The Dinner Party - by Viola Van de Sandt (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For fans of Cleopatra and Frankenstein and Assembly, an intimate and darkly propulsive story told over the course of a dinner party, from its careful preparation through its explosive, irrevocable finish, about the tensions of love and autonomy, grief and female rage, and the surprising moments when they come crashing to the surface.

Franca left the Netherlands behind to start her new life in England with Andrew. Andrew, whose parents lived in South Kensington but had a flat their son could "borrow" nearby. Andrew, an old-fashioned British gentleman who encourages her not to work but to instead focus on her writing. Andrew who suggests a dinner party with his colleagues to celebrate their big upcoming launch.

A dinner party that Franca must plan and shop and cook and clean for. A dinner party during a heatwave when the fridge breaks, alcohol replaces water, and an unexpected guest joins their ranks, upending the careful balance between everything Franca once was and now is ...

Expertly weaving the past and present with precision and delicious tension, The Dinner Party is a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at female rage, body autonomy, and all the concessions women make throughout their lives--big and small--until the surprising moment when they decide they can make them no longer.

Review Quotes

"A powerful, provocative study of female rage unleashed. Franca's intoxicating tale is often darkly funny despite the subject matter." --The Scotsman

"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

"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 profoundly confronting and claustrophobic novel which consumed me whole. It's tender, astonishing, and unflinching... Warning, dear reader, side effects may include utter speechlessness, a deep sinking feeling, and staring at walls for prolonged periods upon turning its final pages." --Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

"An intimate, provocative, and irresistible debut. I was mesmerized." --Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins

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] 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

"A can't-put-down tale of female rage and body autonomy."--Town & Country

"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

"A slow-burn, time-shifting, suspenseful thriller . . . Tense and compelling."--Booklist

"A tense, provocative debut." --Mail on Sunday (UK)

"An unflinching read." --The Mirror (UK)

"Beautifully written and brilliant on loneliness, grief and violence. Compelling."--Daily Mail (UK)

"Elegant . . . insightful prose."--Kirkus Reviews

"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

"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)

About the Author

Viola van de Sandt has degrees in journalism, comparative literature, and English literature from King's College, London. A draft of a previous novel was longlisted in the 2019 Mslexia novel competition. She lives in the Netherlands.