Book Review: The Dinner

Basically, everyone is a horrible human being. I think.
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[@VegasHermit]

I loved this book, but I hated every character in it. Once finished you are left sitting there thinking of just how messed up people can be. It's truly frightening how normal a family can look from the outside and still be so evil. I wasn't expecting to feel disgusted with the choices made at the end, but I sat there after finishing this book and couldn't help but think of how this is happening more and more in our society today. Not taking responsibility, parents making excuses for their children who are "good kids", just letting off steam, and how dare we want to punish or force them to have any accountability. It was chilling in how easy a decision it was for the mother who I thought was supposed to be the most normal, down to earth character in the book. I rated it 5 stars. I really thought the writing was great but the impact it left on me -I still think of this book months later- made it a favorite for last year.

[@getbookish]

+VegasHermit Claire was the last character I was holding out hope for to actually be a decent human being but... nope. Anything for family, apparently.

[@rugdg1313]

I enjoyed it. I'm sitting here screaming, "HOW is the POLITICIAN the LEAST Horrible person at the table?!" They are all SO rich and powerful that nothing can touch them...even when they do heinous things...

[@annefien]

It's fun to hear your thoughts. I'm Dutch and this book is quite Dutch. I'm not sure if parts of this book translate well over cultures, or maybe they translate super well and become like open wounds. Dunno.

[@stpetebeach63]

I see a lot of online commentary (and not just for this book) along the lines of "I didn't like any of the characters" and therefore didn't like the book. So many great novels have flawed characters that provide deep insights into the human condition: Faulkner's Snopeses, Gletkin in Darkness at Noon, Lewis's Babbitt, to name three. I don't pick up a novel looking for a "friend" or someone to admire. Someone to root for? Sure, like Dreiser's Jennie Gerhardt. But if I had to pick between reading novels with likeable characters or the opposite, I'd go with rotten every time.

[@QuirkyGirl10]

"So many great novels have flawed characters that provide deep insights into the human condition" - This wasn't that book.

[@Ammee411]

I picked up this book completely blind. And I kept thinking surely atleast one of these people isn't completely awful. Nope by the end I hated all of them and was just glad i was done. And I don't know how realistic it was either. What type of mental disorder can you pick up in an amino? Although what do I know...it annoyed me enough to come to youtube to see if I was the only one that hated it.

[@danasalinger5247]

I read this a couple years ago and like you, was in the middle. I had no idea what the book was about going in and man it got crazy! I enjoyed it for surprising me over and over but I was also annoyed with all of the tangents. And man this book made me feel uncomfortable! But I think that was the point... Great review!

[@getbookish]

+Dana Twist Thanks! Sounds like we had pretty similar feelings in the end.

[@jefferyz9271]

Good review. I particularly enjoy the wrapped scented candles on the self.

[@getbookish]

+Jeffery Zimbelman Thanks. That's my top notch decorating skills right there.

[@jessicadifelice7849]

So I read this book in 2014? I think. And I honestly could not tell you how it ended. I remember what the incident was that they are meeting to talk about...but I don't remember how it ended. It was just kind of meh to me, I didn't really get any take away from it. I agree about the tangents and them getting annoying - I remember having a feeling of just wanting to get to the point and find out what horrible thing their sons had done. haha. Great review :)

[@getbookish]

+Jessica DiFelice Haha, thanks! It's definitely a slow reveal to figure out what the sons did.

[@omalleysmith9100]

Sounds like a Gillian Flynn book - she writes nothing but despicable characters too!

[@getbookish]

+michelle fuller She has a blurb right on the front cover!

[@Flightofphenomena]

Lovely book!

[@sandra7319.]

I was just about to pick up this book last night in my quest to read my own "damn books" ...yours was a great review... loved all the emotions and observations....most people just diss this book but it gotten lot of acclaim for some reason ...now looking forward to reading it.

[@getbookish]

+Sandra Reiss Some people love books with horrible characters - plus it is a complicated read if you want to analyze points of view, motivations, etc. and I think that's where the acclaim comes from.

