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I can't recall a time where I finished a book in which I disliked all of the characters, especially the 1st-person unreliable narrator. The slow burner of a story at the beginning but then a rapid pick-up and unbelievable plot twist towards the end, kept me turning those pages. I got off the rollercoaster ride feeling unnerved, voyeuristic, and nauseous. It's a pick because I'll be wondering about this one (especially the ending) for a while.

This is one of those books where you pretty much hate every character. #lennox #catsoflitsy

"We were going out to dinner. I won't say which restaurant, because next time it might be full of people who've come to see whether were there." - The Dinner, Koch Herman

#firstlinefriday

Finished this a few days ago and I‘m still thinking about it. It had great twists that I did not see coming. 5⭐️

Started this today and although not much has happened yet I find myself thinking about getting back to the book ASAP when I am not reading it.

Just not a fan. Blah characters, blah story.

#pop22 ~ a book with cutlery on the table
I‘ve heard a lot of mixed reviews and it does start out slow. I kept thinking ‘is this dinner going to be overanalyzed throughout the entire book?‘ But then, things started picking up and I found my self more and more intrigued about the Michel incident, things began getting dark and the end?! I did not see that coming! Whew. A lot to process and think on. This would make a great book discussion.

This is my second time through with this book- both times for a book club, go figure. While the characters and subject matter are all terrible, it makes for a fascinating read, and no doubt the discussion will be awesome too.
#Scarathlon #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick
#Spookoween @TheSpineView
#31by31 @Catsandbooks 2/31 hours
#PromptMaze @TheAromaofBooks
#PointsAThon @dieareader @GHABI4ROSES
#ReadLikeHellaThon

Went in a weird direction half way through, but worth finishing up.

This was a soft pick for me. I enjoyed the attention to detail, the moral ambiguity, and the glimpses into the different relationships offered. But I found myself wishing that the plot was a bit more linear and more urgent, and that the characters had more growth by the end of the book. #WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers @StayCurious

#BookCoverChallenge
Day 122.
Here I will note 365 books (or as many as I will have before I get tired) that have shaped my taste in literature. No explanations, no reviews. Just the cover of the book.
I do not challenge anyone. You are all welcome to take part.

Quote from “The Dinner” by #hermankoch

So much nastiness. Two couples meet over dinner in Amsterdam to discuss teenage sons‘ involvement in a violent crime. Revelations from unreliable narrator make the reader keep recalibrating, which makes for an interesting read. But the main confrontation—the question of sons‘ guilt & pathology—is never explored outside the group, which felt like a cop out. Parental protection, entitlement, class, social media, heredity & mental health. Trans 2012

There are a few characters in the story who ‘accidentally on purpose‘ are implicated...it‘s a strange plot but good. But don‘t want to use spoilers!
#murders #maycharacters @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

12/26/2020 Another book that I could not put down. So much suspense, so much intrigue, and ALL of it unfolding over the course (or shall I say, coursES) of a dinner. What seems to be two couples meeting to enjoy a meal together becomes so much more when you realize (not until the end, of course) what is really being discussed and what is really at stake.

Not loving this one. But i figured I‘d finish it anyway.

1⭐️ The worst book I read this year! This was recommended to me by a friend, and I waited for > 6 months after I placed a hold with the library. Well, this is just a story about psychotic, childish parents with bad parenting, executed badly 😤 What a waste of time!

This book was added to my TBR when I came across it in a list of must reads. It's marketed as a phenomenal thriller of the year....did I read the same book?! Either that or it went way over my head. I didn't like any part of it, the characters, the disregard the boys and the parents had for the victim....I kept reading it hoping it would get better...but it wasn't my cup of tea. #hermankoch #thedinner #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookstagram #bookqueen⭐

Over dinner at an upscale restaurant in Amsterdam with his wife, brother and sister-in-law, the narrator reveals how their sons‘ ghastly acts might have terrible repercussions.

Read July 29 - August 4
Rated 4/5 ⭐️
Book 31/60

Almost done with this book and I love it. Will probably watch the movie when I‘m done.

What neurological illness did Paul have???

The Dinner involves two couples who go to dinner to discuss an “incident” involving their sons. They killed a homeless woman, now how can these parents protect their children?

The narrator is one of the fathers, Paul, and honestly I think he was unstable. I would love some feedback from anyone else who read this book, but I do not really recommend it to anyone.

No likable characters, no twist, and some of it was on the boring side.

Hello Littens! Today is the last day if you were playing along for the #27Hours7Days Challenge!

I made it to 27 hours! Been reading and listening to my audiobooks almost nonstop since yesterday to make it!!

1. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abby Waxman 90%
2. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King FINISHED
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling 45%
4 All Dressed In White by Mary Higgins Clark FINISHED
5 The Dinner by Herman Koch 40%

I haven‘t been all that interested in reading this one because of the reviews but it was available in audio format so I decided to go for it.

