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Dear Mr. M
Écrit par Herman Koch
Raconté par Luke Daniels
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The tour-de-force, hair-raising new novel from Herman Koch, New York Times bestselling author of The Dinner and Summer House with Swimming Pool.
Once a celebrated writer, M's greatest success came with a suspense novel based on a real-life, unsolved disappearance. It told the story of a history teacher who went missing one winter after his brief affair with a stunning pupil. Upon publication, M.'s novel was a bestseller, one that marked his international breakthrough.
That was years ago, and now M.'s career is almost over as he fades increasingly into obscurity. But not when it comes to his bizarre, seemingly timid neighbor who keeps a close eye on him. Why?
From various perspectives, Herman Koch tells the dark tale of a writer in decline, a teenage couple in love, a missing teacher, and a single book that entwines all of their fates. Thanks to M's novel, supposedly a work of fiction, everyone seems to be linked forever, until something unexpected spins the "story" off its rails.
With racing tension, sardonic wit, and a world-renowned sharp eye for human failings, Herman Koch once again spares nothing and no one in his gripping new novel, a barbed tour de force suspending readers in the mysterious literary gray space between fact and fiction.
Actions du livre
Commencer à écouterInformations sur le livre
Dear Mr. M
Écrit par Herman Koch
Raconté par Luke Daniels
Description
The tour-de-force, hair-raising new novel from Herman Koch, New York Times bestselling author of The Dinner and Summer House with Swimming Pool.
Once a celebrated writer, M's greatest success came with a suspense novel based on a real-life, unsolved disappearance. It told the story of a history teacher who went missing one winter after his brief affair with a stunning pupil. Upon publication, M.'s novel was a bestseller, one that marked his international breakthrough.
That was years ago, and now M.'s career is almost over as he fades increasingly into obscurity. But not when it comes to his bizarre, seemingly timid neighbor who keeps a close eye on him. Why?
From various perspectives, Herman Koch tells the dark tale of a writer in decline, a teenage couple in love, a missing teacher, and a single book that entwines all of their fates. Thanks to M's novel, supposedly a work of fiction, everyone seems to be linked forever, until something unexpected spins the "story" off its rails.
With racing tension, sardonic wit, and a world-renowned sharp eye for human failings, Herman Koch once again spares nothing and no one in his gripping new novel, a barbed tour de force suspending readers in the mysterious literary gray space between fact and fiction.
À propos de l'auteur
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Avis
It took me a looooong time to finish this book. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but I know a lot of people who love Koch's work. I've also read The Dinner by this author and I thought that book was okay too. I think my criticisms are more about me losing interest in literary fiction. Perhaps if this book had been faster paced, I would have enjoyed it more, but it lingers a bit. If you're into slow, winding mysterious books, definitely give this a go.
Ein Schriftsteller hatte seinen größten Bestseller mit dem nach einer wahren Geschichte geschriebenen Roman über zwei Jugendliche, die ihren Lehrer töten. Der Schriftsteller hatte die Geschichte allerdings größtenteils erfunden, eine Leiche wurde nie gefunden. Im Buch geht es nun darum, dass der ehemalige Jugendliche mittlerweile unterhalb des Schriftstellers lebt und diesen nach und nach mit dieser Geschichte konfrontiert.Am besten an dem Buch gefielen mir die Rückblenden über die Jugendclique. Das war alles extrem authentisch und sehr glaubwürdig. Dieser Handlungsstrang ist mir sehr nahe gegangen. Etwas weniger authentisch und viel konstruierter war dagegen der Handlungsstrang in der Gegenwart. Ich fand das Buch sehr gut geschrieben, aber nichtsdestotrotz war vieles schon sehr konstruiert. Am Ende, als mir schlagartig klar wurde, wie es ausgehen wird, war das ein echter Schock der Erkenntnis. Sehr interessantes Ende und auch ein interessantes Buch!
In the beginning, I was captivated by Koch's unique narrative style and the plot itself. Finding out that the novel is written from various perspectives just added to my excitement over this story. I wanted to see where the characters would go, what their connections were, and how it would all culminate. I could just feel the impending crash when all would be explained to the reader.
