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The Dinner cover art

The Dinner

Written by: Herman Koch, Sam Garrett - translator
Narrated by: Clive Mantle
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Publisher's Summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The darkly suspenseful tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives—all over the course of one meal. Now a major motion picture.

“Chilling, nasty, smart, shocking, and unputdownable.”—Gillian Flynn, author of
Gone Girl

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.

©2009 Herman Koch; Translation © 2012 by Sam Garrett (P)2013 AudioGO

What listeners say about The Dinner

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    2 out of 5 stars
  • JMA
  • 2019-08-06

At times just odd...

I don't even know what to write as a review because I'm confused. I didn't hate it but didn't like it, at times it seemed to go on and on and jump around from past to present and back again. The story has some interesting twists but for the most part left me disliking all of the characters and wishing I hadn't bothered with this book

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Tee
  • 2018-09-11

A good story teller

The story started with Paul’s belly-aching about the dinner he and his wife were going to have with his brother Serge and Serge’s wife Babette. They had things to discuss. It sounded even like a mundane household story. But as events unfolded and the back story slowly emerged, things started to look unsettling. And then it got worse.

Herman Koch is a master storyteller.

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2 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Horrible!

OMG! Two hours into the book and he's still talking about freaking grapes at dinner! What a huge waste of time. I even sped it up to 1 and 1/4 speed. Didn't help. 4 hours left and I don't think I can make it. His kid is killing people and he's acting like he stole a chocolate bar! Then, he goes off on other crap that has nothing to do with the story. If it doesn't get a lot better by the time it's over, I will be very unhappy. One of the worst books I have ever read!
I've now finished the book. M review stands. Total waste of time! People say it's a thriller? I don't get it. An asshole raises an asshole and they thinkit's a thriller? The writer spent more time describing the food than the actual meat of the book. Total crap.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Holy **** what a ride

This story does not waste a word. The narrator essentially offers a masterclass in narration as each word tho seemingly innocent, packs a punch just by the way he enunciates And presents each phrase. I hung onto every second waiting and listening as the dinner starts out normal and cycles down down down to the edge of your seat end.

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    5 out of 5 stars

FANTASTIC

This is a fantastic story about the truth and complexity of human nature. I was riveted from the first chapter. the narration is also excellent. if you are debating whether to purchase - go for it! you won't be disappointed. #Audible1

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant and All the better in its first person form.

A delightfully dark near-monologue read by a narrator on the top of his game with nuance, irony and pathos. The Dinner takes us on a journey from innocence to evil. Along the way it tricks us into examining our own darker sides.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Thought provoking

Interesting read. Many drawn out parts that got a little hard to stay invested at times. I listened at 1.7x speed which helped lol.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great Book; Outstanding Narration

An engagingly dark and tense story told by an unreliable, twisted narrator. The book itself is a great read, flowing like the unfurling of a diseased flower in bloom. The narration is outstanding, delightfully interpreting the narrator’s tone, mood and pacing.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

slow

So slow. It had an intriguing end; But not until the last few chapters.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

First amusing then surprising

The novel is about a man, his wife, brother and sister-in-law having dinner at an expensive restaurant. The books is laid out as parts of the meal. Appetizer, main course, desert etc. The story is told from the man's point of view as a first person narrative, including his thoughts and observations, rather than just a recitation of facts. He is what is called the compromised narrator as his feelings and opinions colour his version of the tale. As the meal progresses , flashbacks are included.

I found the beginning very amusing, and while the book is written and has the point of view of somebody from the Netherlands, the wry wit and perfromer's accent made it very much feel like this could have been written by somebody from England as well. Particularly the bits about owning vacation homes in France. The second half of the novel takes a very dark and unexpected turn. I don't want to give anything away so I won't go into the happenings. I did enjoy the book, the style the story and the performance were all very good.

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