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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.
amshmobr's review against another edition
2.0
The fist two parts of the book hooked me and then I plodded through to get to a rather frustrating ending. I expect all Koch characters to be unlikeable, as in The Dinner, but I resented being led along so many different (and potentially exciting) story paths, only to have the author abandon all of them suddenly for a requisite “gotcha”outcome. Failure to resolve at least some of the many open questions seems lazy rather than clever or thought provoking. This 'fill-in-the-blank' approach to storytelling appears throughout the book - many names are designated with a single letter, an intriguing physical deformity is mentioned by not defined, a supposedly shocking opinion is given but never elaborated,etc. The degree of sexism that permeated the book was also off-putting - likely a ploy to make the characters even more unlikeable, but I have less patience for it as I get older.
geisttull's review against another edition
3.0
This writer is very dark. I didn't like this one as much as the last one I read but I'll keep reading him.
cariena's review against another edition
3.0
Het einde viel me eigenlijk wel een beetje tegen, terwijl ik gedurende het boek echt genoten heb van het lezen en de verhaallijnen.
lilygracekay's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.0
Interesting premise but felt like a lot of waiting for something to happen, with no great twist
ryanwithanh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
A prominent aging writer lives upstairs and the man downstairs writes him oddly intimate letters, detailing how closely he follows the author's life. Because this is Herman Koch, you can trust that Dear Mr. M begins dark and only becomes more sinister as the novel proceeds. The stalker, Herman, has a connection to Mr. M, along with no small amount of resentment. For his part, Mr. M is not a sympathetic character. And while Koch keeps the reader guessing as to the final outcome of the men's encounters, there's no doubt that it will be satisfactorily horrific.
The narration of Dear Mr. M passes between Herman, Mr. M and Herman's high school girlfriend, Laura, whose growing fascination with the odd and manipulative Herman will culminate with the disappearance of one of the teachers at their school. How they were involved, however, remains uncertain until the very end of this superbly plotted novel. If you need sympathetic characters, this isn't the book for you, but I found it gripping and impossible to put down.
The narration of Dear Mr. M passes between Herman, Mr. M and Herman's high school girlfriend, Laura, whose growing fascination with the odd and manipulative Herman will culminate with the disappearance of one of the teachers at their school. How they were involved, however, remains uncertain until the very end of this superbly plotted novel. If you need sympathetic characters, this isn't the book for you, but I found it gripping and impossible to put down.