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chelseatm's review against another edition
2.0
I was very excited for this book as I've loved his novels in the past but I was very disappointed.
It was almost self-congratulatory in its mehta-ness and rambled unnecessarily in some exceedingly pretentious proses. Koch is a strong writer but he was much too aware of that fact.
By the end of the novel, I was indifferent to the mystery's solution. Rather, I was just ready to stop feeling like I was sitting in the company of self-aggrandizing teeangaers intent on making me feel small and stupid.
I'd rather just reread The Dinner, thank you.
It was almost self-congratulatory in its mehta-ness and rambled unnecessarily in some exceedingly pretentious proses. Koch is a strong writer but he was much too aware of that fact.
By the end of the novel, I was indifferent to the mystery's solution. Rather, I was just ready to stop feeling like I was sitting in the company of self-aggrandizing teeangaers intent on making me feel small and stupid.
I'd rather just reread The Dinner, thank you.
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Difficult to classify or describe, a multi-stranded story that pulls together. Interesting look at writers and their world.
I loved The Dinner, quite liked Summer House, the premise of this was one I couldn't turn down.
A neighbour of a famous writer (now selling far fewer copies than he'd like) keeps a close watch on 'M', attending his book readings, watching his young wife on her holidays.
We also see a second story narrated, that of two students and a teacher, who had an affair with one student, and the disappearance of whom later gave M his breakthrough novel as he wrote about the case (and assumed murder by the two students).
I spent much of the book searching for connections, wondering how the two narratives were going to come together. As happens in Koch, they do.
And both are equally interesting. M's world of signings and dinners (or buffets as they increasingly become) is rather fascinating, as we see the outer glamour and the inner turmoil. The story of the long-toothed teacher and the pretty student (and her new boyfriend) feels like a different book, but you know early on that it is going to turn darker.
Very enjoyable, a refreshing plot and situation, I always love books about writers and writing. Lots of different perspectives and dark humour, and a great ending for both plotlines. Great choice for book groups to discuss.
Difficult to classify or describe, a multi-stranded story that pulls together. Interesting look at writers and their world.
I loved The Dinner, quite liked Summer House, the premise of this was one I couldn't turn down.
A neighbour of a famous writer (now selling far fewer copies than he'd like) keeps a close watch on 'M', attending his book readings, watching his young wife on her holidays.
We also see a second story narrated, that of two students and a teacher, who had an affair with one student, and the disappearance of whom later gave M his breakthrough novel as he wrote about the case (and assumed murder by the two students).
I spent much of the book searching for connections, wondering how the two narratives were going to come together. As happens in Koch, they do.
And both are equally interesting. M's world of signings and dinners (or buffets as they increasingly become) is rather fascinating, as we see the outer glamour and the inner turmoil. The story of the long-toothed teacher and the pretty student (and her new boyfriend) feels like a different book, but you know early on that it is going to turn darker.
Very enjoyable, a refreshing plot and situation, I always love books about writers and writing. Lots of different perspectives and dark humour, and a great ending for both plotlines. Great choice for book groups to discuss.
93ali_mod's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
norasword's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
speckbetsy's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sposnick's review against another edition
4.0
Compared to 'The Dinner', this one loses it's place here and there in the storytelling but still a very engrossing read with a strangely satisfying ending.
megadeathvsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Koch writes these novels with just despicable main characters, but for some reason I can't make myself put them down. This was another good one that kept me wondering the whole time.
shannonw19's review against another edition
2.0
I put this book down when I was about half way through it. I just couldn't take it any more. The plot moves exceedingly slow. It switches between the present and the past, as oh so many books do now. But it does it so slowly that it is hard to keep interest.
I like Herman Koch's writing. But I found his voice in this book exceptionally pompous. I suppose the narrator is supposed to be. But it got to be so annoying, I couldn't concentrate on the plot. So I gave up. My apologies to Mr. Koch for not being able to finish. This just wasn't my cup of tea.
I won this book. I received no other compensation for my review and the opinion expressed herein are mine and mine along.
I like Herman Koch's writing. But I found his voice in this book exceptionally pompous. I suppose the narrator is supposed to be. But it got to be so annoying, I couldn't concentrate on the plot. So I gave up. My apologies to Mr. Koch for not being able to finish. This just wasn't my cup of tea.
