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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Don't read this expecting to find characters you'll like- everyone in this novel is vile. Another page turner from Herman Koch, and another that fails to deliver in some respects. It's not a book that's big on flowery descriptions or introspection, more of react and reaction kind of read.
Another with an eye to the screenplay. I think the Dinner was a more accomplished and less bloated book, and that the characters were more clearly realised as well.
*this was another uncorrected proof I read. Also, I just wanted to clarify that I didn't give the book two stars because the characters are unlikable; more on the strengths of the story on writing.
(Netherlands)
Another with an eye to the screenplay. I think the Dinner was a more accomplished and less bloated book, and that the characters were more clearly realised as well.
*this was another uncorrected proof I read. Also, I just wanted to clarify that I didn't give the book two stars because the characters are unlikable; more on the strengths of the story on writing.
(Netherlands)
I loved The Dinner by Herman Koch. I didn’t love this.
I think this was just a victim of poor editing. The chapters jumped around from real life to flashbacks with absolutely no indication that it had happened. At its core, it’s a great concept. How much will a father do for his daughters? Can you really trust anyone?
These are fairly universal concepts. I am happy that Koch did not shy away from creating a character with complex viewpoints. Especially those that would be considered bigotry in this age. I didn’t know how to take the ranting and ravings about the distaste and dislike of his own patients and people in general. As much as I love a narcissistic narrator, it felt like it was too easy for him to slip into sociopathic behavior. Like way too easy.
I also didn’t appreciate the anti-climatic ending. After confusing me for four and a half hours, you leave me with this open-ended thing? Really. I was so disappointed. But I won’t say that I didn’t appreciate reading this. It was interesting to see how girls grow up in the minds of their fathers. There aren’t a lot of father-daughter stories out there where the dad is not a piece of garbage so this was refreshing.
I would be remiss if I didn’t add that sometimes people do things that they shouldn’t, but does that mean we should be judge, jury, and executioner? Does someone deserve to die just because they have the potential of wrongdoing?
3 stars.
I think this was just a victim of poor editing. The chapters jumped around from real life to flashbacks with absolutely no indication that it had happened. At its core, it’s a great concept. How much will a father do for his daughters? Can you really trust anyone?
These are fairly universal concepts. I am happy that Koch did not shy away from creating a character with complex viewpoints. Especially those that would be considered bigotry in this age. I didn’t know how to take the ranting and ravings about the distaste and dislike of his own patients and people in general. As much as I love a narcissistic narrator, it felt like it was too easy for him to slip into sociopathic behavior. Like way too easy.
I also didn’t appreciate the anti-climatic ending. After confusing me for four and a half hours, you leave me with this open-ended thing? Really. I was so disappointed. But I won’t say that I didn’t appreciate reading this. It was interesting to see how girls grow up in the minds of their fathers. There aren’t a lot of father-daughter stories out there where the dad is not a piece of garbage so this was refreshing.
I would be remiss if I didn’t add that sometimes people do things that they shouldn’t, but does that mean we should be judge, jury, and executioner? Does someone deserve to die just because they have the potential of wrongdoing?
3 stars.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Medical content
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Murder
koch is so good at writing despicable characters lol i liked the structure of the book but i think the dinner stays on top
If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be:GROSS.The descriptions are gross, the situation/events are gross,the characters are gross.
Twisted story. I laughed out loud and shared some particularly bizarre passages with my husband. The writer really has an edgy point of view. His main characters are all unspeakable but yet...but yet, very human somehow. Ouch!
A great follow-up to The Dinner. But where that book managed to make points about society by making us loathe characters and their actions, this novel doesn't seem to have as far a reach.
That's not to say it's not as good, it's just a different beast. Again, we are encouraged to examine our feelings about a main character and change them as his narration and actions lead us to change our impressions.
Dr Marc Schlosser is a Dutch GP (General Practitioner). One who pretty much loathes both the human body and his exclusive patients, who number the famous, the hypochondriacal, the obese, and those who don't want a diagnosis, only a prescription and a friendly ear. We learn early on that Marc is about to be brought before the Medical Council charged with negligence towards a celebrity patient.
