The Dinner
A Novel
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The Dinner
Buy Now for $23.36
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Narrated by:
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Clive Mantle
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Written by:
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Herman Koch
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Sam Garrett - translator
About this listen
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 AudioGOWhat listeners say about The Dinner
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- moira smith
- 2019-08-04
Wow. just wow.
Absolutely riveting! you would never think they could turn a story around a single meal at a restaurant but this was perfect.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike Reiter
- 2019-10-06
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rae-Ann Lajeunesse
- 2018-09-14
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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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Dana Thompson
- 2019-08-05
Just... Not my Cup of Tea.
I really struggled getting through this. The accent got really annoying as well as his younger brother. Doing things just to annoy Serg but never just leaving or doing what he wants. 🙄 I didnt finish the book. It's your choice, but if you like dry, repetitive, sarcastic humour this might be for you.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Lena
- 2019-08-15
was a little slow
my usual pick is murder mystery so I stepped out..should stick with what I like.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- 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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Charlene
- 2019-08-13
The dark side
How an average dinner can turn dark. I bought this book because I thought it would be good back ground listening. Something to listen to while doing other things. This story took over my day. I was pulled into it and couldn't get out!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Uwe S.
- 2019-07-29
Wow
The narrator is phenomenal. Great book - but he makes it special.
The story arch is amazing. Absolutely gripping story telling and character development.
One of the best audiobooks I have ever listened to.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- brad
- 2024-03-12
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Max Max
- 2018-08-22
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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1 person found this helpful