Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel Hardcover – Deckle Edge, June 3, 2014

The storyline is filled with strong characters, to the point that almost everyone seem to be narcissistic to some extent. Even the child-characters are distinctly self-involved. I realise that this is a narration of independent and progressive thinking, but I closed the book with an uneasy sense, not all attributed to the `twist in the tale'.The narrator is a General Practitioner whose patients stem largely from the entertainment sector, and his disdain for his patients' lives, choices and work, borders on being resentful. He does, however, clinically explain that he's economic status is attributed to this group. He acknowledges that mostly their symptoms can be explained as severe bouts of hypochondria and in cases where there's reason to refer the patient to specialist, he draws out the inevitably to ensure maximum capital return to himself. In some manner, he is `prostituting' himself to `doctor' this group of patients for financial gain.His abhorrence to the `doctoring' process of physical intimacy with his patients bears witness to him seeing his work as mechanical and business like, where one never sees the romanticism of the work of a healer, and the commitment that is often seen in this profession.In his personal life he shares intimacy with a wife and two daughters, which hints at some form of `normalcy', but the dialogue between wife and husband is mostly about his patients and his resentment towards them. He is a keen observer of human behaviour and this benefits him in his work, where he `reads' his patient's emotional needs very accurately, and the patients in turn mistake the time that he spends on their cases, as care.The story unfolds as he schemes to holiday with his family close to one of his patients who is a celebrity and successful actor, called Ralph Meier. The plot to be in the same vicinity as this patient Ralph, stems from his physical attraction to Ralph's wife.The story unfolds as the holiday-makers share a few days together and with group family holidays, there are intimacies, crossed boundaries and in this narration a pivotal life changing event which sets the stage for all the holiday-makers immediate future. The irony is that his fantasies off the actor Ralph's wife, Judith is not fully realised and his attraction to her never completely justifies the extent of scheming and manipulation that happens during the holiday. There never seem to be blame on his part that his shallow and selfish desires lead to a tragedy.Dr Marc Schlosser's fatalistic decision and acts on what he believes at the time to be a truth, may give the reader a satisfactory sense of justice and retribution initially, however, there is a lingering bad taste and acknowledgement that his actions is perhaps not so moral and chivalrous, but that he is using his skill as a Dr in determining in a God-like manner the unfolding of events. The subsequent events highlights his view of self- importance and grandeur. He becomes Judge, Jury and Executioner, even though, he knows at the core of the story lies a different truth. A simple universal truth is that our children grow into individuals and are not only affected by our teachings and guidance as children, but that there are other factors that influence the shaping of their philosophies and lives. Sometimes, we have to awaken to the reality that a child born from self does not necessarily reflect the romantic versions and fantasies we've created about them, from the moment they were born. He is the father who will help his child bury the body.

First, the good stuff: Herman Koch is a gifted writer who has a talent for painting scenes and people in a lyrical style that is so good, that you think you are actually there with the characters. This is especially astonishing given that this is a translation (my hat is off to the translator), and I find that writing is sometimes stilted at best when it comes to many translations. In this one, we really feel like we're transported to this commercialized island paradise to the point where you can actually feel the heat and smell the suntan lotion, sweat and fear of the characters.About the only thing that humanizes these people is their scent, because otherwise, there is nothing at all very likable about any of them. From a narcissistic and emotionally remote physician, his one-dimensional wife and children who don't seem to be real at all, but are just there to move the plot along. Even the child who is the victim does not seem either real or likeable. There's a whole host of supporting characters, each of which is similarly unsympathetic to the reader. They were the kind of people you needed to get away from and take a shower after meeting. Honestly... in the midst of all of this are actors, physicians, hangers-on and such who manage to be peripherally involved in some type of mysterious attack on the main character's daughter. The remainder of the book consists of the doctor's revenge on the alleged attacker. Moral of this one: Think twice before antagonizing your family physician....Still, despite the inability to create sympathetic characters (which, after all is not really the author's job), Koch does concoct an interesting plot that will keep you turning the pages on your ocean beachside vacation while reaching for the adult beverage of your choice. By the time you get to the end, you'll be thankful that you are laying on a quiet beach rather than in the middle of this contortion of a novel. I definitely think it is worth it as a beach read, and will be picking up Koch's first novel as well.