I won this book. I received no other compensation for my review and the opinion expressed herein are mine and mine along.
caitlinxreads's review against another edition
3.0
I picked this up on a whim while on vacation. It was in the boat's library and I figured I would give it a shot. I went into this expecting something dark and creepy due to the description and the fact that it was called a 'European Gone Girl' on the back. I have not read that book but have heard it is really good and it's on my TBR. This started out creepy. The first few chapters made me uncomfortable in the best possible way but unfortunately, that did not last. The book switches between the perspectives of a few characters but it often isn't clear immediately which perspective a chapter/part is focusing on which took me out of the story while I tried to figure out where I was.
This book centers on Mr. M. He wrote a book called Payback which was based on a real (in the story) case of an obsessive teacher gone missing and the suspects of his disappearance. This story centers on the life of this writer as his neighbor becomes obsessed with watching him and 'giving him more information'. The premise seemed interesting enough, but I wasn't a fan of the execution.
Things I loved: surprising ending, twists, dual timeline, Amsterdam (the setting was done well), the main character is a writer
Things I didn't love: the ending was not the best, most of the characters (theme lately in the books I have read), too long
I am happy that I read this one but also could have lived without it.
This book centers on Mr. M. He wrote a book called Payback which was based on a real (in the story) case of an obsessive teacher gone missing and the suspects of his disappearance. This story centers on the life of this writer as his neighbor becomes obsessed with watching him and 'giving him more information'. The premise seemed interesting enough, but I wasn't a fan of the execution.
Things I loved: surprising ending, twists, dual timeline, Amsterdam (the setting was done well), the main character is a writer
Things I didn't love: the ending was not the best, most of the characters (theme lately in the books I have read), too long
I am happy that I read this one but also could have lived without it.
melissagallant_'s review against another edition
2.0
I have some pretty conflicting reactions to this book that I will attempt to set out here.
One of the things I really like about Koch's work is his ability to write an interesting story, plot-wise, while also discussing really intimate and complex issues in a way that doesn't seem forced or construed. I love his ability to create deeply unlikeable characters that are still relatable - highly exaggerated characters that throw our own pettiness and social dynamics into uncomfortable relief.
This book didn't do that for me; it felt too heavy-handed. The "mystery" of the story was weak, confusing, and entirely without suspense. The "twist" was poorly handled and didn't deliver any shock factor as by that point the storyline had been told over and over and only one conclusion could have been drawn. There was a big reveal that was thrust on you too quickly, on almost the last page of the book, that left me confused as to why the story was ended this way and what it was supposed to mean. It felt inconsistent.
I found his musings on the nature of fame, writing, and social pretense to be fascinating, but the problem was that they dragged on. There were lengthy monologues that raised interesting points, but could have been expanded on more creatively or organically. I found myself getting bored during these sections as it felt a little like Koch was trying to write an essay and a thriller at the same time. If these sections had been edited a little better, they could have been really successful as the ideas and metaphors used provoked good thought.
All in all, this premise had potential, but the novel was not put together in a satisfying way. I felt that the different storylines floundered, at times too confusing and opaque, at other times too drawn out trying to hammer home a point.
That being said, I did enjoy reading it all the way up until the end, where things just didn't seem to tie up the way they should.
One of the things I really like about Koch's work is his ability to write an interesting story, plot-wise, while also discussing really intimate and complex issues in a way that doesn't seem forced or construed. I love his ability to create deeply unlikeable characters that are still relatable - highly exaggerated characters that throw our own pettiness and social dynamics into uncomfortable relief.
This book didn't do that for me; it felt too heavy-handed. The "mystery" of the story was weak, confusing, and entirely without suspense. The "twist" was poorly handled and didn't deliver any shock factor as by that point the storyline had been told over and over and only one conclusion could have been drawn. There was a big reveal that was thrust on you too quickly, on almost the last page of the book, that left me confused as to why the story was ended this way and what it was supposed to mean. It felt inconsistent.
I found his musings on the nature of fame, writing, and social pretense to be fascinating, but the problem was that they dragged on. There were lengthy monologues that raised interesting points, but could have been expanded on more creatively or organically. I found myself getting bored during these sections as it felt a little like Koch was trying to write an essay and a thriller at the same time. If these sections had been edited a little better, they could have been really successful as the ideas and metaphors used provoked good thought.
All in all, this premise had potential, but the novel was not put together in a satisfying way. I felt that the different storylines floundered, at times too confusing and opaque, at other times too drawn out trying to hammer home a point.
That being said, I did enjoy reading it all the way up until the end, where things just didn't seem to tie up the way they should.