Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Dinner by Herman Koch

87 reviews

dobermaier's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious reflective tense 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

3.75

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laurenmiller100's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

  • Characters: 7 - I dislike all of the characters, but that’s the point. The slow reveals of their natures is intentional.
  • Atmosphere/Setting: 8 - I really enjoyed the framing narrative. I think at times it would have been better to avoid some of the Paul side stories. Especially during the main course. It slowed things down when I was really wanting more information.
  • Writing Style: 7
  • Plot: 8
  • Intrigue: 9
  • Logic/Relationships: 9
  • Enjoyment: 7 As others have mentioned, this is a bit of a difficult read. I just do not want to be in Paul’s head.

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mattyvreads's review against another edition

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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

3.5

Undeniably, a well-written book. It was not for me. I think the book pointed to a lot of human / societal failings, without saying much about them.

Not the most fun read, certainly; nor was it a complete waste of time. G-d damn, I love any excuse to say "nor"...

:)

Update: This book might be a good companion read while watching season 3 of Real Housewives of Miami. Art imitates life. Art reflects the truth.
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meshuganush's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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

4.0

The way that this book was organized was very cool. The narrator goes back and forth between the dinner and his past in a way that is very easy to follow and moves the story along. The tension at the table was so well done! 

I would say none of the characters are likeable and I didn't root for any of them but I was still enthralled and had to know what happened!
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shrncmpbll's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced

2.5

This book left me with mixed feelings. While the premise of a suspenseful unraveling during a dinner had potential, the execution fell short for me. I did not connect with the characters, though they were all interestingly flawed. The novel's pacing was inconsistent, with moments of tension punctuated by long stretches of "nothingness". This really overshadowed the exploration of ethical dilemma and, unfortunately, left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
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hhaven13's review

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dark 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

A lot of jumping around in time and was often hard to follow. None of the characters were likable and often made me angry. There were often details left out for the sake of the characters “privacy” but leaving out the details didn’t seem to add any value to the story. I don’t believe the book is  originally written in English so I think some things may have been lost in translation. 
Overall a good read and kept me wanting to know what was next. 
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lady_dariya's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • 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? Yes

3.25

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megwhitlock's review against another edition

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challenging dark funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The characters being so unlikeable and the story being so beyond belief reprehensible is what made this book so good. Hard disagree with those who say you have to identify with the characters or enjoy the plot to love a book. Great dark comedy
(plus an unreliable narrator is always a bonus
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c_alma_d's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny tense medium-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

4.25

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afabbi's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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

3.75

The writing is great, the story is interesting and told from an interesting perspective, but the characters are bad people who don't have any development throughout the story
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