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lemonnut's review against another edition
3.0
Good book, but very dark. It starts off very quietly, as just a dinner in a nice restaurant, but as the book unfolds and secrets are revealed about the 2 families, it continues to build, all in a very quiet tone. Even the most violent scenes are described in a detached manner, and the reader gets the sense of watching the entire evening (with flashbacks) occur almost in slow motion.
eefeef's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jenpaul13's review against another edition
3.0
We all have to eat. The pleasure we take out of the experience is entirely dependent upon not only our personal inclinations but outside sources, too. Herman Koch's The Dinner portrays an evening's dinner and conversation in Amsterdam while also exploring a lifetime of experiences.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Paul Lohman and his wife Claire are going out to dinner with his brother Serge Lohman and his wife Babette. Serge is running for election and is known to many in the area, which makes getting last minute dinner reservations at a prime spot a snap. As Paul narrates the evening, with all his comic observances and asides to himself, he drops into moments of deep thought that offer a glimpse into his life before this night, which puts current events into perspective. With the evening progressing throughout the five stages of dinner, so too does the story develop from what seems like a character study through observances to a narrative of deeper import with the involvement of the couples' children's behavior, which begs for the parents to discuss over their dinner.
Psychologically speaking, the story was interesting as Paul is an unreliable narrator who has blanks in his memory, which can cause a reader to question what has actually happened. I enjoyed how the narrative was laid out into the five stages of a dinner and how the action evolved along a similar line--it was reminiscent of a play in this regard, as it prepares a reader for what comes next. I didn't particularly like any of the characters presented, even if I could understand where they were coming from in their attempt to protect their family from harm.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
Paul Lohman and his wife Claire are going out to dinner with his brother Serge Lohman and his wife Babette. Serge is running for election and is known to many in the area, which makes getting last minute dinner reservations at a prime spot a snap. As Paul narrates the evening, with all his comic observances and asides to himself, he drops into moments of deep thought that offer a glimpse into his life before this night, which puts current events into perspective. With the evening progressing throughout the five stages of dinner, so too does the story develop from what seems like a character study through observances to a narrative of deeper import with the involvement of the couples' children's behavior, which begs for the parents to discuss over their dinner.
Psychologically speaking, the story was interesting as Paul is an unreliable narrator who has blanks in his memory, which can cause a reader to question what has actually happened. I enjoyed how the narrative was laid out into the five stages of a dinner and how the action evolved along a similar line--it was reminiscent of a play in this regard, as it prepares a reader for what comes next. I didn't particularly like any of the characters presented, even if I could understand where they were coming from in their attempt to protect their family from harm.
*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
lfbennett407's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
lizzygard94's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
zcn49gfvnc's review against another edition
dark
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
4.5
morakami's review against another edition
4.0
بما اني لم اقرا لموراكامي للآن استطيع ان اقول ان هذه الرواية من اغرب واصدم الروايات الي قراتها فحياتي
شايفين الي يقولك ان الرواية عجبتني جدا بس كانت مزعجة شوي هذت الوصف الي ينطيق على هذه الرواية
شخصية بول مزعجة جدا وحبيتها جدا في بعض اجزاء الرواية مريض نفسي ضعيف الشخصية يستمتع عندما يرى ابنه يقع في الخطأ ويقابل هذا الخطا بالابتسامة لولده في الجانب الجميل منه كيف الطريقة التي يحب فيها زوجته وابنه ويسعى كل جهده لكي يكونو سعداء والجانب الاجمل عندما يتغزل سرا في زوجته وكيف هو متعلق فيها ويراها شخص ذكي و عظيم وكيف يريد ان يدفن راسه في شعرها طوال الوقت. ..
طريقة السرد كانت غريبة ولكن الغرائبية الجميلة لكن لم يمنعني هذا من ان اقول انني حسيت ببعض التوهان وصعوبة بمعرفة من الذي يتكلم والفلاش الباك الي فجاة يأتيك وانت بوسط الاحداث
الكاتب تبين عظمته لما يكون يحكيلك تفاصيل حياة يومية عادية ولكن تستمتع فيها ولا وجود للملل ..
شايفين الي يقولك ان الرواية عجبتني جدا بس كانت مزعجة شوي هذت الوصف الي ينطيق على هذه الرواية
شخصية بول مزعجة جدا وحبيتها جدا في بعض اجزاء الرواية مريض نفسي ضعيف الشخصية يستمتع عندما يرى ابنه يقع في الخطأ ويقابل هذا الخطا بالابتسامة لولده في الجانب الجميل منه كيف الطريقة التي يحب فيها زوجته وابنه ويسعى كل جهده لكي يكونو سعداء والجانب الاجمل عندما يتغزل سرا في زوجته وكيف هو متعلق فيها ويراها شخص ذكي و عظيم وكيف يريد ان يدفن راسه في شعرها طوال الوقت. ..
طريقة السرد كانت غريبة ولكن الغرائبية الجميلة لكن لم يمنعني هذا من ان اقول انني حسيت ببعض التوهان وصعوبة بمعرفة من الذي يتكلم والفلاش الباك الي فجاة يأتيك وانت بوسط الاحداث
الكاتب تبين عظمته لما يكون يحكيلك تفاصيل حياة يومية عادية ولكن تستمتع فيها ولا وجود للملل ..
vacantbones's review against another edition
3.0
I thought I was rather intelligent but this book may have convinced me that my brains are, in fact, banana puree.
sophies1310's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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
2.25
mcbibliotecaria's review against another edition
4.0
Seriously, if you liked Gone Girl, this is a bunch of crazies that you don't think are crazy but they're totally crazy. A whole family of crazy. So good.