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Thy Neighbor
From the New York Times bestselling author, a first novel as spellbinding as her acclaimed nonfiction
At thirty-four, Nick Walsh is a broken, deeply cynical man. Since the violent deaths of his parents thirteen years earlier, he has been living alone in his childhood home in the suburban Midwest, drinking, drugging, and debauching himself into oblivion. A measure of solace is provided by his newly found relationship with Monica, a mysterious woman who seems to harbor as many secrets as he does.
Obsessed with understanding the circumstances surrounding his parents' deaths and deranged by his relentless sorrow, Nick begins a campaign of spying on his neighbors via hidden cameras and microphones he has covertly installed in their houses. As he observes with amusement and disbelief all the strange, sad, and terrifying things that his neighbors do to themselves and to one another, and as he, in turn, learns that he is being stalked, he begins to slowly unravel the shocking truth about how and why his parents died.
At once unsettling and moving, humorous and horrifying, Thy Neighbor explores the nature of grief, the potential isolation of suburban life, and who we really are when we think no one is watching. What readers and critics have admired in Norah Vincent's nonfiction is completely unleashed in this vivid and provocative novel.
At thirty-four, Nick Walsh is a broken, deeply cynical man. Since the violent deaths of his parents thirteen years earlier, he has been living alone in his childhood home in the suburban Midwest, drinking, drugging, and debauching himself into oblivion. A measure of solace is provided by his newly found relationship with Monica, a mysterious woman who seems to harbor as many secrets as he does.
Obsessed with understanding the circumstances surrounding his parents' deaths and deranged by his relentless sorrow, Nick begins a campaign of spying on his neighbors via hidden cameras and microphones he has covertly installed in their houses. As he observes with amusement and disbelief all the strange, sad, and terrifying things that his neighbors do to themselves and to one another, and as he, in turn, learns that he is being stalked, he begins to slowly unravel the shocking truth about how and why his parents died.
At once unsettling and moving, humorous and horrifying, Thy Neighbor explores the nature of grief, the potential isolation of suburban life, and who we really are when we think no one is watching. What readers and critics have admired in Norah Vincent's nonfiction is completely unleashed in this vivid and provocative novel.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2012
About the author
Norah Vincent
7 books131 followersNorah Vincent was a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies from its 2001 inception to 2003. As a freelance journalist, Vincent wrote columns for Salon, The Advocate, the Los Angeles Times, and The Village Voice. Her essays, columns and reviews appeared in The New Republic, The New York Times, The New York Post, The Washington Post and many more regional newspapers around the country. In 2003 she took a leave from writing her nationally syndicated political opinion columns in order to write her New York Times bestselling book Self-Made Man, the story of a woman living, working and dating in drag as a man.
Vincent held a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College. Prior to her death she lived in New York City.
Vincent died via medically assisted suicide on July 6, 2022 at a clinic in Switzerland.
Vincent held a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams College. Prior to her death she lived in New York City.
Vincent died via medically assisted suicide on July 6, 2022 at a clinic in Switzerland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 30, 2017
4 stars for the first half of the book (I really liked it), and 2 stars for the second half (meh). Rounded to 3.
This is a dark book with pretty graphic descriptions of child abuse.
Vincent is very clever and I quite like her writing. This book is one of those darkly comic takes on suburbia, where everyone is a monster in disguise.
For me, though, it went on about 50 pages too long, and by the end, the unrelenting evil got a bit overbearing (realistic or not), and I completely detested the characters.
This is a dark book with pretty graphic descriptions of child abuse.
Vincent is very clever and I quite like her writing. This book is one of those darkly comic takes on suburbia, where everyone is a monster in disguise.
For me, though, it went on about 50 pages too long, and by the end, the unrelenting evil got a bit overbearing (realistic or not), and I completely detested the characters.
July 22, 2015
I've had this book for 3 years...and it's taken me 3 years to read it. I'm a big fan of Norah Vincent's non-fiction writing, but her foray into fiction has left me cold. Her struggle to get inside the head of a main to write the main character shows through and made him detestable and offensive. This is one of the few times that I really considered abandoning a book and I can honestly say that the only reason I stuck with it is so that I wouldn't try and force myself to finish it again at a later date.
September 20, 2016
I couldn't finish this book.
