Big Boys Behaving Badly

Months ago I finished this novel, attempted to review, but my fingers hovered over the keyboard and my head felt scrambled -- the condition is called being *dumbstruck.* As a reviewer wrote, Summer House is "uncommon" and if you read Koch's previous novel, The Dinner, you know the author has a blunt-force style that is anything but common. He is out of the box, out of bounds, and you need to brace yourself for a style that might leave you a little dumbstruck. It's not that he is offensive -- he is completely unique and captures his characters in sticky icky situations, at the edge of civility, then pushes it to places we hope we are incapable of falling to ourselves.

Subject matter is borderline, of course, it's Koch, and if just hearing *lecherous older men and barely-into-their-teens young girls* already has you grimacing -- not your book because that is just the beginning. (I had to keep in mind that nude sunbathing and swimming is de rigueur in some cultures.) Throw in lots of alcohol, a doctor that is repulsed by the human body, adultery, rape, and nude frolicking on the beach... it's gritty and uncomfortable (like getting sand in places usually covered by your bathing suit). And as if it isn't already prickly enough, there are plenty of moments where you shouldn't be laughing, but you are...that watching someone stumble and ride down the stairs laugh. Koch connects with a part of us that some of us don't want to know is there, and that is what is the most discomforting.

Koch is a good writer and does what he sets out to do well. He keeps you engaged even when it's uncomfortable -- but so does an electric fence. I occasionally like a book where I am expected to boo and hiss the bad guys -- it's all good fun. But, I think Summer House crossed MY line by featuring too many taboos. In the end (and what about that end??-huh?) I recognize the author's uniqueness and talent, but Summer House "enriched me not" and left me feeling almost guilty, "poor indeed." If you think you have the mental fortitude, you don't have bouts of depression triggered by icky situations, you love to hate the characters and dark deeds, don't mind sand in cracks...this may be your book.

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67 people found this helpful

Typical Koch Let Down

I purchased this audiobook after reading the synopsis - it genuinely looked promising. I wanted to know what happened during that ill-fated summer by the pool? I should have known better though, because I was disappointed reading "The Dinner" in a similar fashion. About three-quarters of the way through the book, nothing made sense or seemed to follow logic. Who was the real villain? What happened to the Marc Schlosser's daughter? In my opinion, Koch gets so focused on creating a story in which what you think is happening is not actually the reality of the book. It's frustrating because by the time I finished the story, I was trying to figure out why I wasted over 11 hours of my life. I was utterly confused and just disappointed overall.

Unfortunately, this is probably the last Herman Koch novel that I will ever pick up. His books are like bad climaxes - you just wish that they were never initiated.

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Had to quit after chapter 13 -- huge "ick" factor

It pains me greatly to be giving this book only 2 stars, because I think Herman Koch is a brilliant writer. In the first several chapters alone, I found dozens of passages that were flat-out genius, such as the section where he lampoons the myriad abuses to which Shakespeare’s plays are subjected by small theater companies. But I have decided to give up reading this novel after Chapter 13 for a highly personal reason: too many nitty gritty, nasty details about the human body and medical conditions. As in his previous novel, “The Dinner,” the author treats the reader to a stream-of-consciousness from within the head of the protagonist. In “Summer House,” the main character is a doctor, and when his mind goes off-topic, he nearly always reflects on the gross things a doctor has to see and do during the course of a day seeing patients. Because Koch is such a good writer, the descriptions are quite realistic and cringe-inducing, which I surmise is exactly the reaction Koch is looking for, but it is too creepy for me. If you can get beyond this “ick” factor, you may enjoy the book, but if you, like me, can barely watch an episode of “CSI” without getting grossed out, you may want to skip this book.

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43 people found this helpful

I am all over the place with this one!

I ADORED “The Dinner” I am in love with the writing style so when I saw that there was another English language book by the same author I bought it right away without reading the synopsis.

This book really made an impression, but perhaps not for the right reasons! The plot was interesting, I liked the story, but his I think his descriptive writing style is a little too good – it’s so shocking and jarring!

There is so much distain and revulsion and negative energy in the main character that it’s sometimes hard to read! He makes you feel dirty and off-center; he’s so unlikable and his thoughts are so disturbing. His thinking is so sick and detestable it makes you wonder why you’re still reading, yet you do because you’ve never read anything like it before and you’re genuinely curious to know where it will lead. A little like watching a train wreck.

Perhaps because this was an audio-book I was extra disquieted because I was actually hearing someone vocalize the thoughts – actually saying the words; I think that had a bigger impact.

Personally, I was let down by the ending but the ride was so “different” that I didn’t mind. I’d love to read another book by the same author, but honestly I hope it won’t be as alarming!

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42 people found this helpful

Wasn't sure where it was going...

This is my first novel by Herman Koch. I had no idea where it was going. But I'm glad I hung in there. The first half was slow... painfully. It was kind of like American Psycho goes doctor without the blood and chainsaws. But in the end it's a story of a sad broken family, lead by a narcissistic, scary physician.

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18 people found this helpful

Tedious

I bought this because Koch's THE DINNER was so good. This book, however, has not one likable character, entirely too much philosophizing by the protagonist, and much too long a wait for something of interest to happen.

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Wishing for more substance

It's tough when you can't find any redeeming values in the main character. His distaste for his patients got irritating.

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6 people found this helpful

Beautifully weird

I have already read The Dinner by Herman Koch which I enjoyed so lead me to read this. This book was very well written and observed. Unfortunately the characters, although they may be realistic, were so unlikable that I found it hard to root for anybody. It would have been nice to have felt sympathetic towards at least one character.

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2 people found this helpful

Intriguing Book with a Confising Conclusion

I loved this book at least until the end. The main character is dispicable but like a car crash, one can't look away. The writing is dry and pointed and overall very good. The characters are very well developed and the mystery keeps one coming back for more. My only complaint is the ending. It leaves far too many loose ends dangling. Where one would hope for a satisfying conclusion, or a question, or even two emaining, there are five or six that remain unanswered. This lead me to confusion and a search on the internet for answers, where I found others just as confused as I. Except for this I was held spellbound by the main horrible, disgusting character and his thoughts and was totally enraptured by the story...until the dissapointing ending.

The narrator does a very good job , with just the right amount of cold laser-like intonation when relating Marc's thouhts while at the same time softening things down for other characters.

I can't give this book a wholehearted recommendation due to the ending, but if you want to hear the secret thoughts of a disturbed and frustrated , even monsterous man...this is a bok for you!

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Horrible book

I thought the content and story line were horrible. Don't waste your time or energy

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