Now a major motion picture starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, and Chlo Sevigny. An internationally bestselling phenomenon, the darkly suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives--all over the course of one meal. 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 scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse. 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 show just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love. 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. "A European Gone Girl." --The Wall Street Journal
The tour-de-force, hair-raising new novel from Herman Koch, the New York Times bestselling author of The Dinner and Summer House with Swimming Pool Once a celebrated writer, M had his greatest success with a suspense novel based on a real-life disappearance. It told the story of a history teacher who went missing one winter after having a brief affair with a beautiful student of his. The teacher was never found. Upon publication, M's novel was a runaway bestseller, one that marked his international breakthrough. That was years ago, and now M's career is fading. But not when it comes to his bizarre, seemingly timid neighbor who keeps a close eye on him and his wife. Why? From alternating points of view, where no one is to be trusted, Herman Koch weaves together an intricate tale of a writer in decline, a teenage couple in love, a missing teacher, and a single book that entwines all of their fates. Thanks to M's novel, supposedly a work of fiction, everyone seems to be linked forever, until something unexpected spins the "story" off its rails. With ever increasing tension, his signature sardonic wit and world-renowned sharp eye for human failings, Herman Koch once again spares nothing and no one in his gripping new novel, a barbed performance that suspends readers in the mysterious space between fact and fiction.
When Robert Walter, popular mayor of Amsterdam, sees his wife toss her head back with laughter while chatting to one of his aldermen at a New Year's reception, he immediately suspects the worst. Despite their long and happy marriage, Robert is convinced that Sylvia is cheating on him--with the respectable alderman who is dedicated to the environment, no less. The man who wants to spoil the capital's skyline with wind turbines. The New Year's reception marks the end of the "happy family" era that the mayor has enjoyed for so long. His wife and their daughter, Diana, however, are not aware of his suspicions and carry on as usual. Robert starts spending a lot of time and energy "behaving normally." Naturally, his normal behavior is far more suspicious. Normally Robert's not really present when he's at home--he's preoccupied with his phone, the newspapers, and his own thoughts. But now Robert is so sure he'll miss the clues if he doesn't pay attention that he starts to be almost alarmingly attentive and interested--ultimately losing himself in increasingly panicked and paranoid trains of thought."--Publisher's description.
The blistering, compulsively readable new novel from Herman Koch, author of the instant New York Times bestseller The Dinner. When a medical procedure goes horribly wrong and famous actor Ralph Meier winds up dead, Dr. Marc Schlosser needs to come up with some answers. After all, reputation is everything in this business. Personally, he’s not exactly upset that Ralph is gone, but as a high profile doctor to the stars, Marc can't hide from the truth forever. It all started the previous summer. Marc, his wife, and their two beautiful teenage daughters agreed to spend a week at the Meier’s extravagant summer home on the Mediterranean. Joined by Ralph and his striking wife Judith, her mother, and film director Stanley Forbes and his much younger girlfriend, the large group settles in for days of sunshine, wine tasting, and trips to the beach. But when a violent incident disrupts the idyll, darker motivations are revealed, and suddenly no one can be trusted. As the ultimate holiday soon turns into a nightmare, the circumstances surrounding Ralph’s later death begin to reveal the disturbing reality behind that summer’s tragedy. Featuring the razor-sharp humor and acute psychological insight that made The Dinner an international phenomenon, Summer House with Swimming Pool is a controversial, thought-provoking novel that showcases Herman Koch at his finest.
Concealing the medical mistake that caused the death of a famous actor, Dr. Marc Schlosser gradually reveals the personal reasons why he sought the victim's death, including an assault on the doctor's daughter.
