Fear is a terrifying concept, though I wish the book had focused on that instead of a more introspective look at Randolph's life. I expected a tale that had me afraid to cross my neighbors in even the slightest way. Unfortunately, expectations are often wrong. I am afraid it was me and not the book.

Good read although I did keep wondering "wouldn't it be easier to just move?" Kept me turning the pages all the same to see how it all worked out and the unexpected plot twist was a good one!

FEAR is a tremendous novel where tension is continually ratcheted up and psychological insights are delivered like sucker punches which function in the same way as killer plot twists: changing how we view and/or feel about what has come before with just a few exquisitely chosen words.

There is an elegance to the prose, together with deft philosophical underpinnings, such that I was in mind of Bernhard Schlink and Herman Koch (who, along with Lionel Shriver, is one of the authors quoted on the book’s jacket as also having loved FEAR).

One of the central arguments here is that our fears aren’t just based on what *is* happening, but what we think is happening - or indeed, what may or may not happen next. What’s interesting here is that this proves as true for the stalker as the family he is stalking. I don’t wish to trade in spoilers, but suffice it to say - although we don’t ever enter the stalker’s POV - certain of his actions and letters he writes clearly suggest he is operating from a position of fear as well.

In my reading experience it tends to be women who are the victims of stalkers and so it was very interesting to see the situation from the POV of a male narrator. Randolf is an architect born and raised in Berlin. He’s a clever, sometimes smug, middle class European pacifist who likens the escalation in unwanted attention his family is receiving to an emotional arms race. As well as the problem of the stalker in the basement, Randolph is afraid of what all of this, and his responses to it, say about his masculinity, his ability to look after his wife and children. On top of these fears, other terrible ones insinuate themselves into his mind - as well as the minds of other characters - but again, no spoilers. The point is that what’s going on between the stalker and stalkee is an intense relationship which spills out everywhere until all other relationships are infected.

There are plenty of phrases here that will stay with me for a long time to come, such as the stalker being referred to as ‘the lodger in my head’. Throughout the novel, Randolph is frequently to be found opening bottles of a lovingly described wine called Black Print. Intrigued, I have been trying to find a stockist here in the UK. Sadly, not easy. But my guess is that as the FEAR spreads through the UK in the weeks and months to come, there will soon be several stockists.

I read elsewhere that Herr Kurbjuweit has published several other novels, many of which have been adapted for telly in Germany. I very much hope more of his work will be available in translation here soon, and that the TV adaptations are on our screens here before too long.

With thanks to the publisher for letting me see an advance copy of FEAR in exchange for a review.

I really couldn’t get into this at all. Is it fiction? Is it based on true events? I was left feeling lost throughout. The writing style wasn’t quite right for me and this made it really difficult to get through. There was some suspense but again, just difficult to hold onto. I think the cover and synopsis grabbed my attention, but I was just thrown off track by the events and writing style of the book.

Unexpected. Well written. Strangely captivating. When I first picked this book up, I was expecting a fast paced thriller, but soon realised that this was something completely different. It was thoughts, rather than action. Since the writing was so well done, I almost didn't mind that the actual story could've been told in a few chapters and the rest of it was building up the fear that this book was about. In that sense, this book absolutely served its purpose. It told the story it was meant to in a way it was supposed to be told. It just didn't happen to be my cup of tea. If you like slow-paced psychological books, really getting into someone's head and feeling their fears, then I'd recommend it.

I was disappointed in this book.

It was well written and interesting enough as a contemporary or social commentary on Germany from the 70's til now but as a thriller, it was severely lacking.

The structure made sure there was very little tension ever built in the book. There were massive chunks of backstory that seemed completely unnecessary to the plot and just seemed like stream of consciousness tangents that the author went on, forgetting his objective and the expectations of his audience.

I liked the prose and the insight the book provided, especially regarding the politics and history discussed, at length, throughout, but it came to a point where I was bored of it and wanting to get back to the story at hand. I ended up skipping all of the backstory chapters after a certain point and found the ending to be pretty underwhelming.

I think the book was wrongly marketed. If I had been expecting one giant, slow-moving case study with a LOT of social commentary, I would happily give the book 4 or 5 stars, but I was expecting a thriller. Oh well.

"Fear" is the story about a neighbor terrorizing a family and the length a man will go to to protect his family when nobody will or can't help. The story unfolds slowly, too slowly at times and I had to force myself to keep reading. I expected tension and suspense, but, sadly, I didn't get any of it. Maybe if you like slow burning stories this might be the one for you and you should give it a try. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group!

Family is everything. So what if yours was being terrorised by a neighbour - a man who will not listen to reason. And those you thought would help you - the police, your lawyer - can't help you. You become afraid to leave your family at home. But there is nothing more you can do to help them.

Oh dear, this is a bit of a slow burner that was sometimes a bit too slow. The story switches from modern day and the past. I thought this was going to be a tense read but unfortunately it was far from it. I really hate to give negative reviews and I'm sure there will be plenty of readers who will disagree with me.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Orion Publishing Group and the author Dirk Kurbjuweit for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who has moved home due to poor neighbours, I expected this book to be focusing on that after reading the blurb. However, it was more of an introspection into Randoph’s life and not what I thought it would be.

