Helpful Score: 6
I hated this book, hated the characters, hated the story, hated the horrific act two teen boys did!!! I finally gave up, closed the book and hope I never see it again! My reading time is precious and I don't like wasting my time! Blah....
Helpful Score: 4
Most depressing book I've ever read; not entertaining or enlightening in any way. Only reason I continued to the end was because of our Book Club. Do not recommend unless your Club is focused on dark minds / events.
Helpful Score: 2
In Amsterdam, two brothers and their wives meet for a dinner loaded with undercurrents. It's difficult to say which brother is more self-absorbed and pompous - Serge, the politician or Paul, the former high school history teacher forced into an involuntary "sabbatical" due to mental health issues. Their sons have been involved in a crime of unimaginable cruelty, which they are attempting to justify and absolve. The early background leads quickly to the understanding that Paul's son, Michael, has learned at a very young age that his father will protect him from taking responsibility for any wrongdoing. There is a pervasive sense in this book that once the superficial veneer of "a happy family" collapses, nothing is left but the harsh knowledge of their dysfunction as parents and worthwhile people. For those of us who believe that there are consequences for our actions and for those of our children, this is a difficult book to read.
Helpful Score: 2
Probably the worst book I have read in terms of its literary quality. I understand that it is translated from another language and in many cases that can come off as choppy, but this is just horrible. The plot and storyline have so much potential but the writing is not there. Thankfully it is a very quick read, so you do not waste a great deal of time, but it is not worth it.
Helpful Score: 1
So this book is is supposed to be "A European Gone Girl" according to the Wall Street Journal. I don't agree. Yes, these people start to change through the book, but not in the same way. I didn't find the narrative to be as gripping and frankly, I don't see why some of these people weren't thrown in jail years ago for some of the things they had done. Some of the book feels vague to me and other parts are vivd with detail. The premiss of the story was good, but I think it could have been written better. Sometimes I just flat out didn't understand what the narrator was trying to convey. Maybe because it felt disjointed at times because the author would just stop and switch to something else just as things would get interesting and not bring that particular thing back into the story. The book was intriguing enough for me to try another by this author though.
Helpful Score: 1
I wouldn't care to read a book like this one every day, but I found "The Dinner" to be a very worthwhile read. It's a really scathing and dark satire and yes, the characters are thoroughly unsympathetic. Their closed ranks and self-centeredness, not to mention their actions, are taken to horrifying extremes;the result is a brutal book you won't soon forget.
Wow, what started off as a very slow book ended with a fantastic bang. 2 brothers and their wives head out for a family dinner at a very swanky restaurant to discuss the behavior of their children. The story is told through the eyes of Paul, who sees the world a tad bit differently. Paul's brother Serge, is running for Prime Minister of Holland. The whole restaurant 'show' is for Serge and his image. Once the meat of the story starts to develop the reader is allowed glimpses of the horrible act that the brother's children have committed. How will each family react to such act? How far will you go to protect your child? Wonderful, horrid, terrifying read. It is definitely going to be a lively book club discussion this month!
This book definitely kept me reading! The flow was fast and intriguing. I wanted to know where it was going. A lot happened throughout and it was a very thought-provoking read, the kind of story that sticks with you afterwards and you keep thinking about it- trying to interpret all that you read.
This is an intense book. I really enjoyed the narrative, and had a hard time putting it down!
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-dinner.html
The Dinner takes place over the course of one evening - one dinner shared among two couples. Serge and Babette. Paul and Claire. Over the course of the dinner, much is revealed about the dynamics of the two couples and about the relationship of brothers Serge and Paul. Both couples have children, and the dinner revolves around an event involving their fifteen year old sons.
The book is written as a first person narrative with Paul as the narrator. The setting is Amsterdam. The central issue is that the two couples' sons have committed a senseless act that has serious legal ramifications. The two couples differ in their approach to this issue. For the bulk of the book, they dance around the issue and parry back and forth over the dinner.
The conversation brings out serious issues in the relationships between the two brothers. One suffers from mental illness that causes violent bursts of temper. The other is submerged in political machinations and election maneuverings. The two wives bring their own perspectives and agendas.
I found the book disturbing and difficult to read. The characters are not likable. The parental approach to the trouble the boys have caused is disturbing. The first person narrative makes the book more difficult; perhaps, a different perspective or different narrators might have added more depth to the story. Overall, this is one dinner I wish I had skipped.
The Dinner takes place over the course of one evening - one dinner shared among two couples. Serge and Babette. Paul and Claire. Over the course of the dinner, much is revealed about the dynamics of the two couples and about the relationship of brothers Serge and Paul. Both couples have children, and the dinner revolves around an event involving their fifteen year old sons.
