The Dinner

A Novel

De: Herman Koch, Sam Garrett - translator

Narrado por: Clive Mantle

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.