THE DINNER PARTY: A Novel
那一晚的晚宴
內容介紹
📖Tinder Press 與 Headline 英國編輯 Ellie Freedman 表示：
「《The Dinner Party》是一項令人驚嘆的成就。一方面，它是一部結構緊密 情節精巧的懸疑小說；另一方面，它又細膩而深刻地探討了性創傷與性同意sexual trauma and consent這些極其複雜的議題。我認為它可與 Natasha Brown 的《Assembly》、Coco Mellors 的《Cleopatra and Frankenstein》，以及 Oisín McKenna 的《Evenings and Weekends》並列，都是大膽而當代的小說，毫不迴避困難與敏感的主題。這是一本令人振奮的作品，也是一部能真正引發討論的小說，我們非常期待能在 Tinder Press 推出它。」
📖Lit Hub 評選 2025 年最受期待書籍之一
「坦白而充滿同理心，令人無法釋讀。在這個世界上，竟然能有一本書同時混亂又溫柔，這本身就是一件美好的事。」~Lit HubOne of Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025
一片狼藉。蛋糕像一座不祥的建築倒在正中央，閃亮黏膩的污漬向四周蔓延。巧克力到處都是，刮刀掉在地上，水槽 檯面 桌上全是髒碗盤，爐子上還有一只用過的鍋子和油膩的烤模。砧板上殘留著油脂，水龍頭邊黏著沙拉碎屑，空酒瓶在桌面留下水痕，沾滿指印的酒杯半滿著。窗台上的花因熱氣垂頭，貓的水碗混著飼料，飼料碗幾乎空了，只剩邊緣的幾根毛。角落的貓抓板上滿是毛髮，被扯壞的玩具老鼠，空氣中仍殘留著死亡的氣味。
Franca為了和Andrew展開新生活，離開了荷蘭，來到英國。Andrew的父母住在南肯辛頓，有一間公寓可以讓兒子「借住」。Andrew是位老派的英國紳士，鼓勵她不要工作，專心寫作。也是Andrew提議舉辦一場晚宴，邀請同事慶祝。
於是，規劃、採買、下廚、清理，全都落在 Franca 身上。偏偏是在熱浪來襲的時候，冰箱壞了，酒精取代了水，還多了一位不速之客。這場晚宴，成了所有一切的交會點，她曾經是誰，她現在是誰，在那個夜晚全面碰撞，幾乎讓她崩潰。
小說採雙線敘事結構展開。主線發生在晚宴前的那個午後，另一條時間線則設在五個月後，回望那一夜及其爆炸性的結局。Viola van de Sandt 巧妙交織過去與現在，運用記憶的不穩定性，並以逐步揭露的晚宴謎團牽引讀者一路讀下去。
作者介紹
書評
One of Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025
“Raw, compassionate, and compelling—what a beautiful world we live in where a book can be messy and tender all at once."―Lit Hub
“[A] powerful story of a woman’s suppressed rage that manifests over the course of one disastrous evening. . . . Raw emotion and legitimate anger . . . Van de Sandt’s exploration of the countless ways women diminish themselves so that the men in the room can take up space remains urgent, and Franca’s story, terrifyingly real.”―New York Times Book Review
“A vivid portrait of a woman’s trauma and recovery . . . As alcohol flows and tensions rise, Franca’s mental state unravels, and the narrative reaches a devastating climax. Van de Sandt weaves together Franca’s fragmented, often gruesome memories with a nuanced exploration of sexual violence. . . . Leaves readers with much to chew on.”
―Publishers Weekly
"Elegant . . . insightful prose."―Kirkus Reviews
"A slow-burn, time-shifting, suspenseful thriller . . . Tense and compelling."―Booklist
"[A] propulsive debut . . . With sharp prose and emotional clarity, The Dinner Party is the tale of one woman coming to know about herself and about life, a breathtaking, fast-paced tale of a woman's hurt and rage and anger and despair. . . A propulsive tale of female rage and becoming."―Shelf Awareness
"This formidable debut offers plenty to savor. . . . There are echoes here of Natasha Brown's astonishing debut Assembly, as well as Olivia Sudjic's Asylum Road.”
―The Guardian (UK)
“A diabolical twist is delivered on a silver platter. In conversation with Ottessa Moshfegh, Mona Awad, and Han Kang, Viola Van de Sandt's The Dinner Party is an interrogation of class, consent, and gender roles that’ll have you asking for seconds.”―Marie Claire
"What could have operated as a simple comedy of errors full of broken fridges, pompous guests and a wayward kitten, is revealed as something both far darker and more deeply emotionally compelling. A blistering debut.”―Marie Claire (UK)
"Beautifully written and brilliant on loneliness, grief and violence. Compelling.”―Daily Mail (UK)
“A can’t-put-down tale of female rage and body autonomy.”―Town & Country
"A tense, provocative debut.” ―Mail on Sunday (UK)
"An unflinching read.” ―The Mirror (UK)
"A powerful, provocative study of female rage unleashed. Franca's intoxicating tale is often darkly funny despite the subject matter.”
―The Scotsman
“Mesmerizing . . . A visceral, powerful novel about grief and trauma and identity; it will make you cringe and flinch, laugh and cry.” ―Naomi Kelsey, author of The Burnings
"Relentlessly engrossing and seething with suspense from the first to the very last word." ―Charlotte Paradise, author of Overspill