Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel

Not a single attractive or sympathetic character. Not one. And you won't be able to put this book down. It's brilliant. I read The Dinner on the beach last year and saved Summer House with Swimming Pool for this summer. It's more conventional than The Dinner, but far more disturbing. I find myself thinking about it more than a week after finishing it. Herman Koch looks at real, contemporary characters in all their dimensions. He's Jungian in his approach--we see the dark and the light in each character. And yes, many are more dark than light. I can't say enough about this book. I generally avoid 'contemporary' or 'literary' books because they're usually so incredibly dull, tendentious, and pretentious. Koch's staccato style is brisk. He doesn't waste words or time. He writes in an unfussy, "chewy" style that reminds me of Orwell and Evelyn Waugh (who are, I think, the best prose stylists of the 20th century). The seemingly simple prose paints a complex portrait of characters who are just like us on the surface. Underneath, they're monsters, doing the things we dream about in nightmares. The plot does have a few holes and some dead ends, but these are nits. This is the work of a genius.

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.

I had previously read Herman Koch's "The Dinner" and loved it. After reading the first few pages of this book in preview mode I noticed, again, how adept the author is at translating a character's innermost feelings, biases, perspectives, and observations into words. One of my literature professors once told us that a very good writer can express something in words so well that it resonates in our mind as if we had thought of it ourselves. We literally stand in the shoes of the author and view the world through his (or her) eyes, but it's so vivid it's as if we arrived at the same thought at the same point in time. Such an author is Herman Koch. His stories (at least the two I've read so far) are not pleasant - the characters are flawed, unlikable, and exhibit the worst side of human nature. But, we all know or have observed people like this - we recognize them instantly - in a sense becoming so immersed in the story that it's as if we are there, in those scenes, as an invisible observer. I can understand those reviewers who didn't enjoy the book - it is not a tidy book, with likeable characters, a well-framed plot, and a "tie up all the loose ends" ending. It is a character study of the darker side of human nature, taking us to where most of us have never gone before, but, given the right circumstances, one never knows what each of us is capable of doing. I found it delicious reading, enjoying the mastery of a not only a brilliant author, but a brilliant observer and interpreter of human nature, albeit the darker side of same. While I don't envision a steady diet of delving into the dysfunctional side of human behavior - the occasional read, done with the excellence of the author, is a fascinating journey.

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 off this was not a book I would recommend to others. Granted, I have not read the author previously, but I took a chance. If you like his previous novels then you may like this more than I did. The premise of this book sounds very interesting and very thought provoking, however that did not come across at all while reading it. The book is very introspective, probably around 75% is the internal thought process of the main character, Marc. There are many rambling sections that you get kind of lost and then come back to the point only to forget exactly what the point was. The main character is the only one with dimension, however I could not relate as a husband, father, or human being. Every other character is just a name and gender, no real tangible qualities about any of them. Like I said, I could not relate at all to Marc and nor did I like him or any of the other characters. Now I know that is not the point; to like characters and relate to their situation, but it makes the read more enjoyable and memorable. The big reveal near the end gives the 'eh' feeling and you realize "what was the point of all this?" I gave this book 2 stars based on the fact that it had a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning was chapter 1, the end was chapter 52, and there was a very long, rambling, forgetful middle. Avoid this book unless you like this style of introspective storytelling.

Novel is well- written & nicely plotted. The protagonist, Dr. Marc Schlosser, is a General Practice Physician to the "B - List " of Dutch Creative Artists. Dr. Schlosser, ironically, is very uncomfortable with human physiology almost in an OCD way. It's puzzling how a guy like this even made it through Med School, but this IS fiction. The drawn out and excruciatingly detailed descriptions of illness and human organs were more like literature for young boys who enjoy lengthy gross anatomical details. I didn't believe these many exhaustive and often repeated renderings enhanced the story, since the narrator's distaste was made very clear in the first few chapters. Things & people always seem very defined to the good Dr.. He, by training and experience has made it his life's work to make judgements of people's relative value....and he has always felt comfortable making judgement calls ; this has never been questioned until the death of a well known patient. Only one female character, the Dr.'s wife, Caroline, was more than one dimensional. The rest of the women were caricatures- the shrewish, nagging wife, the vapid starlet, & his sweet, naive young daughters. Luckily, the male characters are far more interesting , well drawn and have a lot more to do. This is a good tale told well, but it needed a better editor.

Overall, this is a terrific read, even more enjoyable than "The Dinner." None of the characters could be called admirable, saving the young daughter, but that doesn't matter because the reader becomes engrossed by Koch's fine writing and carefully developed plot. The main character, a general practitioner, dislikes his patients, but enjoys the life he and his family are living. His ego is such that in his mind he's better than those he serves, and our GP has no qualms about using these same clients/patients to further his own ends. Finally, an incident occurs in which our doctor believes that one of his patients, a well-known actor, has committed a crime against his family. Our doctor arranges a situation in what he believes is a clever fashion in order to cause the actor's death. I couldn't put this book down, wanting to know what happened to our GP and his family. Not to give it away, but justice is done -- but in a fashion that will make you smile, as it turns out that the events our doctor believed occurred, weren't quite as they seemed.

I was supremely disappointed in this novel after being so thoroughly impressed by The Dinner. This book was long with little to no character development and no suspense to speak of. The last thing I would call this book is a "page-turner" - I just kept waiting for some kind of fantastic twist or action to take place. The story takes forever to really get going, the family doesn't even arrive at the summer house until a third of the way through the book. Marc, the main character, is so unlikable the reader can't possibly sympathize with him even as an antihero. I just ended up feeling sorry for his poor wife and daughters who are stuck with this boring sociopath. Overall good writing, which was to be expected. But the story was really lacking and I couldn't wait for it to be over so I could get on to a better, more stimulating novel.

Recomendable

I was halfway through this book before I realized it didn't take place in the U.S.! A fascinating look at life through the eyes of a physician, but not the sort of physician anyone would want for themselves. A great read, terrific characters and an interesting story... though the ending was a bit of a disappointment. If you enjoyed The Dinner, you'll enjoy this book.

I've never read such a delighting written book, with such a lack of real plot for most pages, but even so, so beautifully and cleverly crafted masterpiece. I can't use my words alone to tell you what I have in hands when it comes to a Herman Koch's book; I'll only say this: I read this book just over a year ago and as I reread it in this recently purchased edition, I still find myself deeply caught up inside its world, and so, so much obsessed with Marc's mind and Koch's way of saying things. The whole thing just blew my mind, and even though I know exactly what's going to happen overall, consciousness can't overtake the pleasure of the feeling of meeting old friends again, hearing the same old stories, but still laughing over them.

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!

As with his book The Dinner, Herman Koch brings to life the characters in this book with dry wit and realism. i thoroughly enjoyed the journey taken by the main character and his family was they battled "ordinary " life experiences, to then ask yourself, how far would I go to make things right? i really enjoy Hermans style of writing. There is a perfect blend of sarcasm and humour, real life experience and a plot that is believable. do yourself a favour!