And yet.... that didn't happen. Instead, the novel began to slow down. As the story began to show its many layers, I found it harder and harder to stay sucked in. The tension had started to dissipate, and I was just left with this slowness that was extremely difficult to push through. I wanted more wit, more humor, more of a thrill. But I got none of that. Soon, I just couldn't wait for the novel to end, and all I cared about was the one niggling question in everyone's mind: what happened to Jan? When that was revealed, it shocked me ... but only for a minute. It seemed quite bizarre in the context of the rest of the story and didn't have the desired effect.
Overall, while I have enjoyed reading Koch's other works, this one was a pass for me.
And yet.... that didn't happen. Instead, the novel began to slow down. As the story began to show its many layers, I found it harder and harder to stay sucked in. The tension had started to dissipate, and I was just left with this slowness that was extremely difficult to push through. I wanted more wit, more humor, more of a thrill. But I got none of that. Soon, I just couldn't wait for the novel to end, and all I cared about was the one niggling question in everyone's mind: what happened to Jan? When that was revealed, it shocked me ... but only for a minute. It seemed quite bizarre in the context of the rest of the story and didn't have the desired effect.
Overall, while I have enjoyed reading Koch's other works, this one was a pass for me.
In no way did this compare to his novel "The Dinner". Have recommended that one to others, but would not recommend this one. It just didn't seem to go anywhere and the characters seemed without nuance. Based on "The Dinner" I'd read another Koch, but if the next leaves me feeling like this one did would not read #4.
It took me forever to finish this book. I kept having to start over because I'd lay it aside for too long and forget what had happened. At one point I misplaced it, but unfortunately, I found it. This novel about an over-the-hill writer, a teacher, an affair with a student, a story in a story, is too convoluted. It was hard to determine who was speaking, what was the point of view, whether it was the book or reality. It was pretty much a mishmash. I could have dealt with all of that if it had a plot I enjoyed or if I gave a flip about any of the characters. I didn't; I didn't. I felt like the author was trying to impress me with his cleverness. I wasn't.
This was an interesting take on a crime novel wrapped around a mystery and I wanted to like it. However, Mr. M's point of view was often confusing and at times I was either bored or confused, so I did't give every page my full intention. After reading The Dinner, I thought this was would be little more suspenseful, but in the end left me questioning why I wanted to read it in the first place. I guess I expected more without being drowned by details, that at times were unnecessary.
Mr. M is a Dutch author most famous for his novel Payback, which stemmed from the real life disappearance of a local high school teacher. Although two of his students were suspected of killing Mr. M, the case was never solved and the body was never found. Many years later, an unnamed stalker initiates contact with Mr. M through a series of letters and real life contacts, for purposes not clear to the reader. Told from different perspectives and from the alternating viewpoints of Mr. M and the stalker, the motivation of the stalker is slowly revealed.Although the story had promise, this book is excruciatingly slow. There were multiple points where I almost gave up on it altogether. If it hadn't beent an early reviewer read, I almost certainly would have shelved it and moved on. Dear Mr. M is boring, slow, and never quite scary or creepy enough to create tension. The narrative was overly wordy and emotionally distant. I spent three weeks of my life plodding through this novel that I will never get back. Avoid this one.
I'm not sure if this is a thriller or a mystery or what, but I enjoyed it. The story is told partly from the viewpoint of Mr. M, who wrote a murder mystery novel based on a true incident, and partly from the viewpoint of a stalker following Mr. M. Other sections tell the story of the incident on which Mr. M.'s novel was based. It kept me wondering how the storylines would be resolved. A good read!
I requested this book in the early reviewers because I wanted to give this author another chance. I had read The Dinner and I really didn't like it. As with The Dinner, Dear Mr. M is heavy on the unnecessary detail. It isn't until your 95% done with the book that you get to the point where you can't put it down and really that was only because I just couldn't wait to get it finished so I could start another book. Koch likes to string along the reader for far too long with details that don't really lead to anything significant. There is a decent twist at the end but it doesn't make up for the 395 pages of filler you just read. I do think Koch has a very good imagination and produces stories that are unlike the usual books out there, but the way he tells the story just doesn't suit my reading preferences.
This is a mystery novel told in an unusual fashion, so I wanted to like it. I wanted it to suck me into the tale. But the frequency of casual misogyny in this novel -- unremarked on, not as a characterization strategy, just periodic casual reminders that women are less-than and meant mostly as eye candy -- made any enjoyment impossible. Not recommended. Also, sigh.
