This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic 
 The Dinner is one of those difficult to review books. Mostly because there's so little I can say about it without giving anything away. 
 On the surface this is the story of two brothers, and their wives getting together to eat dinner. One brother is relatively well known in the community. The other thinks his brother is a buffoon. Recipe for a pleasant family meal right? 
 I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I heard the entire novel takes place over the course of one dinner. But once you meet these characters you'll want to sit back and watch the drama unfold. They're all pretty despicable people. It's like watching reality TV. You don't actually like the people you're watching but you want to see them interact with one another. Each character was incredibly well described and you could just imagine all their mannerisms and back handed comments. I need to say it again - these were horrible people! They were so mean! In a way it kind of reminded me of a Martin Amis. Cruel characters, sharp wit, wry observations. Never a dull moment. 
 Of course, there is more to The Dinner than just a group of interesting, cruel characters. There is something deeper and darker going on just below all the surface tension. Herman Koch does a good job, slowly unraveling the mystery strand by strand. I wasn't too surprised when the big reveal finally came out but I still really enjoyed watching all the characters put everything together. Watching this huge bombshell drop was just as entertaining as a surprise twist would have been. 
 Recommendation: Herman Koch has written a beautifully detailed, delicious mystery that has you questioning the power of family ties and wondering what exactly happened to humanity and compassion.