The Dinner by Herman Koch

[TheRealFellatio]

Anyone read this? It was bloody fabulous. I need to talk to someone about it!

[KirstiesHomeMadeCrap]

Oh no no no. It was just waste of time for me. Boring,long and the plot was just stupid! Sorry.....

[CaptainJamesTKirk]

I watch booktubers and one of the ones I watch, booksandquills, has just got this from a book fair... She briefly mentioned the idea (she'd already read it in dutch). And I thought it sounded really interesting, I might have to purchase.

[tripfiction]

Hi - we enjoyed it, though I can understand how it can feel a bit slow. We were invited to be part of the blog tour on it for its new launch at the end of April, so if you are interested here is the post tripfiction.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/Novel-set-in-Amsterdam.html

[Mrsrobertduvall]

I read this last year and loved it.
I do like a dysfunctional family.

The Middlesteins is good too.

[TheRealFellatio]

I agree the ending was a bit mad, and the restaurant scene left me a bit but I love the way that no-one turned out to be the person you thought they were.

It made me think about how you can have conversations with people who are unstable narcissists who rationalise their own behaviour to the point where they can completely convince you that everyone else is the toxic, unreasonable, mad one.

[TheRealFellatio]

Sorry the whole blimmi' thing was in a restaurant wasn't it - what I meant by restaurant scene was the final scene where an ambulance was required.

[TheRealFellatio]

blimmin' thing

[dearcathyandclare]

I read last it Autumn and loved it, especially the husband/ wife dynamic, and couldn't make up my mind who was the most 'evil'character. interestingly the politician seemed to have the greatest integrity in the end. I think it would make an excellent film or play.

[TheRealFellatio]

Me too! I really didn't see that coming about the politician, and as that sort of goodie/baddie reversal in the plot unfolded I was at how easily I'd been mislead by being s easily in thrall of the protagonist and his POV. It really made me think about how we take things people tell us face value far too easily without stopping to think about what the other side of the story might be.

It would love to see it as a film.

[TheRealFellatio]

so easily

[dearcathyandclare]

I also found the casual racism, and violence to the socially excluded chilling and well observed together with the use of mobile technology.I have a horrible feeling that aspect could be prescient.

[dearcathyandclare]

Not selling the book as a bundle of laughs are we!

[ShoutyCrackers]

Bought it to read by the pool this week and it was so dull I had to abandon it a third of the way through

[TheRealFellatio]

Well no it's not an 'enjoyable' read in that sense, but as fascinating a gripping one, I thought.

[TheRealFellatio]

a not as

[BettyYeti]

I bought this expecting to really enjoy it. Did not like it at all (although did finish it). Mind you, I was not that taken by the Slap either (which this has been compared to). In both cases I liked the premise but not the actual book.

[ShatnersBassoon]

I didn't enjoy it either, but was expecting to. I thought it might have worked better as a short story.

[TheRealFellatio]

Well, it was a pretty short book!

[Nospringflower]

Just finished this book and really enjoyed it. Thought it was clever and unexpected.

[Slubberdelatrinae]

yy we did it in our book club. I really enjoyed it too. Loved the development of the protagonist throughout the book and how your feelings for him did such an about turn.