This book failed to meet expectations. It is about Mr. M, an aging writer, whose most successful book was based on a true crime. It is also about Herman and his friends who were high school students that may have been involved in the crime Mr. M writes about. The book moves along fairly well when from the point of view of Herman, but plods miserably when from that of the author Mr. M. I tired of the book long before it ended, but trudged on. By the time it wrapped up, I no longer cared how the mystery was resolved.
Herman Koch is one of my favorite authors. He does so well at writing completely terrible charachters who you still route for. This book is no different.The good: This book is extraordinarily clever. The main charachter and author they are stalking share a first name and the way the name is revealed is very fun. You do not see all the twists coming. Nothing is broadcast, nothing is obvious.The Bad: The only negative is the third act. Things kind of fall apart and get a little tedious, leading me to remove a star from this review.
This book was something else. I was really intrigued by the plot -- a book about an author of a true crime novel and those who may have been involved. I feel like the tone of this book was too varied and it held my interest for chunks of pages at a time, but then slogged along other times. I enjoyed the suspense, but I think I was expecting it to be more gripping. It was still a good book, and I would recommend it to friends who enjoy that genre.
I received this book as an Early Reviewer, sorry, I only just finished reading it! I have read "The Dinner" by Herman Koch and was anxious to read this one. Since I just finished it a few minutes ago, I am still mulling it over in my mind. As I have heard others state in reviews, the ending really stirred things up and got the reader to thinking! And I will say that I felt that particular ending went a long way in making the book turn out as a worthwhile read. It seemed a little over-written to me. At 400 pages, I felt that there were parts that weren't needed and parts that were rather long and detailed that didn't really add to the story. However, some of that may have been a distraction tactic by the author, since it was hard to tell where the story was really going until the last 15 pages! So -- having said that, I didn't like it as much as "The Dinner" but I would definitely read something else by Herman Koch, and I would give this book a "medium" recommendation.
Fabulous fabulous book and so complicated. I always miss something in his books and need someone else to read it so we can discuss. However, maybe it was just a bit long so I lost the thread.
A high school senior and his girlfriend are accused (but never taken to court) for the disappearance of their teacher. A local author writes an "In Cold Blood"-style novel, loosely based on the true story and what the author imagines may have happened. Years pass and many people assume the book is the gospel truth. Intriguingly, the now aged author finds himself stalked by a mysterious man. Fans of Koch's "The Dinner" will find much here to enjoy. Solid writing with careful character development, shifts between those teen-aged years and now, from character to character, with the surprise twist at the end. As we delve into each main player's psyche, the tension ratchets up. I quite enjoyed this one, particularly the ending, I appreciated how it delves into what responsibility a writer has to his own creative process, and also to those actual people behind those Ripped From the Headlines stories. To what extent is it permissible to change significant portions to improve on plot? To add or remove characters? Lots to ponder here.
After reading the first two of his books, The Dinner and Summer House with a Swimming Pool, I was excited, and not disappointed. It did start off slow and I did have a hard time keeping my interest, but in the end was time well spent.
Ugh..I found this book to be a chore to get through. I liked the author 's other book [The Dinner] and that was why I requested this one from Early Reviewers on LibraryThing. However, I struggled through this one, just wanting it to end. Its meandering about an elderly writer often left me skimming over portions to just get to the end. It's told from the perspectives of 4 characters, Herman, Mr M., Mr. M's wife, and Laura, Herman's girlfriend. It just didn't live up to my expectation of a good mystery or of a story well told. It seemed to wreak of nothing more than an author's frustration.
A prominent aging writer lives upstairs and the man downstairs writes him oddly intimate letters, detailing how closely he follows the author's life. Because this is Herman Koch, you can trust that this book begins dark and only becomes more sinister as the novel proceeds. The stalker, Herman, has a connection to Mr. M, along with no small amount of resentment. For his part, Mr. M is not a sympathetic character. And while Koch keeps the reader guessing as to the final outcome of the men's encounters, there's no doubt that it will be satisfactorily horrific. The narration of Dear Mr. M passes between Herman, Mr. M and Herman's high school girlfriend, Laura, whose growing fascination with the odd and manipulative Herman will culminate with the disappearance of one of the teachers at their school. How they were involved, however, remains uncertain until the very end of this superbly plotted novel. If you need sympathetic characters, this isn't the book for you, but I found it gripping and impossible to put down.