I've given it two stars purely for the way the main character and his buddy have been described. Truly awful characters. So kudos to the author for portraying them so imaginatively. I got to page 40, the start of chapter 5, and decided that life was too short to carry on with reading it. I've no idea what's going on, I have no inkling what is going to happen. And I just don't care. Sorry I can't be more generous with my review or my stars.
I've given it two stars purely for the way the main character and his buddy have been described. Truly awful characters. So kudos to the author for portraying them so imaginatively. I got to page 40, the start of chapter 5, and decided that life was too short to carry on with reading it. I've no idea what's going on, I have no inkling what is going to happen. And I just don't care. Sorry I can't be more generous with my review or my stars.
July 12, 2012
This is a difficult book to review, mainly because I’m not completely sure how I feel about it yet. It’s one of those books which sinks its teeth in and makes more sense the longer it marinates in the reader.
There are some really good moments, many fascinating sentences, the kind that make you go “wow, I’ve never thought of that in that particular manner”. It is definitely a literary book, with lots of internal monologues. For a lot of the book, these are witty and make the reading very enjoyable. There were, however, a few moments when I felt that a bit of trimming would have made a better book.
I suppose the biggest issue with the book is that none of the characters are entirely likable, not even the protagonist/narrator. He is a troubled person with an aggressive mind, which could have been interesting, but he came off more pathetic than anything else. This could have very well been the author’s intention, but I couldn’t really bring myself to enjoy following this antihero around.
As I said, the book is hard to rate because it feels uneven in its qualities. On one side, it has some fabulous writing, and on the other, it has a self-indulgent narrator who doesn’t really make much of an impact on the reader. I suppose this is one you’ll have to try for yourselves and see what you think.
There are some really good moments, many fascinating sentences, the kind that make you go “wow, I’ve never thought of that in that particular manner”. It is definitely a literary book, with lots of internal monologues. For a lot of the book, these are witty and make the reading very enjoyable. There were, however, a few moments when I felt that a bit of trimming would have made a better book.
I suppose the biggest issue with the book is that none of the characters are entirely likable, not even the protagonist/narrator. He is a troubled person with an aggressive mind, which could have been interesting, but he came off more pathetic than anything else. This could have very well been the author’s intention, but I couldn’t really bring myself to enjoy following this antihero around.
As I said, the book is hard to rate because it feels uneven in its qualities. On one side, it has some fabulous writing, and on the other, it has a self-indulgent narrator who doesn’t really make much of an impact on the reader. I suppose this is one you’ll have to try for yourselves and see what you think.
October 12, 2012
Never mind that the main character is a total douchebag...and that he spends most of his time spying on his neighbors, with High Tech equipment he bullied some poor soul to install...and he has Issues with his dead parents (don't we all)
Nasty characters don't bother me......when they can't advance their own pathetic story, that is a crime!
I'm not half way through this Net Galley..it's about to expire...and I still have no idea of this book's STORY
That pisses me off....
*******************
THY NEIGHBOR turned out to be one of the "better" books i've read, although the main character was pretty distasteful, and the first part of the book dragged its ass like no one's business. A very hard look at family and inter-personal relationships, and the "meaning" of such throughout one's life. The hold our parents have over us, even after they're dead. The pointlessness of Self Pity, but how useful it can be, as a weapon...against others, and our own sense of Injustice....until it becomes "just another thing" to deal with....Yes, this book gave me a lot to think about..and I can't say I am happy.....
Nasty characters don't bother me......when they can't advance their own pathetic story, that is a crime!
I'm not half way through this Net Galley..it's about to expire...and I still have no idea of this book's STORY
That pisses me off....
*******************
THY NEIGHBOR turned out to be one of the "better" books i've read, although the main character was pretty distasteful, and the first part of the book dragged its ass like no one's business. A very hard look at family and inter-personal relationships, and the "meaning" of such throughout one's life. The hold our parents have over us, even after they're dead. The pointlessness of Self Pity, but how useful it can be, as a weapon...against others, and our own sense of Injustice....until it becomes "just another thing" to deal with....Yes, this book gave me a lot to think about..and I can't say I am happy.....
May 22, 2019
This was a great book I throughly enjoyed the build up of the suspense. This book was complex and detailed with a lot a information to ponder and chew over.