The tour-de-force, hair-raising new novel from Herman Koch, New York Times bestselling author of The Dinner and Summer House with Swimming Pool.Once a celebrated writer, M's greatest success came with a suspense novel based on a real-life, unsolved disappearance. It told the story of a history teacher who went missing one winter after his brief affair with a stunning pupil. Upon publication, M.'s novel was a bestseller, one that marked his international breakthrough.That was years ago, and now M.'s career is almost over as he fades increasingly into obscurity. But not when it comes to his bizarre, seemingly timid neighbor who keeps a close eye on him. Why?From various perspectives, Herman Koch tells the dark tale of a writer in decline, a teenage couple in love, a missing teacher, and a single book that entwines all of their fates. Thanks to M's novel, supposedly a work of fiction, everyone seems to be linked forever, until something unexpected spins the "story" off its rails.With racing tension, sardonic wit, and a world-renowned sharp eye for human failings, Herman Koch once again spares nothing and no one in his gripping new novel, a barbed tour de force suspending readers in the mysterious literary gray space between fact and fiction.
Menu: Minuman pembuka: Pink champagne dengan salam hangat pertemuan. Hidangan pembuka: Lobster saus tarragon dan jamur, dihidangkan bersama sepotong tanya tentang kabar. Hidangan utama: Filet ayam guinea, dengan hidangan samping sekerat keju ricotta, dan seiris kasus pembunuhan. Hidangan penutup: Parfait cokelat dengan berry pilihan dan sebuah kejutan penuh darah. Ketika Paul dan Claire menerima undangan makan malam dari Serge dan Barbette, perjumpaan mereka yang menyenangkan perlahan berubah menyeramkan. Semua bermula ketika kedua anak mereka terlibat dalam kasus pembunuhan. Di antara denting garpu dan pisau, mereka mencari cara untuk mengubur kasus tersebut dalam-dalam. Akan tetapi, alih-alih menemukan solusi, mereka justru menyingkap konflik keluarga, membongkar rahasia masa lalu, dan menguak aib busuk di balik topeng mereka sebagai manusia yang beradab. Sekarang, yang ada di benak mereka adalah mencari cara untuk menyelamatkan diri masing-masing. Lantas, sejauh mana mereka akan berbuat untuk melindungi orang-orang yang mereka sayangi? [Mizan, Bentang Pustaka, Novel, Romance, Indonesia]
Hanno scritto della Cena: «Un romanzo che è diventato un caso internazionale». la Repubblica «Un thriller provocatorio ricco di suspence, ma anche un conflitto attualissimo tra le ragioni del cuore e quelle della morale». Maria Simonetti, l'Espresso «Il successo non stupisce: La cena è un dramma compatto e fatale». Lara Crinò, D - la Repubblica delle donne «La cena è un romanzo teso, doloroso... politicamente scorretto... molto contemporaneo». Daria Bignardi, Donna Moderna
È il 31 dicembre e il regista Stanley Forbes ha appena deciso che declinerà qualsiasi invito in arrivo per la festa di Capodanno. La vuota mondanità del suo ambiente lo ha irrimediabilmente annoiato, e le sue uscite al vetriolo, con cui è solito scandalizzare l’uditorio e ravvivare un pò l’atmosfera, lo hanno ormai stancato. Anziché un invito, però, sul suo cellulare compare un messaggio: «Sto cercando Sophia, sai dov’è? Stanotte non è rientrata». È Karl Hermans a inviarglielo, uno scrittore «che pensa ancora di essere famoso» e che, soprattutto, si crede suo amico dopo che lui gli ha dedicato un documentario. Passata qualche ruggine, hanno ripreso i rapporti da un anno, precisamente da quando Stanley si è ritrovato davanti la figlia di Karl, decidendo all’istante che avrebbe fatto un film con quella splendida ragazza appena sbocciata, il film del rientro in patria dopo l’avventura hollywoodiana. Lui è sulla settantina, a fine carriera, Sophia di anni ne ha diciassette, il liceo ancora da finire. Stanley potrebbe essere suo padre, se non addirittura suo nonno; se richiesto, potrebbe elargire consigli affettuosi, estremamente indulgenti. Tutto questo se... se lei non fosse così maledettamente incantevole! Del resto, sul set, nessuno è parso immune al fascino della ragazza, alla