The Dinner by Herman Koch

This is a must read novel. Translated from the Dutch, the language nevertheless retains that sparse, non nonsense style that is so quintessentially Netherlandish, and is just gripping. And the story. Well, put We Have to Talk About Kevin and The Slap in a pot and get rid of the stereotypes and fairy dust, add some grit and a narrator whose true nature only dawns on you as you work your way through, and there you have one of the most compelling, dark and disturbing reads I’ve come across in months. In tone, not content, it’s a literary version of the Spacey version of House of Cards. Fabulous.