The book is written as a first person narrative with Paul as the narrator. The setting is Amsterdam. The central issue is that the two couples' sons have committed a senseless act that has serious legal ramifications. The two couples differ in their approach to this issue. For the bulk of the book, they dance around the issue and parry back and forth over the dinner.
The conversation brings out serious issues in the relationships between the two brothers. One suffers from mental illness that causes violent bursts of temper. The other is submerged in political machinations and election maneuverings. The two wives bring their own perspectives and agendas.
I found the book disturbing and difficult to read. The characters are not likable. The parental approach to the trouble the boys have caused is disturbing. The first person narrative makes the book more difficult; perhaps, a different perspective or different narrators might have added more depth to the story. Overall, this is one dinner I wish I had skipped.
OK, I'll admit it: I'm a little bit of a goldfish when it comes to my reading choices. I tend to avoid foreign authors -- I'm just more comfortable with the average American voice and point of view.
However, I'm trying to stretch my boundaries. And I had heard too many amazing things abut Herman Koch's thriller The Dinner to ignore it because it was a translation.
First - this is a great translation. I didn't notice the awkward use of vernacular or misused word choice that usually marks those titles, in my opinion. And the story is so killer -- pardon the pun -- even a word nerd like me might choose to overlook a poor turn of phrase here or there.
The Dinner is framed in a unique way -- rather than chapters, the book is staged through the courses of an elegant dinner in a Dutch eatery. The main character and his wife are meeting his estranged brother -- a rising political star -- and sister-in-law for dinner. The tension between the characters is palpable from the very first pages, although as readers it takes some time to discover the root of their relationship problems.
As the story moves quickly through dish after dish, Koch masterfully reveals a grim and unexpected mystery within a mystery centering on the couples' children -- three teen boys w ho have committed a horrible act. But the main focus of the story is the clever and unexpected way Koch reveals the true motivations of the diners, the subtle shifts of reliability among the characters, and a interesting take on what we're all capable of doing to protect the ones we love.
As a side note, this book absolutely screams to be a book club choice. It's duplicitous and surprising plots twists provide great discussion points, and everyone is sure to have an opinion after peeling back the layers of these memorable characters.
However, I'm trying to stretch my boundaries. And I had heard too many amazing things abut Herman Koch's thriller The Dinner to ignore it because it was a translation.
First - this is a great translation. I didn't notice the awkward use of vernacular or misused word choice that usually marks those titles, in my opinion. And the story is so killer -- pardon the pun -- even a word nerd like me might choose to overlook a poor turn of phrase here or there.
The Dinner is framed in a unique way -- rather than chapters, the book is staged through the courses of an elegant dinner in a Dutch eatery. The main character and his wife are meeting his estranged brother -- a rising political star -- and sister-in-law for dinner. The tension between the characters is palpable from the very first pages, although as readers it takes some time to discover the root of their relationship problems.
As the story moves quickly through dish after dish, Koch masterfully reveals a grim and unexpected mystery within a mystery centering on the couples' children -- three teen boys w ho have committed a horrible act. But the main focus of the story is the clever and unexpected way Koch reveals the true motivations of the diners, the subtle shifts of reliability among the characters, and a interesting take on what we're all capable of doing to protect the ones we love.
As a side note, this book absolutely screams to be a book club choice. It's duplicitous and surprising plots twists provide great discussion points, and everyone is sure to have an opinion after peeling back the layers of these memorable characters.
Great read! I really identified with the narrator, then slowly changed my opinion when plot twists come.
I keep reading reviews of this book which compare it to Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl," which really irks me. That book is about a husband and wife's divorce and things not always being what they seem. There is zero resemblance between Gone Girl and The Dinner, in my mind. If one must compare it to another written work, how about Anna Karenina for the obvious and multiple references?
Okay, off my soapbox.
This is an interesting concept for a story, of two couples sitting down for a meal together to talk about their teenaged sons problems. The couples are related: the two husbands are brothers. One is a prominent politician, the other a man with an interesting mental illness who is the protagonist of the story. The story does jump around in time quite a bit as there is some backstory and characters to develop. The overarching question of the book is how far would you go for your child.
The story had my interest from the get-go, but the first 100-120 pages do tend to get bogged down and for that reason I almost put this book down. In the end, I'm glad I stuck with it as some pivotal events occur about mid-book that suddenly ramped up the tension in the story and made it very hard to put down. Definitely worth a read!
Okay, off my soapbox.
This is an interesting concept for a story, of two couples sitting down for a meal together to talk about their teenaged sons problems. The couples are related: the two husbands are brothers. One is a prominent politician, the other a man with an interesting mental illness who is the protagonist of the story. The story does jump around in time quite a bit as there is some backstory and characters to develop. The overarching question of the book is how far would you go for your child.