Mr. M is an elderly writer in decline most well known for his bestseller about a teenage couple who, forty years ago, may or may not have murdered their teacher, who had had an affair with the girl. The boy--now a middle-aged man--is stalking Mr. M and his family decades after the fact for reasons that remain murky. This was a ponderous, sluggish, rudderless book, difficult to get through. None of the characters became real or relatable for me. It seemed to mostly be about the writing of a story based on real events with an unknown resolution, an exercise that was probably more interesting to the writer than to the reader. Compared with The Dinner, this novel seems more artificial, less shocking, and the "twist" more contrived and unsatisfying.
"M" is a famous writer whose best days are probably, if truth be told, behind him. He's best known for his novel, Payback, which tells the story of a high school history teacher, Mr. Landzaat, who went missing one winter after having an affair with one of his female students. That student, Laura, had moved on to a relationship with a boy her own age, Herman. The two were staying at a vacation cottage and were the last ones to see their teacher. Did they have something to do with his disappearance? Now, M lives with his beautiful (much younger) wife and little daughter in an apartment. They have a neighbor who seems to have a odd fascination with the couple, but why? The novel weaves together the tales of these disparate characters.
I had heard a lot about Koch's novels and was excited to win this one via a Goodreads Giveaway. It was certainly interesting and definitely different than many novels I read. I have to admit that it was a rather slow read, especially the first three quarters or so. There was actually a point where I was considering giving up for a bit, but I soldiered on. Some characters in the novels never have names (just initials), and we don't really get insight into who our varying narrators are. While I understand why (and it adds to the drama of the novel), I'll confess that it gets a little confusing at times. You really have to stay on your toes as you read.
Still, the novel is definitely more compelling toward the end, and I found myself staying up late to finish it. The twist at the end was certainly not what I expected. The varying viewpoints wind up working out well, as you really see the story unfold from everyone's perspective. Still, I found the story a bit diluted by a bit of a "meta" storyline about writers, as well as an odd insertion about M's father and his role in the resistance, as well as M's own views, which never really seemed to have a full role or point in the tale. I enjoyed the novel, but I didn't love it, and it (frankly) exhausted me a bit.
I received a copy of this novel via a Goodreads Giveaway (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
I had heard a lot about Koch's novels and was excited to win this one via a Goodreads Giveaway. It was certainly interesting and definitely different than many novels I read. I have to admit that it was a rather slow read, especially the first three quarters or so. There was actually a point where I was considering giving up for a bit, but I soldiered on. Some characters in the novels never have names (just initials), and we don't really get insight into who our varying narrators are. While I understand why (and it adds to the drama of the novel), I'll confess that it gets a little confusing at times. You really have to stay on your toes as you read.
Still, the novel is definitely more compelling toward the end, and I found myself staying up late to finish it. The twist at the end was certainly not what I expected. The varying viewpoints wind up working out well, as you really see the story unfold from everyone's perspective. Still, I found the story a bit diluted by a bit of a "meta" storyline about writers, as well as an odd insertion about M's father and his role in the resistance, as well as M's own views, which never really seemed to have a full role or point in the tale. I enjoyed the novel, but I didn't love it, and it (frankly) exhausted me a bit.
I received a copy of this novel via a Goodreads Giveaway (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
M. is a Dutch author of middling success. Most of his books have to do with Dutch life during WW II, suprising since his father was a Dutch facsist who volunteered for service on the Eastern Front. His most famous book was the story of a Dutch school teacher who disappeared in the midst of an affair with a female student. The body of the school teacher was never found and two students were suspected of foul play. A mysterious neighbor of M.'s pays great attention to the writer and his family. Did M. himself have anything to do with the teacher's demise?