This was so dysfunctional!!! So Paul is the narrator of this book and he's set to meet up with his brother and sister in law for dinner with his wife. They are meeting about their children and their harassment and murder of a homeless woman. The heartless attitude to the homeless was jarring. There was large sense of entitlement. Your opinions of these characters will be completely different from start to finish.

👍The ending was not what I expected. Lol.

A nice fun book for a rainy day like today :)

I liked the idea of the story and it was an okay read I just couldn't stand the main character Paul and it ruined it for me 😏
#mmdchallenge a book in translation #ReadingEurope2020 Holland (3rd county) #murder2020 (book 2)

Late night reading. #readingwhatiown

#MOvember #Crave Craving crayfish anyone 🙃( is this a crayfish🤔) ... I saw his new book The Ditch in the bookshop. I wonder if it‘s any good ..
We read The Dinner for Bookclub a few years back 👍. I never did finish The Swimming Pool book , must go back to it.

Mixed feelings about this generally well-reviewed novel about a couple of Dutch brothers, Serge, who is running to be Prime Minister, and Paul, a school teacher, and their wives. Over several courses at a fancy restaurant, Paul unravels the story of his acrimonious relationship with Serge, and also unspools the story of why they are gathered on this night. No question, it would make a great book club pick. Anyone seen the movie?

I am really perplexed about my reaction to this book. The characters were unpalatable, the premise utterly horrifying, and the outcome jolting. However, the author crafted the conversations well and did a great job of creating two families that were equally despicable. I was hoping for a dark, taut thriller and wound up with less engaging version of “My Dinner with Andre.” With all that being said, I‘d read it again. How weird is that?

I liked this absorbing and discomforting read. I‘ve also enjoyed Koch‘s other book, Summer House With Swimming Pool. Koch seems to be very good in coming up with unsavoury and detestable characters.
#WanderingJune #Amsterdam

Thanks for a month of ‘around the world‘ in books! 😘😘

Predictable

Definitely one to check out! I loved it but dang was it intense. Only $1.99 today!

Two couples went to a fancy restaurant for dinner. When the pretentious food is consumed and the small talk is over, the conversation turns to their teenage sons. About the ‘bad‘ things the boys have done. And how far the four of them will go to protect their own children and themselves from the consequences of their actions.
I enjoyed this book that raises some moral questions.
#MayMovieMagic #HowFarIllGo

This book does not get great reviews in general. I actually didn‘t think it was horrible. It was short so it wasn‘t like it dragged on and on. I was never bored. I agree that everyone in the book is unlikeable but it actually didn‘t bother me that much. It was an interesting story but probably not going to be a lot of people‘s favorite. 3/5 stars.

I was reading this book on and off, so I can't say I really cared for it. And the plot was a bit confusing; like, I'm not sure what the story was really about. All in all, I would just skip this book if you have not read it.

Both 3/5, oh my god I hated every single character it the dinner and I know that‘s not the point of the book but still I kept waiting for just one person to root for ahh this book was crazy. And I liked the idea of the surface breaks but I kept finding myself being like “nope bad decision main character” on every page! #booked2019 @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage

Terrible. Wildly implausible, poorly paced, difficult to follow, and badly translated. Just a huge disappointment. I‘m so bummed I assigned it to my class.

1. Such a bunch of abject, cruel protagonists...it‘s just not my thing! 😬 📖
2. Eat at home 🏡 🥪
3. The worst, and the most typical: assuming a slightly overweight woman is pregnant 🤰! In my defense, I was young & dumb, plus I learned a lesson: I will never again ask a woman if she is pregnant. If she wants me to know, she‘ll tell me.
4. Vanilla—love it! 🍦
5. Blue Blacktop, or Blue Infinite, or Blue Infinite Blacktop 😂

Book 2 of 2019. I find it hard to judge books objectively when the characters are all terrible people, and such is the case with The Dinner. Our narrator is one of the most deranged characters I've ever had the pleasure (?) of reading and it made for a quick, twisty, shocking little book.

What do you do when you have a golf outing with the extended family? Bring a book of course...

I'm also reading The Dinner. About halfway through it now. I'm not sure how much I like it yet, but I DO know I'm not a fan of our friend Paul. I'm planning to watch the movie when I'm finished.
@Blueberry

I‘m a very eclectic reader so my 10 would be 1. JK Rowling 2. Agatha Christie 3. Eloisa James 4. Robert Parker 5. Mary Stewart 6. Antonia Fraser 7. John Wyndham 8. Robert Heinlein 9. Charles Dickens 10. Jane Austen #dinnerparty

1. Neil Gaiman. 2. Joe Hill. 3. Stephen King. 4. Margaret Atwood. 5. Terry Pratchett. 6. Douglas Adams. 7. Kurt Vonnegut. 8. J.K. Rowling. 9. Shirley Jackson. 10. Daphne Du Maurier.

#dinnerparty @Krisjericho

Two families bite the bullet and dine together at a restaurant to discuss their sons and a horrible act they committed together, all caught on video. #BitinTheBullet #OctoberXFiles

Join in on the photo challenge on whatever days you‘re up for it! http://litsy.com/p/eUtoT09EU3B1