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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
This book is my favorite book of this year so far. The writing style was so gripping and drags you into the dark thoughts of a Family Physician called Marc and his family. Everyone should read this and now im hooked on Herman Koch! lol
I loved The Dinner and Summer House with Swimming Pool did not disappoint. Filled with characters you love to hate and a plot that leaves you guessing until the last page, this book is true Herman Koch form. Characters making bad, selfish decisions and doing deplorable things is what he does best. I love the suspense and the development. Another excellent book from this author! I look forward to more!
Note: 3,5 stars
That was a very interesting read. Things happen and yet you don't notice, you don't feel it until you're deep within it.
The characters are all real and human, even the less developed ones.
I particularly liked the flow of the text. It an easy read, with a good rhythm, so good that it took me almost half the book to realize that was not the typical mystery/psychological thriller I'm used to read. And now I'm curious and eager to find other books like that, books that are more than a main plot, than a whodidit.
That was a very interesting read. Things happen and yet you don't notice, you don't feel it until you're deep within it.
The characters are all real and human, even the less developed ones.
I particularly liked the flow of the text. It an easy read, with a good rhythm, so good that it took me almost half the book to realize that was not the typical mystery/psychological thriller I'm used to read. And now I'm curious and eager to find other books like that, books that are more than a main plot, than a whodidit.
A couple of chapters in I was wary if not frightened of the males in this book. I was being let into male thoughts I really didn't want to know about. I hoped they were a work of fiction but really don't know. No one in this book is nice. It is like looking at a caricature where the features are all there but they are slightly distorted to make the overall picture grotesque
As the story developed the focus shifted. The story was now about the summer house. The characters were still appalling but the focus was now on group interaction rather than the disregard of your fellow humans that had dominated earlier.
The midsummer party events gave me more empathy for the not very nice characters and I was taken by surprise as events unfolded.
A good ending.
As the story developed the focus shifted. The story was now about the summer house. The characters were still appalling but the focus was now on group interaction rather than the disregard of your fellow humans that had dominated earlier.
The midsummer party events gave me more empathy for the not very nice characters and I was taken by surprise as events unfolded.
A good ending.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Koch’s style of writing is not my favorite - he often uses analogies for situations that don’t really need them and it really slows down the pace of the book. The story was difficult to stick with for me because there isn’t a single character who is likeable - the main character turns out to be just as misogynistic and self centered as the other characters and is losing a battle with a god complex. An ok story where the end leaves you thinking …ok I guess that’s it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault
Similar to the Dinner, this book had no likable characters - most were straight up evil. It wasn't so much a whodunnit, since we know the details of a murder from the very beginning of a story, but rather a race to figure out what really happened at the summer house (with swimming pool). Creepily entertaining. I will definitely be reading Mr. Koch's latest book soon.
wow wat een heerlijke schrijver toch. koch kan zo goed mensen en situaties beschrijven! hij heeft humor en durft een onsympathieke hoofdpersoon aam het woord te laten. verder is het een uitstekend boek voor een lees club. zou graag eens van gedachten wisselen over dit boek met andere lezers.
aanrader!
aanrader!
I got this as a first reads give away from goodreads. It looks like there are some negative reviews for this book so far but I really loved it! This was my first Herman Koch book so maybe for people who read the dinner it's a little different. The characters in this novel we so developed that it felt like I could actually feel like I knew them. Overall, I thought this was a good read and I'm going to start reading the dinner tonight!