Satch reviewed The Dinner by Herman Koch
Review of 'The Dinner' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Wow, this is a book to read in one sitting.
English language
Published July 10, 2013
The Dinner
by Herman Koch
3 stars
(21 reviews)
The Dinner (Dutch: Het diner) is a novel by the Dutch author Herman Koch. The book was first published by Ambo Anthos in 2009. It was translated into English by Sam Garrett, published in Great Britain in 2012, and the United States in 2013. The book became an international bestseller with many translations and has been adapted into three films.
WellWorthARead reviewed The Dinner by Herman Koch
Review of 'The Dinner' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
The description made me want to read this book, but while the story held my interest I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters or empathize with any of their decisions. There was not so much a "tragedy" that any one was faced with nor did it make me wonder what I myself would do if faced with such an impossible "tragedy" The characters were too unreal. The plot was too implausible and the narrative too often stated "I'm not going to tell you" As in the wife is hospitalized but "I'm not going to tell you why" She had multiple surgeries but "I'm not going to tell you" what they were. One character has a mental illness of some sort but "I'm not going to tell you" what it is (since no such condition exists) oh and this illness could have been diagnosed before birth with …
The description made me want to read this book, but while the story held my interest I found it difficult to connect with any of the characters or empathize with any of their decisions. There was not so much a "tragedy" that any one was faced with nor did it make me wonder what I myself would do if faced with such an impossible "tragedy" The characters were too unreal. The plot was too implausible and the narrative too often stated "I'm not going to tell you" As in the wife is hospitalized but "I'm not going to tell you why" She had multiple surgeries but "I'm not going to tell you" what they were. One character has a mental illness of some sort but "I'm not going to tell you" what it is (since no such condition exists) oh and this illness could have been diagnosed before birth with an amnio but "I'm not going to tell you" This was less a story of how far you would go to protect those you love and more a story of how far you would dig yourself into a deeper hole along with someone who was never in a million years going to be able to get away with what they've done.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for review
Yukari reviewed The Dinner by Herman Koch
Review of 'The Dinner' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Really enjoyed this. Expresses a parent's love and angst about his child...funny and heartbreaking.
Jamie reviewed The Dinner by Herman Koch
Review of 'The Dinner' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Unique voice, fast paced, nicely constructed.
Sharyl reviewed The Dinner by Herman Koch
Review of 'The Dinner' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Dark, intense, riveting. Two sets of parents meet for dinner to talk about their sons and the crime they have committed--and to come to an agreement about the future. That's all I should say...
Diana reviewed The Dinner by Herman Koch
Review of 'The Dinner' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
There is a very interesting subtext to this story and it unwinds itself slowly and graciously. I can't say I liked the characters but I certainly liked how the story differs from most.
