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veronicapeders's review against another edition
113 pages in and nothing much has happened….
gwynnne06's review
4.0
Echt oprecht goed. Had het niet verwacht want moest het voor mijn lijst lezen en heeft veel bladzijdes maar het is oprecht een interessant boek.
marocuya's review against another edition
3.0
To me, a reflection of how most of society truly thinks and feels and often tries to hide because it is unacceptable. I've read nastier books... The characters could be real, this situation could be real... And the thoughts that pass through the minds of these characters are real. Once the story started unfolding, I would get a feeling of dread, Like when you smoke weed and get that panicky high, you get a sinking feeling in your soul, every time I picked up the book to read...
sarahetc's review against another edition
3.0
This was uncomfortable. But in a juicy train wreck way.
booktrotter_bxl's review
4.0
"Alle gelukkige gezinnen lijken op elkaar, elk ongelukkig gezin is ongelukkig op zijn eigen manier, luidt de eerste zin van Tolstojs Anna Karenina"
Goed in zijn genre, ik was ook echt mee. Snap niet dat mensen dit een kutboek noemen. Zeker geen hoogstaande literatuur, spannend heb hier echt van genoten
Goed in zijn genre, ik was ook echt mee. Snap niet dat mensen dit een kutboek noemen. Zeker geen hoogstaande literatuur, spannend heb hier echt van genoten
twila4355's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
3.5
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
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