So I have read this and the "Dinner" and I realized after the dinner, that if I wanted likable characters or, really, anything positive, Koch wasn't the author to read. But his writing is so damn compelling, that I can't stop reading his books despite the preponderance of extremely unlikable characters, and beyond that, a very unhumanistic world view that I can only feel reflects the author's own worldview. Europeans can be some cold mothers!These books aren't really that twisty, no big surprises, but suspenseful enough to keep the reader turning the pages. And he gives some real insight into his point of view, as unpleasant as it may be. I have loaned both books to friends who, I suspect, may not like the bleak nature of the books, but I, for one, dont want to read overly predictable stories where lessons are learned and good triumphs. However, Koch hovers on the real dark side, even for those of us who like some vinegar.The end of this book is much more satisfying than that of the Dinner, which had such an over-the-top conclusion that it reduced my overall enjoyment of the book. This finale is way better, much less contrived, and somewhat ambiguous without leaving me wondering what happened. However, I wish there were forums here where I could discuss the ending since I do have a few questions that I guess I will have to save until one of my friends has finished it.I am aware that his next book will probably endorse many reprehensible, anti-progressive views, yet I eagerly anticipate reading it.

I’m a fan oof Herman Koch’s dark humour and penchant for characters and topics that undermine the middle classes’ sense of morality. His book “The Dinner” is rightfully a modern classic of Dutch literature. “Summer House with Swimming Pool” shows many of the author's qualities but does not hit all the marks as his more famous work. The book’s protagonist is a GP who mingles with a famous actor with the aim to strike up an affair with the actor’s wife. For that reason, he convinces his family to spend their holiday on a campsite close to the actor’s summer house. As intended, the families meet and unforeseen events unfold. In true Herman Koch style, the book contained many passages of dark humour and caustic observations. For instance, there are some very funny descriptions of life on campsites that I had to share with my outdoorsy friends. However, the book lacks some coherence and a more convincing story. It seems like the story is only a backdrop for the author to comment on various topics. For instance, there are passages about the art worlds that seem out of place. Why does a GP get invited to so many theatre premieres and art exhibitions that he gets sick of attending? There are also a few pain points about the inciting incident in the story. Without giving too much away, I felt that the treatment of this topic felt a bit callous. Altogether, I enjoyed reading the book, even though it is clearly not the author’s best work.

This novel has a truly excellent scabrous start balanced between awareness that our anti-hero narrator has effectively committed murder and his extremely darkly funny and misanthropic views on the human existence. Halfway through, the plot started getting bogged down and the narrator's musings ditto, but I still kept turning the pages, keen to get to the end. I still had hopes for a strong finish - but very annoyingly, it not only fizzled out but entirely undercut the narrator's motives for murder. So be warned that this is a shaggy dog story. It's a good read but will make you want to throw it across the room at the end.Additionally, it's very clear as it progresses that the author is much, much older than his characters and has very sexist ideas - do either of the wives have jobs? We hear about the husbands' incessantly! No mother of an 11 or 13 year-old girls would let them play "Miss Wet T-Shirt" (!!) with older boys, for instance. And it gets much worse. Anyone against the sexualising of tween and barely-teen girls should avoid this as if it were the plague.

