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nielsabeth's review
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
pennydaniels's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing book. But so accurately depicted to lead to frustration as this conflict will never find an end.
kathrynje3sr's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this as an audio book. I might not have liked is it as much in print. For some reason audio is easier for me if the story is disjointed. Also the audio was read by one of my favorite voice actors, Mark Beamhall. Beautiful & elegant writing. Fans of intricate spy craft may enjoy this.
jeanenej's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars - It was a little confusing in the start and I was really into this book in the middle, but disappointed with the end.
mjmbecky's review against another edition
4.0
Dinner at the Center of the Earth focuses on five main character stories, and all center around the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Told in splintered stories, each one highlights an issue or problem the region's conflicts have caused. Immediately, the book made me realize that we often think about how people in history or different places around the globe could have just lived their lives and stayed out of whatever conflict was surrounding them. These characters' stories remind us how swayed by politics, wars, and corruption we all are on a global scale. What is even more startling is realizing how a choice made in the West can really change the lives of people around the world. An embargo placed in one location, then leads to disruption and disunity in another.
While we consider the conflict(s) in the Middle East, we follow these five characters and their role or place in the conflict. Some of these stories are people directly connected, such as a General of the military. Another is a spy who is working for the state. Another is a man in prison, but mistakenly placed there. All of their stories are political in nature and are driven by the conflict around them.
I really did like this novel and found it pretty fascinating. It also made me sad to again realize how political corruption can have such horrifying repercussions. We really do take for granted that the choices our leaders make and the way they create a ripple effect around the globe. We all feel the results.
While we consider the conflict(s) in the Middle East, we follow these five characters and their role or place in the conflict. Some of these stories are people directly connected, such as a General of the military. Another is a spy who is working for the state. Another is a man in prison, but mistakenly placed there. All of their stories are political in nature and are driven by the conflict around them.
I really did like this novel and found it pretty fascinating. It also made me sad to again realize how political corruption can have such horrifying repercussions. We really do take for granted that the choices our leaders make and the way they create a ripple effect around the globe. We all feel the results.
lizloulie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
abookishtype's review against another edition
3.0
There are a lot of people trying to escape in Nathan Englander’s Dinner at the Center of the Earth. In some cases, characters are trying to escape problems of their own making. In others, they’re trapped by someone else’s will. Watching these characters run as fast as they can and, mostly, get nowhere was a simultaneously frustrating and educational reading experience...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
missmesmerized's review against another edition
3.0
Berlin 2002. A young Palestinian helps out a Canadian businessman to sail on one of the lakes. The more often they meet, the more intimate they get. Paris, the same year. Prisoner Z falls in love with a waitress. A young woman who turns out to be a super-rich daughter with unlimited opportunities. Israel 2014. The General is in hospital, dying, it is just a question of time until he passes away. The same year, the same country, but in a secret prison cell. Prisoner Z sets all his hopes on the General unsuspecting of the latter’s poor state of health. Slowly, all pieces fit together to narrate a story of spying and love in one of the most conflict-laden regions of the earth.
The short description of the novel was really appealing and promising. I was expecting a suspenseful and tedious story which brings the characters to their limit and in which they oscillate between ethical values and commitment to their country and personal interests and emotions. Yet, the plot is slowly flowing without any remarkable peaks in suspense. It took me quite some time to get an idea of the characters and their connection, how they relate isn’t obvious at all.
The narrative style is quite enticing, the dialogues are vivid, also the presentation of the single characters is effective and thriving. However, due to the various places and side plots, the red thread got lost a bit. We have just fractions of the Israel history of which I really would have liked to read much more. Yet, as it is, there are a lot of narrative paths lain out which, unfortunately, nobody ever walked.
The short description of the novel was really appealing and promising. I was expecting a suspenseful and tedious story which brings the characters to their limit and in which they oscillate between ethical values and commitment to their country and personal interests and emotions. Yet, the plot is slowly flowing without any remarkable peaks in suspense. It took me quite some time to get an idea of the characters and their connection, how they relate isn’t obvious at all.
The narrative style is quite enticing, the dialogues are vivid, also the presentation of the single characters is effective and thriving. However, due to the various places and side plots, the red thread got lost a bit. We have just fractions of the Israel history of which I really would have liked to read much more. Yet, as it is, there are a lot of narrative paths lain out which, unfortunately, nobody ever walked.
adt's review against another edition
3.0
Grudgingly giving this annoying structured book 3 stars for the way the author gives it some meaning in landing the plane. Almost abandoned three times because of the jumping back and forth between characters, time and place. That alone should have knocked it down to 2 stars. Requiring so much of a reader with negligible payoff in the end is not a recipe for a satisfied and appreciative reader.