The Dinner by Herman Kock

"The Dinner" was one very odd book. At first you are carried along by the ambiance of the fancy dining room, but as the story progresses the narrator becomes less and less believable. As the son's violent and aberrant behavior becomes apparent, this family drama evolves into hidden violence as well.

This is the second book I've read recently where a son who has committed a violent crime and their father's reaction and actions because of this are the focus. Both were very interesting books. I think "The Good Father" may have been the more engrossing book, but "The Dinner" was certainly up there with its mix of strangeness, gentility and horror.