A review by bratatouille
The Dinner by Herman Koch

2.5

This was recommended as a Weird Book by a creature that I respect. I, however, cannot agree with that categorization. There is nothing weird or odd about the events that take place in this book. Everything that happens is disgustingly realistic. It is not only possible, it is happening right now in several

places under our nose all over the US. This isn’t a weird book, it is an unsettling one. I enjoyed the protagonist’s voice and the author’s incredibly jaunty writing style. The beginning of the tale pulled me in for the ride! As we continued, I wanted out. The content was different from what I had been expecting and I found myself disappointed and repulsed as opposed to intrigued. The pacing jumps between the current events of the dinner taking place and anecdotes from throughout the protagonist’s life in a way that works for a large part of the text but, in others, is tedious on the part of the reader. I imagine I would have enjoyed this more if I liked a single character involved. I don’t think this book is bad by any means. It wasn’t for me.