The Dinner by Herman Koch

This novel is about two couples who go for dinner in an exclusive Dutch restaurant to discuss a disturbing event which involved both their children.

 The narrator is Paul, an ex-teacher who has not worked for 10 years due to an undisclosed mental illness. The language is very simple and the way the narrative is told means the event and its consequences are revealed slowly and subtly. The commentary on social behaviour is often very amusing and I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of all the pomp which goes with a dinner at an up market restaurant.

 Ultimately this book raises some very interesting moral questions but in a gently unassuming way resulting in a powerful, sometimes disturbing book which is surprisingly easy and enjoyable to read.