Un simple dîner

by Cécile Tlili

"Dans le miroir de la salle de bains, elle se dévisage, et se voit telle que les amis d’Étienne vont la voir : une fille fade et gauche, une fille qu’il a choisie parce qu’elle ne risque pas de lui faire de l’ombre."

Un soir de canicule, en août à Paris, deux couples se rejoignent pour dîner. La soirée aura lieu chez Étienne. Claudia, sa compagne, d’une timidité maladive, a cuisiné toute la journée pour masquer son appréhension. Johar et Rémi, leurs invités, n’ont pas l’esprit tranquille non plus. Autour de la table, les uns nourrissent des intentions cachées tandis que les autres font tout pour garder leurs secrets. L’odeur épicée d’un curry, une veste qui glisse d’un fauteuil, il suffit d’un rien pour que tout bascule.
Avec ce huis-clos renversant, Cécile Tlili interroge la place des femmes dans la société et tisse, avec délicatesse, une ode à l’émancipation et à la liberté.

Genres: Fiction, France, Contemporary, French Literature, Literary Fiction, Novels, Book Club

192 pages, Paperback

Published August 23, 2023

Reviews

[kehindeslibrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn’t put down this book. I read it in one day and I haven’t stopped thinking about it.

This book was very relatable, and highlights how mundane life can truly be. The book is full of broken relationships, compulsive liars and dark truths about identity and undesirability.

The prose is stunning, yet the characters and their livelihoods are sticky, overwhelming and confusing, which also reflects reality, which is also a mess.

Even those we love and swore that we would could spend the rest of our lives with them will eventually drift away. Instead of time bringing you closer, time emphasises the distance between you.

Set in the hot sweltering Paris, ‘Just a Little Dinner’ follows two couples who meet for dinner in one of their apartments. However little do they know that this dinner will reveal their true identities, past traumatic experiences and the painful reality of their broken relationships.

Definitely give this one a read if you have the time, it’s translated from French by Katherine Gregor and she did a brilliant job translating this book into English. I’m obsessed with the writing!!

Some of my favourite quotes:

“𝐃𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭, 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲.”

“𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬, 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲.”

“𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧. 𝐌𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞.”

[Rendezvouswithbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a perfect little book is this. It starts with a claustrophobic dinner party of 4 people which is actually not little, where each character finds Catharsis by the end

Set in picturesque Paris, author has painted such a dichotomy of characters, that are poles apart yet searching for something so internal

While Etienne & Claudia's relationship is built on inequality & silence, Rémi & Johar's relationship is fractured by success and neglect

The prose here is atmospheric & sensory

Translation by Katherine Gregor is oh so perfect!

The interplay of themes such as power dynamics, past traumas that are haunting these characters, their struggles at emotional & psychological levels makes this an experience to remember

The importance of power & money is reiterated. You like it or not, if you have power & money you can choose the life you want or else your life will be what people with power & money choose for you

Can't recommend it enough. Would be fantastic to see it nominated for @thebookerprizes

Read it 💯

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il peut s'en passer des choses, le temps d'un dîner... Des vies bouleversées, des secrets dévoilés, des pensées enfouies depuis longtemps enfin révélées.

Trahisons, mensonges, secrets, remise en question... mais aussi beaucoup d'émotions, des prises de décisions et de la sororité.

Un huis clot addictif que j'ai lu d'une traite !

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, what a way to start the year. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again—I love a dinner party. Not attending them, no, but give me a tense and taut story centered around a dinner party and I’m all ears. Tlili delivers on all fronts. Using a close third person perspective to bounce between each of the four dinner guests we come to understand the purpose behind this get together and the hidden motivations and desires of them all. Though they are ostensibly there as two couples, everyone is on an island of their own, the distance between them all too great to cross.

Little reveals are dropped left and right, racketing up the tension until it reaches a simmer. Delectable prose translated flawlessly by Gregor, it’s hard not to gobble this one up in one sitting.

[Andy Weston · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very dull story of interactions between two couples at a dinner party in modern Paris, though I couldn’t help but compare it to the BBC Play for Today from the Seventies, Abigail’s Party. Here though, far less happens.

It maybe that it suffers in translation. I say that because it won the Prix Goncourt for a debut novel in 2023.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Original et bien rythmé, déçue du "happy end" où le récit satisfait le lecteur en ne sanctionnant que le personnage qui l'a irrité! J'attendais plus d'injustice sur le destin des 3 autres protagonistes.

[Mag · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bien écrit, bien construit, mais il ne me laissera aucun souvenir tant les personnages m'ont laissée indifférente.

[victoria marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winner of the 2023 Gisèle Halimi Prize
(& this edition was published in 2025)

oh, SUCH A GREAT BOOK!! devoured in one sitting, much like the single setting of two couples having dinner together!

absolutely recommend this debut. &, needed the message of it too.

_____

CÉCILE TLILI co-founded an alternative school for neuro-atypical children. Just a Little Dinner, 2023 winner of the Gisèle Halimi Prize, is her first novel.

