lange her, sein schriftstellerischer Stern ist am Sinken. Noch immer zehrt M. von seinem größten Erfolgsroman, der auf einer wahren Begebenheit beruht: Das aufsehenerregende Verschwinden des Lehrers Jan Landzaat, das landesweit Schlagzeilen machte. Landzaat hatte eine Affäre mit einer Schülerin und wurde kurz vor seinem Verschwinden vor dem Ferienhaus ihres neuen Freundes gesehen. Für Herrn M. bedeutete diese boulevardeske Geschichte den internationalen Durchbruch. Doch nun tauchen Briefe auf, die danach fragen, was er mit dem Verschwinden des Mannes zu tun haben könnte.

Fred Moorman ist Ende vierzig und träumt von einem schwarzen Jeep Cherokee und einem neuen, interessanteren Freundeskreis. Sein Leben ödet ihn an. Die Zeiten, als sein inzwischen vierzehnjähriger Sohn noch zu ihm aufschaute, sind lange vorbei und seine Frau denkt laut darüber nach, wie das Leben ohne ihn aussähe. Da trifft Fred Max G. wieder, den er schon in der Schule bewunderte. Max hat alles, was Fred nicht hat: Durchsetzungsvermögen, schöne Frauen, ein schillerndes Leben.

Dem Allgemeinarzt Marc Schlosser ist ein Kunstfehler unterlaufen, an dessen Folgen der berühmte Schauspieler Ralph Meier verstorben ist...

When Robert Walter, popular mayor of Amsterdam, sees his wife toss her head back with laughter while chatting to one of his aldermen at a New Year’s reception, he immediately suspects the worst. Despite their long and happy marriage, Robert is convinced that Sylvia is cheating on him – with the respectable alderman who is dedicated to the environment, no less. The man who wants to spoil the capital’s skyline with wind turbines.

Marc Schlosser, um renomado médico de Amsterdã, exerce sua profissão com certas doses de cinismo. Quando um de seus pacientes, o famoso ator Ralph Meier, o convida para passar as férias de verão com sua família, Marc aceita, apesar de contrariar a esposa, que não suporta a postura arrogante e sedutora de Ralph. Assim, o casal e as filhas adolescentes dividem com o ator, sua mulher, um diretor de Hollywood e sua jovem namorada uma casa com piscina a poucos quilômetros de uma praia mediterrânea.

Em uma noite de verão, dois casais se encontram em um restaurante elegante. Entre um gole e outro de vinho e o tilintar de talheres, a conversa mantém um tom gentil e educado, passando por assuntos triviais como o preço dos pratos, os aborrecimentos do trabalho, o próximo destino de férias. Mas as palavras vazias escondem um terrível conflito, e, a cada sorriso forçado e cada novo prato, o clima fica mais tenso.