The release date for the English version of 'The Dinner' by
Herman Koch is Feb 2013. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
An alternative cover version is available here.
The very dramatic and extremely contentious story of two families grappling with the most difficult choice of their life at a single supper has become a worldwide bestseller phenomenon.
Two couples gather for supper in a chic restaurant on a summer's evening in Amsterdam. The dullness of work and the trivialities of the vacations are the topics of discussion that stay subdued between mouthfuls of food and over the courteous scrapings of silverware. However, dreadful things must be stated behind the hollow words, and the blades are sharpening with every false grin and every new direction.
Every couple has a son who is fifteen years old. The two lads are linked by their responsibility for a single, horrifying deed that has set off a police inquiry and upended their families' cosy, safe havens. The topic of their kids eventually comes up throughout the meal, which is reaching its gourmet peak. Each pair demonstrates how far they are willing to go in order to defend the people they love when politeness and friendship crumble.
The Dinner is a tautly written, intensely compelling novel narrated by a memorable narrator that is sure to spark many dinner party discussions. This book exposes the evil side of polite society and poses the question of what any of us would do in the event of an unfathomable disaster. It skewers everything from parental ideals to fancy menus to political ideologies.