The Dinner by Herman KochI was given this book for my birthday last month and although vaguely recognising the front cover (and chuckling at the surname of the author, harhar) I had no clue what to expect. I definitely am swayed by 'what's in' when it comes to choosing books as I love figuring out my own stance after seeing the hype surrounding the latest 'best seller'. So for me, this was new territory.
The plot of The Dinner is at first glance very basic; two average couples out for dinner in a rather swanky restaurant discussing their work, day to day lives and children. This is where the plot begins to thicken - these two couples are actually related (the two men are brothers) and their children have committed a horrific act. Not only this, but one of the men is running for Prime Minister.
The Dinner looks at the story behind the families, how the boys came to doing what they did and the social implications of their actions. I have to admit, there were times when the book lacked a bit of oomph (you know what I mean, right?!) and felt a little like I was plodding on through, but overall I did enjoy the story. The book took something that on first impression seems quite mundane, to something interesting, slightly morbid and morally questionable. If you fancy reading something a little different (think We Need To Talk About Kevin) then I would definitely recommend this. Enjoy!