KATHERINE GREGOR is a translator from Italian and French. She was also an EFL teacher, theatrical agent, press agent, and theatre director. She created and wrote The Italianist blog for eurolitnetwork.com. As a writer, she is the author of published articles and is currently working on her first non-fiction book.

[Martine Tieleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nee, ik heb het niet in het Frans gelezen. Dat gaat me toch te ver. Gewoon in het Nederlands met de titel ‘een onschuldig diner’.
Je voelt het onheil naderen….! Doet een beetje denken aan ‘het diner’ van Herman Koch.

[Vincentimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3,5] Un bon premier roman et une belle écriture, j’ai juste eu un peu de mal à m’attacher aux personnages

[Kathrin Olzog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was so ein einem Abend alles passieren kann - gut konstruiert und gut erzählt
Note: 2

[Gaby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll have to admit that this was honestly just boring to me, so i’m glad it was a short book. I felt like everyone disliked each other A LOT and there was a lot of internal bitching and moaning and not a lot of communicating. May it be clear this book just wasn’t for me.

And like don’t underestimate an annoying mc, it can add to the story and make it fun… but in this case everyone was incredibly insufferable and the men, i don’t even have words for them.

[Rebecca Rothe · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great book to end 2025

[Natalie Beecroft · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever microcosm of a dinner party gone wrong. Everyone wants something from someone else and they are NOT going to get it.

[Martin Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story packed with so much detail, I felt like a fly on the wall.

[Arwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Book Club.
Has some beautifully worded phrases/sentences & plenty of good sentiments to take from it. Overall, though, it still feels one-dimensional and surprisingly repetitive for such a short book.
I'm not sure if I'm supposed to dislike all of the characters but I find them all irritating for different reasons (maybe that was intentional, idk)
TDLR: It's decently written but not worth a reread

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. So much drama and tension packed into a 4 person dinner party.

[Bettina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vier mensen hebben een diner op een late zomeravond in Parijs. Aan het einde van de avond zien alle levens er anders uit, er worden beslissingen genomen en knopen doorgehakt. Dit boek heeft me aangenaam verrast en heel mooi hoe Cécile Tlili in een paar zinnen een relatie kan typeren, of een situatie duidelijk kan maken.

Volledige bespreking is hier te vinden: https://bettinaschrijft.blogspot.com/...

[Emma Nigen · Rating 1 out of 5]

A peine lu j’ai déjà oublié le nom des personnages

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

love.

[Lia BibliophiLia · Rating 3 out of 5]

BOOK 93 (2025)
Just a Little Dinner, Celile Tlili
read in English (original: french)
185 pages

PLOT
A group of friends meet for a dinner in one of the couple's apartment.

RATING
6/10

KEY-IDEAS/FEELINGS
Relationships, human dynamics, human relations, social character, manipulation, behaviour, love, broken relationships, friendship

GOOD POINTS
Nice premise, nice feeling different perspectives in one room
Feels like a theatre

BAD POINTS
Characters are a bit annoying
Could develop more in dialog and less in "internal constructions" (?)

FOR WHO
People that like short reads and are between 30-40 (having some life crisis of dissatisfaction)

[Anni · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Leider verschenkt dieses Debut etwas, weil die Geschichte ihre Kraft erst auf den letzten 50 Seiten entfaltet und noch dazu etwas vorhersehbar ist. Die Charaktere sind gut gestrickt, aber deren Aufeinandertreffen bei besagtem Abendessen hätte für meinen Geschmack etwas bissiger ausfallen können bei mehr wörtlicher Rede. Viele interessante Gedanken verbleiben nur im Inneren der Personen, was den Verlauf der Ereignisse etwas träge macht.

[madison ✧˖°. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une écriture qui ne m’a pas laissé indifférente. Un roman très bien rédigé et fort, qui nous étouffe, nous met mal à l’aise et provoque de l’amertume en tant que femme. J’ai eu du mal cependant à m’attacher aux personnages, même si j’ai eu un coup de coeur pour Johar et les souvenirs qu’elle a lié à sa terre.

[Popo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poignant literary fiction novellas are truly the way to my heart! Just how much can happen, in the span of just a little dinner? Wonderful prose, characters and Parisian setting. My favourite French read in a long time. Spectacular, couldn’t put it down!

[Daisy Paton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely flew through this book the day I purchased it, but got a bit stuck towards the end. I loved the descriptive writing (it's a fabulous translation), and it was gripping at the start but fizzled out - was happy for the main character in the end

[Jaimee Delemare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly didn’t really enjoy this… it was so negative the whole time and the men were awful lol.

However I do think it was a nice perspective on how life can get mundane and no one really talks about it.

But yeah this one wasn’t really for me. I felt the ending was just sort of random too.

[thejessiesgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

So raw, So beautiful 🥹

[Shemayah Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this!! forcing four flawed characters to have a dinner together when none of them really want to makes for my kind of story (especially when it's set in europe). definitely had a slower pace to it, but i loved getting to see the same dinner through each of the characters' eyes.

ps. etienne sucks !!!!

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Lovely writing style. Did well to describe complicated characters in so few pages. One in particular being one of the worst people I’ve read described in a book. Actual story was a bit weak.

[Bea Alabaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single word of this was perfect.