Randolph and his wife, Rebecca, move into an apartment in Berlin. Having met the owners of the other homes in the block, they are sure they will be happy there – but then they didn’t realise that the basement, below them, had a tenant whom they hadn’t met – yet.

Without giving any spoilers, I have to say that I feel I read a different book from the one which the synopsis alluded to. I didn’t feel the threat of the neighbour and credit myself with keeping going – always with the hope that something – anything – was going to happen to prove me wrong, but sadly it was just a mediocre read, and not one I could recommend unless you have a tendency for lacklustre books which drag on a bit. This is the first book by this author which I have read and I don’t think I’ll be seeking out a second. The title of the book and the cover, for me, were way off target.

My thanks to publisher Orion for granting me a copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

This book was ok. It took me a long time to get into it, and I did fond it a little slow going, however the story is good and enjoyable, but you will need to persevere.

This was a very scary book to read, but I really enjoyed it at the end of the day.
This the sixth full-length novel by Dirk Kurbjuweit, and was translated from German to English. This made for interesting reading as the references to the German landscape and towns painted a beautiful picture of the background of the book for me.
Recommended.

This book was not what I expected.
I thought there would be more suspense and as the title suggests fear.
The book is more about memories of the past intermingled with accounts of how the neighbour who lives downstairs is making their lives a misery.
Admittedly I wouldn’t like to have experienced what this family did but as I said I did expect more from this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orion for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Psychological thriller set in Berlin where Randolph, an architect, works and lives. The plot revolves around he and his families move to an apartment and their subsequent problems with a neighbour living in the basement. What begins as low level annoyance gradually escalates as the neighbour is first attracted to Randolph's wife and later accuses them of abusing their children.

The main thrust of the narrative is on Randolph and his thoughts on the inability of the state to give them any assistance, but more general musings on law and order, society and family. Whilst lacking in any meaningful action this is a well constructed book and well worth a read.

This is dubbed The Most Original Thriller of 2018! Original, yes. But, it's a difficult one to rate. It has some of the most mixed reviews I have seen for a novel, and I feel as though either way this is going to be an unpopular-opinion.

When I first heard that Fear was being published, I was eager to read it straight away, after-all, the synopsis sounds absolutely fantastic. However, when I was reading it, I wasn't gripped as I have come to expect from thrillers. It was more of a slow-burning suspense for me, which was a bit disappointing.

Fear is a story of nightmare neighbours, suspense, intrigue and murder. It follows Randolph, who is an unhappy, married, father of two children and Dieter, his nightmare-neighbour next door. The storyline follows how Randolph met Dieter, including his first impressions of Dieter, safe to say they are not good. However, relations between the families actually begin pretty well, but quickly turn sour, leading Randolph down a dangerous and violent road.

Although this book isn't a speedy, page-turning thriller, I feel as though this book covers a whole host of other issues. Depending on your interests, this could turn you completely off of this book, or be a fantastic addition. Issues included: law, marriage, politics, gender etc. I quite liked much of this discussion, although it always did feel slightly off for what is described as a simple thriller. I feel as though these issues discussed were important in making the book discuss real-world issues, and also keep the running theme of the story dark.

It's interesting that Fear is a translated novel, and I wonder if some of its brilliance was lost in the translation, as it could have been so good. I would recommend this story, because I feel as though it's another divisive one, but with the understanding that there are better thrillers out there!

I received this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review and would like to say thank-you to Orion for providing me with an advanced-readers-copy of this book.

Full Review: https://thereadingruby.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-fear-by-dirk-kurbjuweit.html

I’m not sure quite what I was expecting from Dirk Kurbjuweit’s book, but it certainly wasn’t what I got. If I’m honest, I suppose what I expected was a hyped up thriller full of dark menace in which men, women and children cowered in a corner in fear of their lives from a frighteningly menacing monster.

Fear is not that book. It is altogether more subtle and nuanced and by far the better for it. It is fictional, but based on a stalking experience that the writer has himself lived through.

This book is set in Germany, but I know from my own (one step removed) experience how worrying stalking is and what a traumatic impact stalkers can have on the day to day lives of their victims. It is difficult for the law in the UK to stop such events when no violence per se is attached. The stalking laws have done much to try and change that, but it hasn’t and will not, stop those who are mentally unwell from pursuing their course of action.

Randolph Tiefenthaler, the protagonist of Fear, grew up with a father who spent all his money on guns. His father would take him to the shooting range every weekend, but Randolph didn’t enjoy it. In truth, he was afraid of guns and concerned that his father kept them in the house, loaded.

It wasn’t that his father was not a good father; he was, although he could be very taciturn and distant. But Randolph could not help but harbour a fear that one day those guns might cause real harm to him or his family.

