About this item
The bracing and inventive new novel of suspicions and secrecy from Herman Koch, the New York Times bestselling author of The DinnerWhen Robert Walter, popular mayor of Amsterdam, sees his wife toss her head back with laughter while chatting to one of his aldermen at a New Years reception, he immediately suspects the worst. Despite their long and happy marriage, Robert is convinced that Sylvia is cheating on him - with the respectable alderman who is dedicated to the environment, no less. The man who wants to spoil the capitals skyline with wind turbines.The New Years reception marks the end of the "happy family" era that the mayor has enjoyed for so long. His wife and their daughter, Diana, however, are not aware of his suspicions and carry on as usual. Robert starts spending a lot of time and energy "behaving normally." Naturally, his normal behavior is far more suspicious. Normally Roberts not really present when hes at home--hes preoccupied with his phone, the newspapers, and his own thoughts. But now Robert is so sure hell miss the clues if he doesnt pay attention that he starts to be almost alarmingly attentive and interested--ultimately losing himself in increasingly panicked and paranoid trains of thought.Written with Herman Kochs trademark originality, playfulness, and edge, The Ditch is a wildly clever - and guttingly familiar - story of a man whose sadistic skill for undermining himself and his marriage comes to cost him nearly everything.Praise for The Ditch"Provocation, life in the spotlight and tasty cuisine are also present and accounted for in Kochs spiky new book, The Ditch. . . . Koch again seeks to show the fault lines beneath the surface of ostensibly civilized society." - The New York Times Book Review"Clever, rollicking, and intense . . . an unreliable tale for the ages." - Vanity Fair"Koch has crafted a pitch-perfect tone for a man consumed by jealousy. . . . A shadowy tale of the power of projection." - Kirkus Reviews "A compelling exploration by a master stylist of what jealousy and distrust can do even to a solid relationship." - BOOKLIST
About the Author
Herman Koch (Dutch pronunciation: [???rm?n k?x]; born 5 September 1953) is a Dutch writer and actor. He has written short stories, novels, and columns. His best-selling novel The Dinner (2009) has been translated into 21 languages. He has acted for radio, television, and film. He co-created the long-running TV series Jiskefet (1990-2005) . Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Vera de Kok (Own work) [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) ], via Wikimedia Commons.