The story had my interest from the get-go, but the first 100-120 pages do tend to get bogged down and for that reason I almost put this book down. In the end, I'm glad I stuck with it as some pivotal events occur about mid-book that suddenly ramped up the tension in the story and made it very hard to put down. Definitely worth a read!
Four unpleasant individuals sit down to a dinner. One casts silent, jealous judgment on his brother. The brother upholds a concerned and sympathetic façade. Meanwhile, the women plot. Teens, murder, YouTube, conflagration of a body. The dinner progresses. The diners appear progressively less stable. Unnamed and unexplained illnesses emerge. My bafflement at the life skills of these four adults and their ability to successfully raise children grows. Dinner ends. I'm left with both an empty stomach and the bill. What I read was good, solid writing; but I'm unsure what it was.
I was a bit disappointed at how the story ended, but the story line kept my interest throughout. The issue of morality is raised when the sons of Paul and his popular and well-to-do politician brother break the law in a major way. The parents are left to decide if and how to protect their boys and their own futures from becoming mud. This issue will definitely leave readers thinking about how far they might go to protect someone they love.
Very interesting book! Makes you think seriously about what you'd do as a parent for your child. How far would you go to protect your child if he/she broke the law? Of course I kept thinking, "Why didn't these parents teach their child to know right from wrong? Where are their morals and ethics?" Very deep and enthralling. Definitely not light or entertaining book but worth the read. Great writing style, couldn't put it down!
The Dinner starts with two brothers and their wives at a fancy restaurant in The Netherlands. The one brother is a politician and the other a businessman out of work because of an illness. They both have teenage sons who seem to get along. The way the cousins get along and spend their time is what starts to bring the drama to the story. It is mostly set at the restaurant and flashbacks other places where the story takes an unexpectedly dark turn.
I read this for a book club. This book was not technically picked, the theme for the month was âFoodâ. This was the closest I had on the subject. I was not sure what to expect because I had never heard of the book before. Reading the description of the characters and story did not interest me. In fact, I think my husband picked up the book. The story was very different than anything I have read and with this one I consider it a good thing. I really did not expect the turn at the end. In truth, I figured the opposite was going to happen and most lived happily ever after. Nope, that was not the case. The kids were juvenile delinquents who needed a kick in the ass and a trip to jail, as did other characters by the end. The book kept me interested. It was like watching an accident on the side of the road.
I do not usually read books with such dark and despicable underbelly unless it is so supernatural or fantastical that I know the happenings will not come to be. This was a story about something that could happen and probably has. So my only dislike after reading this is me whining âwhy'd you have to make me think such dark thoughts?â
It was an interesting read but I think if I had the choice to read it again for the first time I would not. Reading a review would have been enough for me. That does not mean I hated it and it was not interesting. I just feel like I spent more time then I want on this book.
I read this for a book club. This book was not technically picked, the theme for the month was âFoodâ. This was the closest I had on the subject. I was not sure what to expect because I had never heard of the book before. Reading the description of the characters and story did not interest me. In fact, I think my husband picked up the book. The story was very different than anything I have read and with this one I consider it a good thing. I really did not expect the turn at the end. In truth, I figured the opposite was going to happen and most lived happily ever after. Nope, that was not the case. The kids were juvenile delinquents who needed a kick in the ass and a trip to jail, as did other characters by the end. The book kept me interested. It was like watching an accident on the side of the road.
I do not usually read books with such dark and despicable underbelly unless it is so supernatural or fantastical that I know the happenings will not come to be. This was a story about something that could happen and probably has. So my only dislike after reading this is me whining âwhy'd you have to make me think such dark thoughts?â
It was an interesting read but I think if I had the choice to read it again for the first time I would not. Reading a review would have been enough for me. That does not mean I hated it and it was not interesting. I just feel like I spent more time then I want on this book.
Dark, chilling, and disturbing...a good read.
I thought this book was great. Different from what I was used to reading.
VERY interesting subject matter, especially if you are a parent. The story takes place in Amsterdam and involves 2 couples (the men are brothers) and what one would do if their teenage children do something "awful".
I read this in one day, it kept me wanting to read more, even when I wasn't really enjoying it. Odd book, interesting style. Reminded me of "We Need to Talk About Kevin", but I liked "Kevin" more.
Wonderful. An honest look at a family who finally comes to terms with the way things actually are as opposed to what others see and think that they know.
Apparently, the 15 year olds do something so heinous that no reviewer, here or on the general internet, will say what it is. I guess we'll have to read the book. (though the discussion questions in the reader's guide might give hints).
