Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch

I will warn you. Do not read reviews on this book. Most reviewers spill the entire story. And I hate that. 

When I buy a book, after skimming a description, I refuse to read another bit about the book. I dive in sometimes forgetting the description and it has brought a new edge to reading. I know nothing, I am surprised, shocked, thrilled, pissed off, quite pleased, and/or haunted. It lends to a better reading experience. No spoilers from a review. Just diving into the pool on a cold day.

 

I wasn't kidding a few blogs back when I said this book will bring certain feels as The Dinner had, and I was right. I was angrier this round, though still holding Koch in high regard for his ability to make you hate the characters yet understand what they think say or do as it is real life, they are scary, real feelings  and behaviors you may have had at one time in your life. But you never once breathe these things to another person ever..

I call it the Id gone mad.

Okay so Dr. Marc Schlosser, a misanthropist, who has his own practice sees patients for forty five minutes per visit. They love this time spent with the doctor. He listens to them talk, rather, he listens half hearted meandering into an inner dialogue of what he can't stand about the human body, particularly that patient's body or lifestyle who sits before him. 

If you love your doctor, you may hate him of her after reading this. You may even refuse to take off your clothes ever again. That's my only warning.

Even as a nurse, I cringed. 

One patient, in particular, a very hefty loud mouth man named Ralph Meier, a famous actor, invites him to another much hated function in which Marc begrudgingly drags his wife.  Ralph leers at Marc's wife, with pure animal fervor while Marc intellectually lusts and leers after Ralph's wife.

Enter the invite to the summer house with swimming pool on the Mediterranean with Ralph, his wife,  and boys. Along with a famous director and his very young girlfriend.

Things do NOT go along swimmingly. During a beach celebration one night, Marc's daughter is raped. Not knowing who this rapist is, the reader is left to explore the rest of the book with Marc, during and post vacation, while his life and family slowly descends into vortex of disaster. 

Koch leaves you guessing. A+ for that right there.

Koch makes you cluck your tongue in disgust at every turn. A+ He's not writing Anne of Green Gables people.

I closed the book and sighed. Koch did it again. 

I had to re-read the last part of the book one more time, to understand.  Maybe I had to read it again to confirm what I had just read was what it was.  A++++++ even though this makes me crazy, I love to think long and hard about a book weeks/months/years later.

It has been written that The Dinner was better. They are equal.

It's not an icky read if you are someone like me who can read Chuck Palahniuk  with a keen sense of humor or A.M. Homes  with a keen sense of self, and a good firm footing on the ails of humanity. 

Summer House with Swimming Pool is about selfish people, selfish motives and selfish happenings, but it's the proverbial train wreck, you can't help but look.

Borrow it if you feel you may slam it shut, throw it at your friend or family member that let you borrow it. At least they get their book returned even if it is in violence.

Buy it if you are a true Herman Koch fan like me.