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A review by okinreads
The Dinner by Herman Koch
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Dinner is a book that takes place over the course of a dinner between two couples at an upscale restaurant. Over the course of the meal, you learn more about each character and why they agreed to meet in the first place.
I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the experience of seeing everything through Paul’s perspective. At the beginning, I just thought he was a little snarky but overall a normal guy who liked to eat at regular restaurants and spend time with his family. I took his word for it that his brother was pretentious and I could see where he was coming from. However, after a few comments here and there that gave me pause, I started questioning his point of view. By the end, things completely devolved and I was left decently shocked by how far the parents were willing to go.
One thing I found interesting was that going in, I knew there was something that the kids did that was pretty bad from the book’s description. I had assumed that the main plot of the book would involve revealing whatever it was. Instead, it was revealed very early on. The intrigue for me after that was trying to figure out how the four parents actually felt about it. Personally, I really liked being dragged along through Paul’s weird outlook and picking out the red flags when he would describe memories of past events.
Overall, really enjoyable for me!
I really enjoyed this book! I enjoyed the experience of seeing everything through Paul’s perspective. At the beginning, I just thought he was a little snarky but overall a normal guy who liked to eat at regular restaurants and spend time with his family. I took his word for it that his brother was pretentious and I could see where he was coming from. However, after a few comments here and there that gave me pause, I started questioning his point of view. By the end, things completely devolved and I was left decently shocked by how far the parents were willing to go.
One thing I found interesting was that going in, I knew there was something that the kids did that was pretty bad from the book’s description. I had assumed that the main plot of the book would involve revealing whatever it was. Instead, it was revealed very early on. The intrigue for me after that was trying to figure out how the four parents actually felt about it. Personally, I really liked being dragged along through Paul’s weird outlook and picking out the red flags when he would describe memories of past events.
Overall, really enjoyable for me!