On a plate: the top five spoilt suppers in fiction

From murderous revenge to gruelling hunger, calamity is on the menu in literature’s most unappetising mealtime gatherings

Splitting the bechamel sauce, mistaking coffee for drinking chocolate and reducing pasta to a crisp, charred coating on the bottom of the pan – I have spoiled my unfortunate guests’ dinners in countless ways. But in literature, these unimaginative faux pas would not cut the mustard. From turning your hosts to stone to spiking your guests’ cocktails, literature is ripe with suppers that soured spectacularly. Here are five of the most catastrophic literary dinners to truly whet – or dampen – your appetite.

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