Four adults sit down to have dinner in a fancy restaurant.
You know the kind of place; where there’s more empty space on the plate than food.
The conversation’s all polite,
but there’s a reason they’re there.
There’s something they have to talk about.
Something that concerns their fifteen year old sons.
And the law.
And how they’re going to handle it.
Herman Koch has written an amazing book for adults that will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can to find out what happens.
I like how all the action takes place in one night, with flashbacks coming through our narrator, one of the diners. The chapters that don’t take place at the restaurant fill everything in for us. It’s a quick read and I love the voice.
Here’s an NPR review of the book,
and a video featuring Herman Koch:
I really thought this was an amazing book, and think it would make a great book club selection. It is one that will really make you think about right and wrong and how far you would (or should) go to protect your family, especially children. I also enjoyed that it was set in Amsterdam and although I have no idea what restaurant, some of the places described, I could see very easily.