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A review by ellenhawkins
The Dinner by Herman Koch
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing and slow build up of tension in The Dinner. Unfortunately, the ending left something to be desired. I was totally engrossed from the first page, but as the end neared the plot started to lose it's believability and at the conclusion I was left disappointed.
Most other reviewers say that the characters are difficult to relate to, but I had no problem empathizing with the anxiety of spending time with more successful family members who are somewhat removed from the reality of living an average existence. In fact, this was what originally drew me to the book. The author perfectly captures the delicate conversational maneuvering that siblings engage in when they realize that they have almost nothing in common anymore. And that for me made the book well worth the read.
Most other reviewers say that the characters are difficult to relate to, but I had no problem empathizing with the anxiety of spending time with more successful family members who are somewhat removed from the reality of living an average existence. In fact, this was what originally drew me to the book. The author perfectly captures the delicate conversational maneuvering that siblings engage in when they realize that they have almost nothing in common anymore. And that for me made the book well worth the read.