March 25, 2014
I had to force myself to finish this one, and I hate to say that because I can tell a lot of work went into it. Actually, it seemed like almost too much work went into it, as I found the writing style to be a little too "windy", like there was the intent to impress, and it ended up falling flat.
Maybe it's me, but I didn't like any of the characters in this book, and I kept hoping for at least one who would capture my interest. As for the hook, the "where is Robin?" plot, my interest was basically absent until the book was nearly finished, and even then I was having a hard time buying any of what I was reading. I spent most of this book trying to sift through the needless images and words in order to find the plot. Was it about voyeurism? Dealing with tragedy? Loss? Bad personal hygiene? While trying to figure this out, I sighed a lot, mostly in exasperation because I could see what the intention hinted at, but because I found the style to be almost bloated in its wordiness, I stopped caring.
I did finish it, though, and I can see the writer knows how to write. I just think it could have been something more if there had been more of an emphasis on reality.
Maybe it's me, but I didn't like any of the characters in this book, and I kept hoping for at least one who would capture my interest. As for the hook, the "where is Robin?" plot, my interest was basically absent until the book was nearly finished, and even then I was having a hard time buying any of what I was reading. I spent most of this book trying to sift through the needless images and words in order to find the plot. Was it about voyeurism? Dealing with tragedy? Loss? Bad personal hygiene? While trying to figure this out, I sighed a lot, mostly in exasperation because I could see what the intention hinted at, but because I found the style to be almost bloated in its wordiness, I stopped caring.
I did finish it, though, and I can see the writer knows how to write. I just think it could have been something more if there had been more of an emphasis on reality.
August 7, 2012
I found this book difficult on multiple levels. First, I thought this book was written in a detached manner. I found I could never completely connect to any of the characters which didn't allow me to warm up to the book in general. Second, the book was extremely gratuitous in graphic language and scenes. Granted this is very important to the storyline and the character of Nick, but the constant reference beat me down and almost came across that it was much more of a shock factor. Although I did finish the book, I thought it really dragged on. I have read some other reviews of the book that said that, although they liked the book, they couldn't put it down almost because it was like a train wreck, I didn't have that same issue.
June 26, 2012
Is there a star rating that says I liked it a lot, but found it disturbing although not shocking, but I'm kinda sorry I read it, but glad I read it and wow, that is a mental bang? No, well, maybe there should be. I won this from the Goodreads First Reads program and although on one level I'm pleased, it was a cool read, it was also messed up. The storytelling has great flow, the characters riveting, deeply flawed and show how humans can be so changed from events both within and outside their control. The plot itself was twisted, well, like the characters. I'm going to sweep my house for hidden cameras now. Love thy neighbour, but be appropriate.
January 9, 2015
One star for effort. One star for originality.
I wanted to like this book. I thought it bold for the writer, a woman, to choose such an obviously male character and write in such a distinct tone with no undercurrent of female. Or feminine.
But mostly what I thought as I labored through each over-written sentence is There Is Only One Holden Caulfield and Only One Salinger. What makes great books, for me, is not the flashy use of words but the lack of them. Hard to do. It's not achieved here.
I wanted to like this book. I thought it bold for the writer, a woman, to choose such an obviously male character and write in such a distinct tone with no undercurrent of female. Or feminine.
But mostly what I thought as I labored through each over-written sentence is There Is Only One Holden Caulfield and Only One Salinger. What makes great books, for me, is not the flashy use of words but the lack of them. Hard to do. It's not achieved here.
September 5, 2022
Darkly delicious and very readable. I’m baffled by the one and two star reviews.
The protagonist is deeply flawed and I teetered between hating him for his pitiful affect or hating him for his loathsome behavior. But I hated him until I didn’t.
If you like tidy characters who are caricatures of your friends in suburbia this isn’t the book for you. If you love a deep dive into dark spaces with only tiny rays of hope you’ll be like me and whip through this in three days.
Vincent’s writing is shocking in its beauty even when the subject matter is not.
The protagonist is deeply flawed and I teetered between hating him for his pitiful affect or hating him for his loathsome behavior. But I hated him until I didn’t.
If you like tidy characters who are caricatures of your friends in suburbia this isn’t the book for you. If you love a deep dive into dark spaces with only tiny rays of hope you’ll be like me and whip through this in three days.