Over the past week, I've read The Dinner and Summer House with Swimming Pool back to back, and it was quite an intense experience. As I said in my review of The Dinner, the characters in this book are larger than life (or in this case, more horrible than life), and the book is satirical, but it explores several "taboos" of modern society. It was particularly apt to read it now, following the exposure of certain sex scandals in the entertainment industry - surely the characters of Stanley, the film producer, and his teenage girlfriend Emmanuelle, must have been taken from that source.The narrator is Marc, a doctor, who despises his rich patients, but has found a way to make money out of them without expending too much energy. Marc has an attractive wife, Caroline, and two vapid daughters, Julia and Lisa. One of Marc's patients, Ralph Maier, an actor, invites Marc and his family to their holiday home, and against his better judgement (or is it?), Marc winds up there. Caroline is pursued by Ralph, and Marc amuses himself with Ralph's wife, Judith, who seems to be up for a dalliance. Marc considers himself a "charming" man, although again I suspect this concept is satirical - presumably men like Marc must consider themselves charming and irresistible to women. Julia, the older daughter, has a mild relationship with one of Ralph's sons. Marc professes to love his daughters, and is protective of them, but as the book unfolds, I started to wonder if this was love, or possession. Marc is quite happy to look lustfully at other men's daughters, and there is a rather disturbing scene later in the book where Marc's relationship with Julia seems just a little closer, for a father and teenage daughter, than I'm comfortable with.Ralph is Marc's patient, and he dies under Marc's care. Marc is under investigation for medical negligence, but the suspicion in the mind of the reader is that he may have committed murder. At the end of the book, Marc and his family decamp to the USA, to avoid Marc's malpractice investigation and to live with Stanley, who is in the process of setting up Julia and Lisa as "models". Marc seems fine with this - apparently Julia has now graduated to womanhood, and can be exploited by Stanley and his ilk in the same way as other women are.I love Herman Koch's writing. He's a ruthless observer of human nature, and he doesn't spare the reader. You're left feeling very exposed - could YOU be as bad as these characters if the situation arose? Maybe we're all just a step away!

I've worked for most of my life with Dutch colleagues and I love their directness, their lack of guile and their willingness to simply NOT pretend to be something they are not. That sense of Dutchness really comes through in Herman Koch's book 'Summer House with Swimming Pool' in which a thoroughly unpleasant GP meets a totally detestable veteran actor and somehow manages to end up sharing a holiday home with both their families in an attempt to sleep with his patient's wife.There's a fashion at the moment for books with unlikable heroes and SHwSP definitely feeds on that fashion. Marc, the doctor, is openly lazy and disinterested in his privileged clients but has learned how to con them into thinking he's a really good doctor just by giving them longer appointments. Much of those appointments are spent with Marc musing over just how revolting the bodies of his clients are. This book goes into a degree of graphic anatomical grossness that will disturb many readers but is essential to establishing just how unpleasant Marc is.His client has just died at the beginning of the book - so no spoilers there. The book then takes us on a disturbing journey, unlayering the complexities of how the man came to die. Most readers will agree that the actor's death is no great loss. Interestingly - and in some ways similarly to the characters in Koch's better known novel 'The Dinner', there is a common thread of just how far people will go to protect their children.If you need a hero don't buy this book. If you like your protagonists warts and all (and don't mind him musing on where those warts might be) then it could be perfect

Herman Koch deserves a wider audience. Although translated from Dutch the writing remains tight, clear and sharp. The story moves along at the same pace, opening with some disturbing events that set in motion a set of reader preconceptions that are ultimately challenged.It is the story of a disaffected GP who is at that point in life where his life is settled but he doesn't feel satisfied. He takes his family on holiday, something catastrophic happens and the remainder of the book deals with how he comes to terms with that - and finds his own solution to the moral dilemma it throws up. The story structure may not be earth shattering but it is what Koch does with the themes and ideas thrown up that makes this book so good. Put simply: it does what a good book should, it makes you think.The Dinner was a genuinely different read, one that challenged your preconceptions. In many ways I feel this is a better book: there are the same themes of moral dilemma but the book is not as constrained by its premis in the same was as The Dinner. The characters are free to move around the world and consequently the book is literally and emotionally more wide ranging.If the book has any fault it is perhaps that the 2nd tier characters are less fully drawn than you might expect. Koch is very strong in the central idea, and draws the main protagonists well, but the other characters do end up feel a little hazy and slightly anodyn. But it is a small criticism that doesn't detract from the main aim of the book, to challenge preconceptions.I read this book straight after Gone Girl, which in some ways tries to perform the same trick of challenging preconceptions and assessing morality. Gone Girl has collected thousands of reviews, endless plaudits and been turned into a film. By contrast this book has an overall lower rating, a handful of reviews and isn't being made into a film. But it is better in every possible way - better written, better story, better evaluation of its themes, better ending.I rarely give books five stars but this one wholly deserves it. Take a chance and try it.