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lisettela's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Racism, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Classism
corinth113's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
All vibes.
Bad ones, but done in a very well crafted way with slow, disturbing builds, and a dull, slightly sickening atmosphere. You almost don’t notice at first, and then there’s one reference to a film that makes you go “wait” and then it just gets worse from there (in a good way??)
Not really disturbing in the “trigger warning” sense, in case anyone’s wondering. Anyway, great writing as you get to be in this guy’s head for an evening at dinner with brother and their wives. I’m rambling, but it’s because I’m so quietly shook. Read it! Enjoy it…it’ll probably make you feel as satiated and as flabbergasted and as guilty as an overly expensive dinner would with the brother you obviously can’t stand at a place where the portions are way too small to begin with.
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Rape
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Medical content, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child death, Sexual harassment, Racism, Abortion, Sexual content, and Addiction
Minor: Pregnancy and Pedophilia
h4ppycupcake's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Classism, Death, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Torture, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcohol and Cursing
jkar7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Graphic: Classism, Racial slurs, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, and Toxic relationship
clemrain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book takes course through one dinner. An important dinner and discussion between difficult characters that are strong in their beliefs and will act on them. That is a threat.
The narrator, Paul, is astonishingly written. A wild ride of inner dialogues and anecdotes that are placed in just the right places. Koch uses great pacing and placements of Paul’s recounts. Paul is of the best unreliable narrator’s I’ve read.
The Dinner is such a real depiction of racism, prejudice and privilege. That doesn’t catch on until it does and then it just settles. I can’t explain it. Koch does such a good job. You really get put into the disillusionment of these people. It’s astonishing. These are some well written and realistic characters though majority of them, I really don't like.
I wish I could read this book in its original language. I wonder how much it would’ve differed. The pacing the wording. Either way, I do think this translation is effective.
The ending
This book is frustrating and for most of it I was just trying to understand what the point was. But there is a point and I wonder if it’ll ever be understood by the people this book is about.
Graphic: Hate crime, Medical content, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Racism, Death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Infidelity and Body horror
meganmeread's review against another edition
- 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
2.25
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death, and Bullying