The Dinner Party Summary
Joshua Ferris

The Dinner Party Overview

Joshua Ferris’ collection of short stories in The Dinner Party, examines the relationships and interactions between people. Aside from Ghost Town Choir and Life in the Heart of the Dead which are written in the first person, his stories are told in the third person, following different characters, relating their feelings and thoughts. His stories are primarily concerned with how people relate to each other and with how our personal history can affect our relationships with others. Ferris utilizes an often comic approach to tackle the themes of miscommunication, infidelity, childhood trauma, being present and crisis of identity.