Currently Reading: The Dinner

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Two couples sit down to dinner at an upscale restaurant in Holland.  They discuss films, work, and eventually, their children.  Over the course of the meal - aperitif, appetizer, entree, dessert, digistif - a dark and tragic tale about their children slowly unravels itself.

The two men are brothers.  Paul is our narrator, while his older brother, Serge, is the next Prime Minister and the reason they are dining at such an expensive restaurant.  During the meal, the reader slowly learns about the brothers' relationship, their current predicament, and other problematic instances in the past.

This novel is humorous, dark, violent, and incredibly witty.  The writing is fantastic, slowly building tension throughout.  As bits and pieces are revealed, the story begins to make more sense and to create a fuller picture of the whole.

I may sound a bit vague in my explanation, but as I really enjoyed reading this and hope you will too, I don't want to give anything away.  Suffice it to say that things are not as they initially seem and that family secrets are often kept, no matter the cost.