Dinner at the Centre of the Earth by Nathan Englander is intriguing, sensitive and difficult to put down.

The central character is an unnamed prisoner in a secret Israeli prison. Gradually Englander shares the story of an immigrant who spies for Mossad, betrays his country because of his dismay at some of it's actions and becomes a non-person. It's difficult to know who are the good guys in this shifting muddle of loyalties and it's only as you near the end that you think you know what is going on.

It's easy to groan at the thought of another novel about Israel and Palestine but don't, this is a humorous and sad novel that is well worth reading whatever your views on the conflict.

This is a complicated book, and at least a basic knowledge of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is required, but overall I found it a compelling and very interesting read. The less said about the characters and storyline in a review the better as knowing too much beforehand takes away much of the pleasures of discovery but essentially the key protagonists are Prisoner Z, whose identity has been erased from the records, so he technically doesn’t exist, who is imprisoned at a black site somewhere in the Negev. Equally imprisoned but in a different way, is the General, who has suffered a stroke that leaves him in a coma, and for 8 years has been hallucinating about events from his past. Unfortunately for Prisoner Z the General is the only person who knows of his existence. I understand that the unnamed General is a portrait of the former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Whether or not this adds to the reader’s appreciation or understanding of the book I’m not quite sure, but it certainly enhanced my own reading. There are many other sub-plots and characters in the novel, including a young Palestinian in Berlin raising money for the Palestinian resistance, and the many threads are only loosely woven together, but for me the novel worked as a powerful indictment of the current seemingly intractable conflict, and the romance element of the story that leads to the dinner of the title I found moving and convincing. A mix of political thriller, romance and absurdity, with alternating chapters, the book requires but rewards concentration, and quite possibly merits a re-read at some point. Recommended.

Dinner at the Centre of the Earth is not my typical book. It is roughly based on current(ish) events between Israel and Palestine which brings with it a strong military angle (through the General and his deathbed reflections/memories). Heavier topics than I tend to be attracted to. I was drawn to the spy thriller description, which did not disappoint. Ok, calling it a 'thriller' is being generous, as any real thrilling bits rolled slowly by, but the various relationships throughout the book are anchored by spies and these interested me.

We follow various groupings of two people in random burst – Prisoner Z and his guard, the guard and his mother Ruthi, Ruthi and the General, Joshua and Farid, Prisoner Z and the waitress, etc. I saw each set as parallels to the Israel/Palestine struggle. Some winning, some losing, some maintaining the status quo, but all working toward what they deem right based on their own experiences. In this way Dinner at the Centre of the Earth became a thought provoking novel for me. It didn't matter that the story was a bit disjointed. Just roll with it and give it a chance. It makes sense before you know it.

I felt great warmth for a number of characters found among the pages of this book. There is wisdom mixed with a fair dash of naivete, and even humour, that speaks to the heart of most people. Given our drive to want a happy, quiet, peaceable existence, why is it so difficult to achieve? I shall ponder that question for some time.

Not as compelling as his last novel but still a thrilling read

I very nearly gave up half way through this book, but I'm glad I didn’t. The first half is slow, mannered and rather uninteresting but it does become quite a gripping and thought-provoking read.

This is really a book about the Israel-Palestine conflict and how it really affects some individuals involved. It's a complex structure in which three seemingly unrelated narratives, separated in place and time, intercut with each other. For almost half the book I found this unengaging and frankly quite irritating; it seemed to be a lot of style for its own sake while telling us so little that it didn't make much sense. It's not helped by some lengthy recounting of the semi-hallucinatory recollections of an unconscious and dying man (a barely disguised Ariel Sharon) which is a device which almost never works for me.

However, when things finally begin to happen and the connections between the characters become a little clearer the stories really did engage me. There are some genuinely exciting espionage moments and also penetrating studies of people on both sides of the conflict, as well as those who are ideologically and emotionally caught between the two, raising some complex moral issues which are very well handled. There is also a touching and convincing love story and a remarkable account of the relationship between a long-term prisoner and his guard, including an extraordinarily moving dénouement, both of which I thought were exceptionally well done.

So, despite its flaws, I thought this was a good, worthwhile book in the end. It's worth persevering even if you find the first half rather tough going – it's worth it in the end, and I can recommend this.

(I received an ARC via NetGalley.)

It does not happen very often but this book beat me. I have read around 20% and have not been able to understand any of it. This may be an award winning author but there are no prizes for this one. Perhaps written in a period of self indulgence it lacks any structure or storyline for you to follow and certainly does not entertain. The reason I gave up was the lack of even any promise that it would get better, I was totally confused and bored. Billed as a political thriller I was excited to start it as this is one my favourite genres however this excitement disappeared very quickly. Won't give any spoilers as if like me you will not get that far.

This book is very different from the blurb and I wouldn't describe it as a thriller. Englander contemplates the complications of Israel in fine fashion but it's difficult to get hold of a narrative thread to navigate the book. Lots of vivid writing, play-like scenes of just dialogue between a mother and her prison guard son, the charged relationship between guard and prisoner - so much good stuff but also very jumpy and a bit dishevelled. Only towards the end do things settle down. A book equally sharp and frustrating.