This author explores the darker aspects of human nature through compelling narratives that often capture morally ambiguous situations. His style is direct and incisive, revealing the hidden motivations of his characters and examining how interpersonal relationships are fractured by silence and circumstance. The works of this author prompt reflection on societal norms and personal responsibility.
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 she is cheating on him. Though happily married, he has always wondered why Sylbia, born and raised in a distant country, chose him. Soon afterwards, a journalist unearths an old photograph of a police officer being beaten up by three Vietnam War protestors, one of whom she claims is Robert. --
'An absolute page-turner' Mail on SundayDear Mr. M,I'd like to start by telling you that I'm doing better now. I do so because you probably have no idea that I was ever doing worse. Much worse, in fact, but I'll get to that later on.Mr. M is being watched. As a famous writer, he is no stranger to the limelight, although interest in his work has been dwindling of late. His print runs are smaller than they used to be, as are the crowds at his bookshop signings . . . Our narrator clearly takes a keen interest in M.'s work, and indeed in every aspect of his life. But what exactly are his intentions? And to what does Mr. M owe the honour of his undivided attention?Our narrator seems to be no stranger to murder, while his own story appears to bear more than a passing resemblance to the plot of Mr. M's most famous novel: a teacher has an affair with a student, only to be brutally murdered by the girl and her teenage boyfriend. The body is never found.That's the problem with fiction: in real life, bodies have an awkward habit of turning up. Mr. M has used some artistic licence, and our narrator is not pleased, not pleased at all. And just before he fades into obscurity, he's prepared to give Mr. M one last review. And it's unlikely to be a rave.Dear Mr. M is an unsettling and irresistibly readable literary thriller, set in the world of writing and bookselling, by Herman Koch, the author of the international bestseller, The Dinner.
A doctor to the rich and famous goes to extreme lengths to protect his daughter in this dark and addictive novel from the author of the million-copy bestseller The Dinner
A summer's evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet at a fashionable
restaurant. Over the polite scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a
gentle hum of polite discourse - the banality of work, the triviality of
holidays. 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 15 year old son; the two boys are united in their
accountability for a single horrific act, caught on CCTV, an act that has
triggered a police investigation and shattered the insulated worlds of their
families. How far will each couple go to protect their child?
In "Summer House with Swimming Pool," Herman Koch weaves a gripping tale of a seemingly perfect summer vacation that spirals into chaos after a violent incident. As secrets unravel among friends, trust erodes, leading to a shocking revelation about Ralph's death. Koch's signature humor and psychological depth make this a must-read.