I received a copy of Herman Koch's "Dear Mr. M" from LibraryThing's Advanced Reader Giveaway. Mr. Koch does not disappoint in creating a psychological thriller with all the darkness and quirkiness that I loved in his previous novels. "M" is an elderly author whose most famous novel "Payback" was based on the real disappearance of a high school teacher and the subsequent investigation of two his students believed to be responsible for his presumed murder. Now, years later, one of those two students is living downstairs from "M" and is determined to have a payback of his own. The story moves back and forth between the past and the present as the sequence of events on the night the teacher vanished unfold and is presented form the various character's points of view. Koch does a magnificent job of developing his characters and entwining their lives. He is a genius at examining human behavior and emotion making this the focus of the narrative rather than who actually might have committed the crime. (Be prepared for an unexpected twist at the end!) While this book may not appeal to everyone it is certainly worth reading if you enjoy the slightly odd and uncomfortable.
Mr. M is an older writer who has written a book about two teenagers who "murdered" a teacher. (Think about these movies that are billed as "based on true events") As he is going out on press tour, a man has sort of friended him and there begins a mystery about what really happened many years ago to the teacher.I found this book to be complicated and confusing, first because he uses a crazy number of initials for people and places. I'm not really sure of the purpose except to confuse the reader. He changes the narrator mid-stream, which is even more confusing. This isn't a relaxing read. It takes work and after 14-hour work days, I'm not sure I want to work this hard for a novel.
M had great success with a suspense novel based on a real life disappearance. He is now older and his career is fading. He has a much younger wife and a young daughter and lives in a building with a strange, timid neighbor who keeps a close eye on him.This book uses alternating points of view to tell several stories - M's current life, the story of the two teens who may be at the heart of the disappearance, the neighbor's view of M. All of the stories seem to just meander along until they are all tied up neatly in the end. This is a good suspense novel and keeps you guessing until the final chapter.
Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch (translated from the Dutch by Sam Garrett) is a uniquely structured novel about fear of and rage against mediocrity in professional and private life. M is a celebrated fiction writer who took a step out of creative mediocrity by publishing a novel based on an unsolved case of suspected murder. Details of the disappearance of a teacher who had an affair with one of his adolescent female students had been published in newspapers, and M embellished the story with fictional details. The novel, Betrayal, made M a very popular writer and he continued to write his bread-and-butter historical fiction about WWII considered mediocre by one of his rival successful writers. When one of the actual people involved in the murder case begins to contact M with the idea of showing him how fictionalizing real people can lead to complications in their lives, M starts to face his own dissatisfaction with his writing career. The novel changes focus from M to the man implicated in the murder and the story about the unsolved case unfolds. Interesting insights about all the characters are presented and the mystery of the unsolved case takes surprising turns. The translation is seamless for the reader, easy to maintain attention and straight forward in semantics. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dear Mr. M and recommend it to readers of mystery novels and general fiction literature.
Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch is a great psychological suspense novel. Mr. M is an aging novelist who has reached a certain level of fame mainly because of a book called Payback that was loosely based on real events. The book told the story of two students who plot against a teacher and end up killing him. The narrator of the first part of the book is a neighbor of Mr. M who is stalking the author for reasons stemming directly from Payback. Narration switches to Mr. M's viewpoint and we find out more about the murder and about the case. Great suspense. Keeps you interested until the very end. Great read!(Review based on complimentary Advance Reader copy.)
Oh, what is creepier, a stalking whining manipulative teenager, or a professor who uses his near passed youth to appeal to his students for ego massaging? Perhaps it is the ever changing status of barely connected teens and their necessary peer group? Neighbors, too or too much in tune with your comings and goings? An author, who has begun the slide from almost secured fame? Hook, line, and sinker of aplot an dcharcters will have you along for the uncomfortable read of the talented Mr. Koch.
Well I read a few other reviews and it seems people either love the book or think "hmm, it was just ok." I was in the latter. It just was too slow for me. After reading the description of the book, I was eager to dive in and start. I thought it would be more of a thriller with lots of suspense thrown in. Although their was suspense, it was just spread too thin for me. In a way, I just wanted to book to end to find out what was going on. Then when the book ended, I was just left feeling cheated.The writer is Dutch and maybe it was the style of writing, but it just was not for me. I did wind up finishing the book but I would not be inclined to recommend it to my friends. I received a complimentary copy via Librarything Early Reviewer
This novel began with a bang - a wonderfully interesting and intriguing first chapter told in first person from a possible serial killer;s p.o.vHowever, the subsequent chapters changed narrator focus and time and caused some confusion and boredom.It got more interesting again near the end, but I was disappointed.