[@LiteraryGladiators]

I bought this at a flea market. I heard a lot of mixed thoughts about it and it sounds like you definitely clarify these thoughts as you discuss its relevance to Entertainment Tonight and pumped up gossip from the eyes of someone that cynical about this and everything else going on. I feel that liking the characters is important, for it really had an impact on what I thought of works such as Giovanni's Room, where the writing was great, but I did not like any of the characters. I may or may not check this out... we shall see... Thank you for sharing! :) -Josh

[@getbookish]

+Literary Gladiators Glad I could help!

[@JDClair]

'The characters are basically all awful people.' Sounds like THE GREAT GATSBY. I hate every single character in that book.

[@getbookish]

The Great Gatsby characters are also self-centered and awful, you're right. Though I did actually really like that book. I've read it twice.

[@JDClair]

***** I kind of read it twice as well. It was an assignment in school and I hated it then. Years later I bought it to give it a second chance but Daisy boils my blood. I quit before finishing. It's a good example of how toxic characters can poison good prose.

[@QuirkyGirl10]

Having read both the 'Great Gatsby' and the 'Dinner,' I can tell you that the awful people in the latter are way worse!

[@MindPalaceASMR]

gave it 3 stars too

[@Babycakejake3339]

This is like a super late comment but i read this like a long while ago and from what i remeber it was good but like disturbing but i was just curious did you know they made a movie and have you seen it i just bought it but havent seen it but i think im gonna read the book again before i watch the movie lol

[@getbookish]

I do remember hearing something about a movie, but I haven't seen it. Hopefully it's good!

[@Babycakejake3339]

getbookish yeah me too richard gere and steve coogan are in it but seriously after watching your review i just boughg the book again so i can get a refresher and then see how they did on the movie also thanks for reading my comment lol 😁

[@charliest.kardasism9134]

Such a shame 😞. I always wanted to read this book, for years now.

[@getbookish]

I may not have been a fan, but that doesn't mean you won't like it!

[@JulEnglefaris]

I may like this book because I always see the worst in humanity and I love how I'm constantly proven right.

[@jtfike]

a fictional story proving you right is the ultimate irony here….

[@monahassan9776]

can someone help me here? I went to watch the movie by Gere & co the other night.i left before the last third of movie and I disliked the whole dark mocking spirit n the lines by leading characters and I regretted suggesting to my friend the movie and poor soul was the one paid for tickets...so what does that mean I am not intellectual enough or bored enough or what don't really know??

[@getbookish]

Maybe some others will have deeper insights, but the reviews I've seen for the movie were not particularly positive. I certainly wouldn't put yourself down for leaving the movie early! And next time your friend suggests a movie, you can pay for the tickets so you won't feel so badly. :)

[@blairwaldorf-bass8180]

Mona Hassan i thought it was fascinating how it starts out one way and all of a sudden the alleged antagonist is really the protagonist and the Everyman is actually fucking nuts and so is his everywoman wife.

[@jackm5290]

This book was awful. All the tension built up in the first appetizer part was completely wasted

[@QuirkyGirl10]

Thanks for your review. I too, give the book 3 stars. Re Paul being an unreliable narrator - don't wonder if he is; he most certainly is! If you go back to some of his earlier statements when he seemed to be the "good" guy and compare them to the thoughts and actions he later reveals, it becomes immediately obvious he is a HYPOCRITE - with all caps! So yeah, it became very obvious to me that he is totally unreliable, taking the moral high ground when he is talking about other people's actions, but when it comes to his own, he has a very twisted outlook.

[@SunriseFireberry]

You didn't like any character in this book? That's how I felt about the characters in The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling.

[@getbookish]

+TimeAndChance At least this had some tense moments! Casual Vacancy was pretty much a snoozefest.

[@SunriseFireberry]

Snoozefest? That's how I'd describe reading most of the many CanLit novels I had to read for school.