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

Substantive Nail Biter

There are so many levels in this book and Koch is masterful at slowly ridding us of our assumptions so that, in the end, we are left startled and wonderfully surprised as to what just happened to us. The story is not only hard to put down as a kind of thriller, but it leaves us with important lingering questions about our own platforms we are so sure are solid. It is not a long book, it is beautifully written, wonderfully narrated and left me shaking my head with both awe and delight. I wanted to read it again - and I will -- but for the first time!

One helluva meal!

I had heard about this book but was a little hesitant since it was translated from another language; I wondered if anything would be "lost in translation". Not at all. It's a different, (and a bit disturbing) look at just how far parents will go these days to protect their children. The book rambles a bit in the middle, but overall it is well written. And Clive Mantle NAILS it as the narrator - he is a 10!

Give it 20 Chapters, Then Decide

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

I hated it at first. The first 23ish chapters were slow, tedious, teasing... long winded... all the things I hate about popular literature. But I had to keep listening because the teases did their job of piquing my interest. The payoff is worth it. Absolutely. I understand why this one is regarded as a popular read.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator is not what he seems.

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

This was my first time listening to him. He played the parts well. Sometimes his accent was obnoxious, but it was very suitable for the character.

If you could rename The Dinner, what would you call it?

Blood Loyalty

Any additional comments?

Give it a listen. Just make sure you're willing to invest the time.

I read this because I had to...

Any additional comments?

The book description sounded good. I started listening. Then I had to listen, because I kept thinking, "No". The story would not let me put it down, even though I kept thinking this is droning on and on. I had to know the story. I had to know the ending.

That's a dinner to remember!

What did you like best about this story?

So incredibly surprising. The main characters thoughts as the evening progressed were so engaging. Such a fun and intriguing listen, and yet somewhat disturbing. Overall, not to be missed!

What about Clive Mantle’s performance did you like?

Fantastic, even though he had the wrong accent for the nationality of the characters. He did a great job of all the characters without any annoying voices, such as the wimpy or false falsetto than many male narrators use to do a woman!s voice. I thought he portrayed the main character perfectly.

Any additional comments?

This book is so worth a credit. I love a different and engaging listen!

An unprecedented view into the potential darkness of parenting

Haunting and incredibly insightful. This was a new twist on the unreliable narrator--and in his telling of the story, and his indefatigable effort to remain "the good guy," his flaws are both subtle and remarkable. This novel is not for the impatient, the thoughtless, or the faint of heart.

Starts off clever and funny, then takes a turn

Would you listen to The Dinner again? Why?

I would listen to the first couple chapters again. The book started off funny, clever, and amusing. I really enjoyed listening to the main character's slightly perturbed dialogue about all the little things that peeve him. His complaints and grumblings were not annoying but rather amusing. I found myself laughing out loud often. As the story developed however, the book took a bit of a turn to the darker side. Don't get me wrong it was still an entertaining story but I just found myself wanting some more of the witty humor that was present at the beginning of the story.

Would you be willing to try another book from Herman Koch and Sam Garrett (translator) ? Why or why not?

I would likely try another book from this author.

What about Clive Mantle’s performance did you like?

Clive Mantle's performance was very good. His accent (English?) seemed very fitting for many of the characters portrayed.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed out loud several times throughout the beginning of the story.

Any additional comments?

The story was well done. I had a little trouble at times figuring out the chronological order of some of the story but otherwise it mostly made sense. Although I did find myself wishing that the story could maintain the humorous tone that it had in the beginning, it probably would've seemed out of place with the events that unfold later in the story. Although the reactions of the characters seemed a little unbelievable at times, it wasn't so far fetched as to detract from the story. Overall, it was a pretty good story with good narration.

provocative dinner...

What made the experience of listening to The Dinner the most enjoyable?

The slow revelation about the status of the narrator and the actual outcome are thought provoking. This book is a fascinating commentary of social values and appearances.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Dinner?

The conversation between the father and son.

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

No

If you could rename The Dinner, what would you call it?

My brother, my son

Any additional comments?

This book is filled with interesting perspectives on the values of a certain portion of society and what parents and people consider is right and wrong moral character.

Read the reviews first

the premise is thought provoking but left me wondering where the last hour went. Maybe I wasnt in a dark enough mood, it just didnt suit my taste. The reason I actually made it through the book was the narrator, whose rich voice and acting talents made me actually feel an affinity for an unlovable character.

Best book I’ve “read” in ages!

I think a large part of what made this book such a hit for me it was the narration. It was terrific, he was excellent! Pitch perfect! he perfectly conveyed the mood of the main character: annoyed, moody, irritated, sarcastic… His female characters were not as wonderful, but so what – they were just secondary.

I loved the restaurant setting in general, restaurants are probably my favourite place to be and the descriptions of the atmosphere and the food just put in me in the mood go out. The exchanges with the hoity toity waiter (and his pinky) were very funny… I wish I had been there too!

The story unfolds veeeeeeerrryyyy slowly, but because the people were so interesting to me I didn’t mind – I was happily wrapped up in the minutia of their evening.

I don’t like comparing books to each other (I get on a rant when people start comparing every sick drama ever published to Gone Girl) but I would be lying to say that this book did not remind me of Defending Jacob by William Landay. I think if you liked that one, you’ll love this one.

If the restaurant dinner scene appeals to you like it does to me, then I also recommend: Last Night at the Ritz by Elizabeth Savage.

I have to confess that for me, the ending was lukewarm… in fact I forgot what it was the next morning and had to go back and listen to the last 45 minutes to remind me of what just happened. Still, it did not ruin the fun journey I had while enjoying the story.