sua spontaneità che non conosce malizia: Sophia ha stregato tutti, anche Michael Bender, l’ex bellissimo primattore che non si capisce bene cosa si sia messo in testa con quelle smancerie da vecchio seduttore seriale. Certo, mentre il nuovo film prendeva forma, ripresa dopo ripresa le motivazioni di Stanley si sono fatte via via più oscure: che cosa voleva da quel film e, soprattutto, che cosa vuole ora da quella ragazza e da sé stesso? In quest’ultima sera dell’anno, Stanley sa esattamente dove si trova Sophia, ma decide che la risposta a Karl può pure aspettare... In un continuo rovesciamento di prospettive in cui nulla è mai come appare, Diva Sophia segna il ritorno di Herman Koch all’affilata ironia e allo sguardo spavaldo sui guasti della contemporaneità che da sempre caratterizzano i suoi romanzi. Un romanzo in cui l’autore della Cena dà ancora una volta prova della sua straordinaria capacità di manipolare il lettore fino a portarlo, a sua insaputa, davanti a una verità inaspettata. «Chi conosce Herman Koch, è abituato a farsi manipolare dalla sua narrazione e dalla sua ironia superiore. E ancora una volta cadrà nelle sue grinfie». NRC «Con questo romanzo caustico, Koch colpisce a fondo». Elsevier «Un romanzo che è anche una profonda riflessione sulla complessità della natura umana». Margriet
This anthology of new noir fiction set in the Dutch capital “features superior writing from authors largely unknown to an American audience” (Publishers Weekly). From its numerous coffee shops where drugs are openly available, to its world-famous Red Light District where prostitutes display themselves in shop windows, Amsterdam is a city where almost anything goes in broad daylight. And yet, this serene city of canals has its dark side as well. In fifteen tales of greed, jealousy and revenge, some of the finest Dutch crime writers—including literary award-winners and international bestsellers—explore the seamy shadows of this historic city. Amsterdam Noir features brand-new stories by: Michael Berg, Anneloes Timmerije, Murat Isik, René Appel & Josh Pachter, Simon de Waal, Hanna Bervoets, Karin Amatmoekrim, Christine Otten, Mensje van Keulen, Max van Olden, Theo Capel, Loes den Hollander, Herman Koch, Abdelkader Benali, and Walter van den Berg, whose story "Get Rich Quick" won the inaugural Literatuurprijs Nieuw-West award.
Toen in juli bij Penguin het e-book Pray verscheen, Nick Hornbys terugblik op het afgelopen voetbalseizoen in de Premier League, lag het voor de hand dat wij ons best zouden doen de Nederlandse rechten te bemachtigen. Nick is een oude vriend, in 1994 een van de eerste door ons benaderde schrijvers voor Hard gras en sinds Fever Pitch (1992) heeft Hornby niet meer zo uitgebreid over voetbal geschreven. In dit nummer staat een voorpublicatie uit het binnenkort onder het Hard gras logo te verschijnen e-book. Hornby schrijft in zijn bedrieglijk eenvoudige parlandostijl nog altijd even indrukwekkend goed en empathisch over voetbal als toen en wij zijn er trots op de Nederlandse tekst te mogen uitbrengen. Nog meer goed nieuws uit Londen: op een feestje daar vertelde een van de aanwezige studenten aan een vriendin van Hard gras, dat hij bijna Nederlands was gaan studeren om ons voetbal beter te kunnen begrijpen. David Winner en Simon Kuper waren zijn helden en hij beheerde samen met een vriend een blog dat footballinthegulag heette. We lazen het blog en waren onder de indruk van de kwaliteit. Daarom vroegen we aan Samuel Goff en James Coleman om voor ons over het EK te schrijven. Op zijn manier deed Herman Koch dat ook: hij leverde een geweldig stuk en bewijst hier tussen Engelsen dat zijn mooie kritieken in The Guardian en The Times voor het onlangs in Engeland verschenen The Diner zijn talenten als schrijver recht hebben gedaan. Marcel van Roosmalen zette de zogenaamde Oranjegekte in het perspectief dat het verdient. Van Roosmalen lezen is je permanent afvragen: hoe doet hij het? Wat is het geheim van de grappigste schrijver van het land? Het antwoord ligt ergens tussen eenvoud en spelvreugde.
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