320 pages, paperback, very easy read. Intriguing. Very, very intriguing. The Dinner has been described as “mesmerizing and disturbing,” and “chilling.” It is a “darkly suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives—all over the course of one meal.” Do I have your attention yet?
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Now, here’s what I have to say about The Dinner. It is well written. The words and cleverly phrased thoughts are just as palatable as the plot. I especially enjoyed the sarcastic slant of the narrator, although my character assessment of him kept changing throughout the novel. Sometimes I liked him; sometimes I didn’t; and always I tried to analyze him. In fact, I found myself changing alliances with each of the characters as I learned more about them. This would be a POWERFUL choice for a book club, as there are so many topics to discuss: societal evils and hypocrisy, parenting philosophies, marriage infrastructures, and even mental illness and personality disorders. A platter of widely varied opinions is sure to be whipped up at your meeting, and the conclusions drawn will certainly leave a distinct aftertaste in your mouth for days.
