Polite dinner dialogue, a miasma of events

• Book: The Dinner
• Location: Amsterdam
• Author: Herman Koch

Review Author: Isabella Orff

An enjoyable and gripping read – and perhaps would appeal to those who like “We need to talk about Kevin”. Two couples meet up over dinner, and over the various courses the discourse skirts around an event that their children have perpetrated – with glimpses of brutality from Paul. It is well written and well translated and in its way is quite thought provoking. Does it conjure up Amsterdam – it is clearly set in a big city in the Netherlands, but could be in any city in the world. It does feel a bit “dutch”, so give it a go if you want a good read in location.

Back to book