Dinner at the Center of the Earth

A novel

By: Nathan Englander

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

The best work yet from the Pulitzer finalist and best-selling author of For the Relief of Unbearable Urges--a political thriller that unfolds in the highly charged territory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and pivots on the complex relationship between a secret prisoner and his guard.

A prisoner in a secret cell. The guard who has watched over him a dozen years. An American waitress in Paris. A young Palestinian man in Berlin who strikes up an odd friendship with a wealthy Canadian businessman. And The General, Israel's most controversial leader, who lies dying in a hospital, the only man who knows of the prisoner's existence.
From these vastly different lives Nathan Englander has woven a powerful, intensely suspenseful portrait of a nation riven by insoluble conflict, even as the lives of its citizens become fatefully and inextricably entwined--a political thriller of the highest order that interrogates the anguished, violent division between Israelis and Palestinians, and dramatizes the immense moral ambiguities haunting both sides. Who is right, who is wrong--who is the guard, who is truly the prisoner?
A tour de force from one of America's most acclaimed voices in contemporary fiction.

excellent realistic spy novel

liked it very much. well researched with relevant cultural references. highly recommended for espionage enthusiasts

A Challenging Political Thriller

Nathan Englander is a favorite writer. His plots mix current world politics with challenging questions of right and wrong, and they are always well written. His last novel, The Ministry of Special Cases, was absorbing but deeply troubling in its story of the treatment of college students in Argentina during the days of political oppression and murder.

Dinner at the Center of the Earth focuses on the middle east and terrorism. The central character, Prisoner Z, made an almost off-hand decision that has resulted in his solitary imprisonment in an underground cell in Israel. The characters on both sides of the conflict are well-drawn, and there are some wonderful scenes. Action moves between Paris, Berlin and Jerusalem. But while the action raises questions of honesty, loyalty and punishment, I did not always find it compelling. Some of the plot twists were predictable. The scenes between Prisoner Z and his guard would have been better with sharper back-and-forth between them.

Overall I enjoyed the book. Englander continues to be a deeply creative and thoughtful writer.

reinvanting headlines back

the best is kept for the end although you feel like it comes at the turn of itch page

Very good

Great, enjoyed the reading very much. Excellent story. Lessons of history. Thank you very much!

Expect Book Hangover

I loved this book despite a problem with the reader, who could not do accents. Arab and Israeli characters ended up sounding like Russians. The Jewish mothers were a complete disaster. I wish Mr. Bramhall would have just read it straight and let the listener imagine the accents, because otherwise his voice is very pleasant. Life in Israel is described accurately. I know. I'm from there.