Eating with Emma

Koch wrote this bittersweet novel about the desire for fame and denying ambitions.

The protagonist of Eating with Emma learns that he has been portrayed as a recognisable character in a now famous book. An ex-girlfriend has somehow managed to become a bestselling author, a career that he had actually mapped out for himself. Where did it all go wrong? And did everything described in the offending novel really happen?

‘A novel both hilarious and poignant that turns everything on its head so often that you end up not knowing which is which: fiction or reality.’ GPD

‘The story unfolds from one powerful scene to the next, from one penetrating image to another.’ Vrij Nederland

‘A humorous book about the desire for literary fame.’ Dagblad van het Noorden

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The Herman Koch collection.

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‘Herman Koch shows brilliantly how you can see things that might not be there at all, how your imagination can run away with you. The Ditch is an ode to the imagination.’ **** Het Parool

‘Dear Mr M. fulfills the promise of a long-awaited new Koch after only a few pages.’ VRIJ NEDERLAND

‘An excellent thrilling book.’ Blazer (Israel)

‘A wonderful, timely novel of manners. An incredible read.’ TROUW

‘Koch proved himself a master at recording absurd trains of thoughts and slapstick situations. Both painful and hilarious at the same time.’ NRC HANDELSBLAD

‘While reading, you get caught up in the double-mesh nets of Herman’s actions and illusions.’ Trouw

‘Koch has outdone himself. His heroine is beautiful, tragic and believable.’ De Groene Amsterdammer

‘A humorous book about the desire for literary fame.’ Dagblad van het Noorden

‘Anyone who really wants to understand Koch’s popular novels should start with these stories.’ NRC Handelsblad

‘From the second line, “You must have heard of me”, you wish him the worst.’ de Volkskrant

'In an extremely penetrating manner, Herman Koch describes the fortunes and misfortunes of the fossilised teaching staff with its false cheerfulness and hypocritical belief in the ‘Montanelli Method'.' De Ster

Koch commands his metier with an effortless superiority. De Volkskrant

Een geslaagde roman over de complexe menselijke natuur. Margriet