Now Randolph is married with two young children of his own. He is married to Rebecca, a lovely, bright woman who had a fascinating career of her own working on the human genome project, but gave it up to care for her children.

He is an architect, building up a one man practice and he and his family have moved into a new ground floor apartment in Berlin. Dieter Tiberius is living in and renting the basement apartment. Dieter is a strange character who turns into a threatening one when he accuses the parents of sexually abusing their children.

Fear deals with the family’s experience and looks closely at the impact on everyone involved. Though we know from the beginning of the book what the outcome is, and how it was arrived at, we see the devastating impact that the stalker brings to friends, family and even the children.

All this is examined in quiet, thoughtful detail, bringing a truthfulness and honesty to the book that both surprises and makes it far more than a standard thriller.

Written as a first person narrative, Randolph is our protagonist and we come to know him well during the book. In truth, he has more in common with his father than perhaps he will admit.

The questions raised by Fear are serious and very worthy of debate. Can violence ever be justified? When a person’s mental health is involved should the law be ignored? Dirk Kurbjuweit’s book would be a great one for book clubs.

Overall, a very thoughtful examination of one man’s helplessness as the rule of law that he has signed up to lets him down time and again. How he reacts to his situation will define who he is.

Fear asks questions about society, privilege and nature versus nurture. Thus the ending is far more shocking than you expect.

An immersive, gripping read that will keep me thinking for months to come.

The family move into a flat and become friendly with their neighbour Dieter. He seems pleasant and friendly but there's a strange, dark side to him. He becomes obsessed with the family and creates havoc in their lives. I'm sorry but this book didn't hit the spot for me. It's well written and tense but it was so slow moving and I didn't connect well with the characters. It is however thought provoking if you try to put yourself in the character's positions. Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for the opportunity to read it.

Imagine having a downstairs neighbour who makes you and your family’s life hell. Not so hard to do. Right?

Now imagine that their actions drive you to commit Murder.

Not so easy. Right?

Most of us would consider ourselves to be moral human beings. To know the difference between right and wrong. To know that Murder is a crime that you absolutely cannot (and should not) get away with.

The Fear is a novel that will make you question your own morality as we meet Dietrich Tiberius via Randolph.

Randolph and his family are pleased when their new neighbour moves in below them. He is friendly at first, eager to meet with them and share stories and baked cookies.

But then he begins to act oddly. At first it seems to be nothing, he just seems to be around more than usual, he surely can’t be stalking them can he?

Then come the vile accusations and threats about Randolph and his wife. Their neighbour accusing them of their two very young children.

He is immediately reported and the take legal advice and threaten to sue for slander. But as they begin their fight against him, they realised that although sympathetic to their plight, the law is not necessarily on their side and they may be forced to take matters into their own hands for the family's safety.

This books is marketed as 'the thriller of the year'.... and I ended up so disappointed!

The story focuses on Randolph Tiefenthaler, an arhictect, who moves into a new apartment with his family. When they meet the new neighbour living in the basement apartment they are initially charmed by him. However things soon take a dark turn as the neighbour starts to accuse Randolph and his wife of terrible things.

The book opens on the murder of the neighbour and the plot builds up to this moment.

This book is slow and drags in many places. Not a thriller but more a family drama despite the seriousness of the harrassement and the end result. Events could have been made more 'thrilling' but instead seem mundane and petty.

There is far too much description with regards to Randolphs childhood which slows the pace.

There is a twist at the end but it really isnt enough to make up for the rest of the book.

This book really wasn’t for me, I don’t know if it was the original writing or the translation but I found the book so slow and I kept waiting for something exciting to happen. I couldn’t connect with Randolph at all, I found him selfish and self centred and it got to the point when I found that it didn’t matter what Tiberius did I simply didn’t care, therefore was not enjoying the book.

It’s a fantastic premise for a book however wasn’t executed as well as I thought it would be - The Magpies by Mark Edwards was a much better version of this.

I know the story was based on real life experience, but at times felt like an uninteresting memoir. Events could have been spruced up more or written solely as a non-fiction book,

This is a slow burning, atmospheric novel which I enjoyed but found a little too slow at times.

The writing itself is great; Dirk Kurbjuweit conjures up a real sense of unease around their neighbour, and the threat level is realistic enough that you can imagine it actually happening. At times the novel is really immersive and at those points I felt myself drawn into the story. Unfortunately, this didn't often last for long as the story switches between modern-day and the past, and I found the stories about Randolph's past to drag on a bit.

I was definitely expecting more of a tense, 'thriller' style story and Fear really isn't. I think this is more an issue around the marketing and synopsis; to me I definitely felt it made the book seem like it fits more into a thriller genre but in actual fact it is much more about narrator Randolph and his childhood/ adult life leading up to the event which takes place at the start of the book. I found some of the descriptions quite interesting but overall I just felt a bit frustrated because I wanted to get back to the here and now. There was a lot of info that I felt just didn't advance the story at all, or even provide any useful information in reading it, and so I found myself losing interest a bit.

The story is still fairly interesting but it just didn't hold my attention properly unfortunately.