---
product_id: 1357369
title: "Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel"
price: "₪98"
currency: ILS
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/1357369-summer-house-with-swimming-pool-a-novel
store_origin: IL
region: Israel
---

# Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel

**Price:** ₪98
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## Description

Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel [Koch, Herman] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel

Review: I liked the book - I give this 4 stars with some reservation. I almost gave it 3. I liked the book, and it kept me reading -- but it was so bizarre. Pretty much every adult character are creepy, weird, twisted folks. The main character -- who is a doctor-- was particularly creepy in the disgusting ways he viewed the human body. One would hope that doctors don't really think those things while examining you. As you get into the book, you find that each character is more perverted than the next. And no one is particularly likeable, except perhaps the doctor's wife Caroline. I suppose that keeps you open-minded when the big tragedy of the book occurs, and there is a wide range of people who could have committed the crime, and so in that way, it is a bit of a "who-dunnit". I thought the ending was a little confusing, but that kind of goes along with the strangeness of the rest of the book. I know who did it though. Good beach read, but be prepared to have your skin crawl.
Review: Good Beachside Read - 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.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | 0804138818 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,528,635 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #5,362 in Psychological Fiction (Books) #7,629 in Family Life Fiction (Books) #14,282 in Psychological Thrillers (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 3.5 3.5 out of 5 stars (2,749) |
| Dimensions  | 5.93 x 1.27 x 8.52 inches |
| Edition  | Translation |
| ISBN-10  | 9780804138819 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0804138819 |
| Item Weight  | 1.28 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 400 pages |
| Publication date  | June 3, 2014 |
| Publisher  | Hogarth |

## Images

![Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/317ZwqVUl7L.jpg)
![Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bEtQHmCEL.jpg)
![Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51lgLs37ENL.jpg)
![Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Q4U2NmsrL.jpg)
![Summer House with Swimming Pool: A Novel - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81qifuDF8sL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I liked the book
*by N***4 on July 3, 2014*

I give this 4 stars with some reservation. I almost gave it 3. I liked the book, and it kept me reading -- but it was so bizarre. Pretty much every adult character are creepy, weird, twisted folks. The main character -- who is a doctor-- was particularly creepy in the disgusting ways he viewed the human body. One would hope that doctors don't really think those things while examining you. As you get into the book, you find that each character is more perverted than the next. And no one is particularly likeable, except perhaps the doctor's wife Caroline. I suppose that keeps you open-minded when the big tragedy of the book occurs, and there is a wide range of people who could have committed the crime, and so in that way, it is a bit of a "who-dunnit". I thought the ending was a little confusing, but that kind of goes along with the strangeness of the rest of the book. I know who did it though. Good beach read, but be prepared to have your skin crawl.

### ⭐⭐⭐ Good Beachside Read
*by S***T on July 5, 2014*

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.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A compelling insight into the darker side of human nature
*by C***E on December 4, 2014*

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.

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*Product available on Desertcart Israel*
*Store origin: IL*
*Last updated: 2026-03-08*