Book Review: The Dinner

Paul Lohman and his wife meet his brother and sister-in-law for dinner at an upscale restaurant. The evening begins with typical smalltalk and complaints about the high price and small portions of the food, but it soon becomes clear that there is nothing casual about this meeting. Paul and his brother have teenage sons, the boys have been involved in something serious, and Paul's brother wants to talk about it. Only gradually does it become clear what has really happened.

In The Dinner, Dutch author Herman Koch writes a novel of subtle suspense and deep secrets. What did the boys do, and why? Is Paul's wife trying to cover it up? Did Paul know about it? And did he have anything to do with it? The answers unfold slowly and with a growing sense of fascination and dread, as the author skillfully builds a study of a family where everything has gone very wrong. - Michelle (Sunset)