by Herman Koch
First published 2013
Marc Schlosser is a family doctor with a prosperous practice. But his charming bedside manner conceals a dark secret - he's obsessed with his most famous patient, the aging actor Ralph Meier. When Ralph and his glamorous wife Judith invite Marc and his wife to their summer house, a simmering tension builds. As lines blur between professional and personal, Marc's reckless choices threaten to destroy everything. In this chilling psychological drama, the consequences of unchecked ego and ambition are laid bare.
Genres: fiction, drama, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark-academia, unreliable-narrator
389 pages · Hardcover · Hogarth
Content warnings: mental-illness