The Dinner by Herman Koch audiobook

The Dinner: A Novel

By Herman Koch
Translated by Sam Garrett
Read by Clive Mantle

Blackstone Publishing 9780770437855
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It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the polite scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse—the banality of work, the triviality of the holidays. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened. Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act—an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love. Tautly written, incredibly gripping, and told by an unforgettable narrator, The Dinner promises to be the topic of countless dinner party debates. Skewering everything from parenting values to pretentious menus to political convictions, this novel reveals the dark side of genteel society and asks what each of us would do in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

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Summary

Summary

A New York Times bestseller

Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award

New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books, 2013

A USA Today bestseller

A Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Month, February 2013

Selected for the February 2013 Indie Next List

A 2014 ALA Notable Book for Adult Fiction

An Amazon Best Book of the Month, February 2013

It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the polite scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse—the banality of work, the triviality of the holidays. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened. Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act—an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families.

As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple shows just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.

Tautly written, incredibly gripping, and told by an unforgettable narrator, The Dinner promises to be the topic of countless dinner party debates. Skewering everything from parenting values to pretentious menus to political convictions, this novel reveals the dark side of genteel society and asks what each of us would do in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

Editorial Reviews

Editorial Reviews

“A European Gone Girl…The Dinner, a sly psychological thriller that hinges on a horrific crime and its consequences for two families, has become one of spring’s most anticipated suspense novels.” —Wall Street Journal
“The Dinner begins with drinks and dark satire, and goes stealthily and hauntingly from there. It’s chilling, nasty, smart, shocking, and unputdownable. Read the novel in one big gulp, and then make plans with friends—you’ll be desperate to debate this book over cocktails, appetizers, entrees, dessert…and then you still won’t be done talking about it.” —Gillian Flynn, New York Times bestselling author of Gone Girl
“This chilling novel starts out as a witty look at contemporary manners…before turning into a take-no-prisoners psychological thriller…With dark humor, Koch dramatizes the lengths to which people will go to preserve a comfortable way of life…this is a cunningly crafted thriller that will never allow you to look at a serviette in the same way again.”  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A high-class meal provides an unlikely window into privilege, violence, and madness…Koch’s slow revelation of the central crisis is expertly paced, and he’s opened up a serious question of what parents owe their children and how much of their character is passed on to them…a chilling vision of the ugliness of keeping up appearances.”  —Kirkus Reviews
“You’ll eat it up, with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” —Entertainment Weekly
“American readers may demand access to all of Koch’s books. If they’re half as good as The Dinner, we’ll want to devour all of them.” —USA Today
“[A] deliciously Mr. Ripley-esque drama.” —O, The Oprah Magazine
“Mantle’s delivery elevates the plot twists, moral dilemmas, and family relationships, making this a feast worth attending.” —AudioFile
“Rather like The Slap, it is set to become a contentious must-read. It may thrill, chill, or cheat, but it is undeniably riveting.” —Independent (London)
“Briskly paced and full of ingenious twists—a compulsive read…for those who can tolerate the unsavory company, The Dinner is a treat they’ll gulp down in one sitting.” —Dallas Morning News
“Koch’s ability to toy with the reader’s alliances while using one family’s distress to consider greater societal ills gives the novel a vital punch.” —Daily Beast
“A tart main course that explores how quickly the façade of civility can crumble. It’s hard to digest at times, but with a thought-provoking taste that lingers.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer

Reviews

Reviews

by Greg 9/13/2017
Overall Performance
Narration
Story

Umm... Very descriptive.

Please keep in mind that I am not an avid reader and my experience with literature is weak. My evaluations of these books are not deep and are rated based on my entertainment value. That being said, this one was different. It had a great deal of description and I wanted to get to the point. It was not uncomfortable and it had some interesting points. I just wanted to get to it faster. Sorry if this is offending the author but like I said, take it with a grain... I appreciate the effort and the story was very different. I guess I just wanted a little more. I'm on the fence about the recommendations and I am going to vote no. Thank you for the opportunity,
by Lauren M 9/13/2017
Overall Performance
Narration
Story

Unsettling

Can’t say I really liked this book, but more because the characters and their motivations were just so unpleasant, which may have been the point. There were few redeeming qualities to their interactions and the whole thing as it unfolds is just more and more disturbing. The narration style wasn't my favorite - almost gleefully sarcastic and oddly upbeat - but again, that was likely intentional as well as it added to the unsettling experience. All that aside, the premise, the dinner setting, and the way the story is very slowly filled in, is well done. There’s nothing exciting about the story, and its comparisons to Gone Girl are misleading, except in the similarly skewed morals of the characters, but it is something that will stay with you because of the complexities of family, crime, responsibility and morality that it brings up.

Author

Author Bio: Herman Koch

Author Bio: Herman Koch

Herman Koch is the author of several novels and three collections of short stories. The Dinner has been published in twenty-five countries and was the winner of the Publieksprijs Prize in 2009. He currently lives in Amsterdam.

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Details

Details

Available Formats : Digital Download, Digital Rental, CD
Category: Fiction/Literary
Runtime: 8.85
Audience: Adult
Language: English

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