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Dinner with the Schnabels

By Toni Jordan
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3.66 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 1,854 ratings, 215 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Dinner with the Schnabels by Toni Jordan, the story follows Simon Larsen, a struggling architect grappling with personal and professional challenges. His chaotic life takes a turn when his wife, Tansy, drags him into organising a complicated family dinner with her quirky relatives, the Schnabels. This unfolds into a humorous exploration of family dynamics, resilience, and self-discovery amidst comic mishaps and heartfelt moments.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy heartwarming family dramas with a touch of humour. It offers a delightful exploration of relationships, personal redemption, and the complexities of family life, all wrapped up in witty and engaging storytelling. Perfect for readers who appreciate character-driven narratives filled with warmth and charm.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

I loved every page of this funny, warm, delightful novel! LIANE MORIARTY

A smart, funny novel about love, marriage, and family. Weekend Australian

With sharply observed characters and comic set-pieces to make you laugh out loud, Dinner with the Schnabels is great fun to read and casts a more mature and acerbic eye on modern masculinity. Sydney Morning Herald, Fiction Pick of the Week

You can marry into them, but can you ever really be one of them?

A novel about marriage, love and family.

Things haven't gone well for Simon Larsen lately. He adores his wife, Tansy, and his children, but since his business failed and he lost the family home, he can't seem to get off the couch.

His larger-than-life in-laws, the Schnabels—Tansy's mother, sister and brother—won't get off his case. To keep everyone happy, Simon needs to do one little job: he has a week to landscape a friend's backyard for an important Schnabel family event.

But as the week progresses, Simon is derailed by the arrival of an unexpected house guest. Then he discovers Tansy is harbouring a secret. As his world spins out of control, who can Simon really count on when the chips are down?

Life with the Schnabels is messy, chaotic and joyful, and Dinner with the Schnabels is as heartwarming as it is outrageously funny.

Praise for Dinner with the Schnabels:

Laughs all the way . . . a charmer of a book. Daily Telegraph

Dinner with the Schnabels is a contemporary comic masterpiece. Practically every page boasts lines redolent of humour, wit and sarcasm that will make you snigger if not laugh out loud. ArtsHub

Hilarious. The Bookshelf (ABC Radio)

Terrific . . . Dinner with the Schnabels is warm and quintessentially Australian yet extensively engaging. Sydney Arts Guide

Told with great humour and pathos. It is a tonic and a delight. Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words

Just delightful . . . a modern comedy of manners that pokes affectionate fun at contemporary Australia—all with Toni's trademark warmth, sensitivity and tenderness. I am pressing it into the hands of everyone I know. Kate Forsyth

Toni Jordan at her finest—brilliantly observed and highly entertaining. I inhaled her words then snorted them out laughing! Joanna Nell

Smart, tender, wise, and hilarious. This is a dinner I didn't want to leave. Kathryn Heyman

A modern Melbourne Oscar Wilde comedy of family conundrums, perfect for David Nicholls and Beth O'Leary fans! Danielle Binks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Dinner with the Schnabels by Toni Jordan has been well-received for its humour and exploration of family dynamics. Readers appreciate the book's engaging and witty dialogue, along with its portrayal of relatable characters navigating the complexities of modern relationships. Reviewers often highlight Jordan's ability to blend warmth with sharp insights into the human condition.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733645129

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 March 2022

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 27.0mm

Width: 154.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 450g

Pages: 368

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Toni Jordan

About the Author

Toni Jordan has worked as a molecular biologist, quality control chemist, TAB operator and door-to-door aluminium siding salesperson. She is the author of the international bestseller Addition, which was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and has been adapted into a feature film, in cinemas in 2026. Her novel Nine Days was awarded Best Fiction at the 2012 Indie Awards and was named in Kirkus Reviews' top 10 Historical Novels of 2013; Our Tiny, Useless Hearts, was longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award; and her two Schnabel family novels, Dinner with the Schnabels and Prettier if She Smiled More, were critically acclaimed. Toni has been published widely in newspapers and magazines. She holds a Bachelor of Science in physiology and a PhD in Creative Arts and lives in Melbourne. Tenderfoot is her eighth novel.

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