the underbelly emerges in The Dinner

This book takes the reader along to a popular restaurant in Amsterdam with two brothers and their wives for a summer evening 5 course meal. Paul, the narrator seems like a calm and observant family man, who is somewhat in awe of the publicity his brother is receiving as a future prime ministerial candidate. While there are the usual brotherly spats, what we don't fully realise is the reason for the dinner; a discussion about their 15 year old sons should but does not really happen, and probably would never have been a discussion. We quickly realise there are no polite happy families and the horrific behaviour of both boys may not have just been a coincidence. They were caught on a grainy CCTV camera and are recognisable to both parents - but there are differences of opinion about what to do next. There is also the threat by the older adopted brother to release a youtube video. Throughout the first few courses, we begin to appreciate Paul's sinister and violent underbelly. While the promise of a diagnosis is confusing, it probably does not matter whether he has a personality disorder, Aspergers or is a sociopath. What is important is that there is a genetic link and that medication could be helpful, if taken as prescribed. It is also quite shocking to realise that Paul's wife is fully aware and not only accepts but covers for her husband and son. It seems inevitable that this boy has amazing capacity for violence, which his father is slow to recognise. By the end of the meal, it is clear that decisive action is needed, and violence seems inevitable...