At which point in time, he takes us back to before it happened, to his family's summer holiday in which much will be revealed about himself, his friends, and what led to the charges.
After a knockout opening chapter of doctorly loathing and disgust (which I loved), I did start to wonder where the story was going. The buildup on holiday is very long and doesn't seem to be connected to the accusations of the beginning. But eventually - bam - yes, you can see where the book is going.
Marc's actions are shocking, outrageous, understandable, sociopathic, human, take your pick.
It's a read in many ways like Koch's first. Initial impressions are discarded, human emotions as behaviours are examined, our worse sides are allowed out to air.
Blackly funny, with some delicious narration from Marc, it's definitely worth a read if you like thinking about the darker qualities that make is human.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
That's not to say it's not as good, it's just a different beast. Again, we are encouraged to examine our feelings about a main character and change them as his narration and actions lead us to change our impressions.
Dr Marc Schlosser is a Dutch GP (General Practitioner). One who pretty much loathes both the human body and his exclusive patients, who number the famous, the hypochondriacal, the obese, and those who don't want a diagnosis, only a prescription and a friendly ear. We learn early on that Marc is about to be brought before the Medical Council charged with negligence towards a celebrity patient.
At which point in time, he takes us back to before it happened, to his family's summer holiday in which much will be revealed about himself, his friends, and what led to the charges.
After a knockout opening chapter of doctorly loathing and disgust (which I loved), I did start to wonder where the story was going. The buildup on holiday is very long and doesn't seem to be connected to the accusations of the beginning. But eventually - bam - yes, you can see where the book is going.
Marc's actions are shocking, outrageous, understandable, sociopathic, human, take your pick.
It's a read in many ways like Koch's first. Initial impressions are discarded, human emotions as behaviours are examined, our worse sides are allowed out to air.
Blackly funny, with some delicious narration from Marc, it's definitely worth a read if you like thinking about the darker qualities that make is human.
Review of a Netgalley advance copy.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm gonna cut to the chase
The payoff of all the pseudo evolutionary rhetoric is that it can be used to justify murder?
And we're supposed to think that's bad and it's supposed to be the turning point? I don't think if you were with Mark to that point it would make you change your mind, and if you've been disgusted with him the whole time you're not surprised.
I really don't know what to make of this, I am definitely not getting something. It was extremely provocative, the tension kept building, but the other shoe never dropped?
Prose was solid. Interested in the conflict he feels with America. He says so many things that are blatantly wrong, not even in an idealogical sense, like saying after 9/11 George W Bush was drinking whiskies and listening to the Dixie Chicks is clearly a contradictory narrative meant to grab your attention - and it did! But after finishing I'm not sure where this thread was meant to lead me.
It was the best in the beginning and peaked with him ideating about smashing that guy's toe with a hammer, I am so shocked that he didn't make a full heel turn and/or his delusional thinking wasn't exposed.
And we're supposed to think that's bad and it's supposed to be the turning point? I don't think if you were with Mark to that point it would make you change your mind, and if you've been disgusted with him the whole time you're not surprised.
I really don't know what to make of this, I am definitely not getting something. It was extremely provocative, the tension kept building, but the other shoe never dropped?
Prose was solid. Interested in the conflict he feels with America. He says so many things that are blatantly wrong, not even in an idealogical sense, like saying after 9/11 George W Bush was drinking whiskies and listening to the Dixie Chicks is clearly a contradictory narrative meant to grab your attention - and it did! But after finishing I'm not sure where this thread was meant to lead me.
It was the best in the beginning and peaked with him ideating about smashing that guy's toe with a hammer, I am so shocked that he didn't make a full heel turn and/or his delusional thinking wasn't exposed.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
these are the most disturbing characters I have ever met in any book. completely psychotic! spoiler... Who would not report the rape of their teen aged daughter to the proper authorities. hated it!