Vincent’s writing is shocking in its beauty even when the subject matter is not.
August 17, 2012
I used to know someone this bitter, this wrapped up in all the wrongs done unto him, this tragic. It was strange to read about a character so similar, even though the circumstances are WAY WAY different. Some of the writing was a wee dramatic but overall, I really enjoyed this.
November 6, 2012
A smart, gritty read. I love the way she describes little things that people do when they're just talking to other people...running their fingers around the buttons on a remote control or picking grass and twining it while sitting outside. Voyeuristic train wreck page turner.
January 21, 2016
Not sure how I feel about this book. It had me hooked at some parts and completely confused at others. The characters just weren't consistant.
July 30, 2017
This book was a roller coaster ride. I didn't particularly like Nick the main character. He was a pity party drunk and jobless at 34. But he has some good insight to people and their character. He spy's on his neighbors for no particular reason and the things he sees are outlandish. I mean why he did not call child protective services is beyond me. Any how I just did what Adelle sang about. I went Rollin in the Deep. I knew all along Nick's girlfriend was a major piece of the puzzle as in I knew where the puzzle piece fit.
If your looking for warm fuzzy's its not in this book. But I ended up liking it. Even after reading the first few chapter that almost made me not want to read it at all. The rest made up for it but it was a lot to digest in one book. If you want a reason to get over the pity party of your young life and move it along read this book. Every family is fucked up in their own unique way and we have to find a way to survive it.
If your looking for warm fuzzy's its not in this book. But I ended up liking it. Even after reading the first few chapter that almost made me not want to read it at all. The rest made up for it but it was a lot to digest in one book. If you want a reason to get over the pity party of your young life and move it along read this book. Every family is fucked up in their own unique way and we have to find a way to survive it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2019
DNF. Not my jam.
January 16, 2021
Couldn’t actually finish. Tried very hard to keep at it but just didn’t hold my attention.
September 8, 2012
Try to sum up this book. Go ahead and just try.
A guy whose parents died in a murder-suicide sits in his house, spying on his neighbors, and comes to discover that he is being watched? That's certainly part of it. A man learns to come to terms with his dark past and discover that the gene pool does not have to dictate who he becomes? Sort of. Sometimes everyone in a family can love the same person? Yes, in a way, but ...
Let's start with the basics. Nick Walsh festers, whether alone in his home, studying his neighbors via spy cameras he had installed in their homes, or in the local bar, where he drinks too much. Nick drinks too much at home as well, but can you blame him? There was the murder-suicide of his parents, after all. His one friend is a loathsome creature, and his few human relationships are a study in dysfunction. The one constant he has are those monitors trained on his neighbors. We know Nick needs to be rousted from his miasmatic existence, even if he seems a bit resigned to it.
There is a woman in his life, the elusive Monica, who comes and goes as she pleases. I would not call theirs a romance, but it isn't merely friendship or adversarial, either. For the most part, Nick is blithely uncurious about Monica; when he finally decides he wants to know her better, he is unprepared for what she is willing to divulge to him.
As Nick observes about himself:
Nick unwittingly sets forth his inner turmoil, although he clearly is not aware that he has such self-knowledge. Monica pushes and pushes him to give up that "broadcast" that flits within him, but he does not. In Nick's case, it is not an issue of won't, but an issue of can't. He is not ready to face his parents' death and the ramifications of it, nor is he ready to admit his own failings, separate from dear old Mom and Dad.
This is not an easy or simple book to read. It is very complex, both in Nick's creation and portrayal, and in its supporting characters. When Nick befriends an elderly neighbor across the street, it is clear that he has found someone more complex than himself. Then there is the young girl he allows into his life. She breaches a sort of lingering childhood innocence in him; Nick responds by alternately pushing and pulling her away from and into his life.
There is a considerable amount of conversation, both internal and those Nick shares with us. A lot of contemplation goes on. For the most part, Nick's observations are interesting and thought provoking. Some are just annoying and ridiculous.
Overall, Thy Neighbor is pretty good. It is not a book I care to read again, only because when I finished it, it left a ponderous sensation. Yet it did make me think, and some of Norah Vincent's lines are meant to be debated.
Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
A guy whose parents died in a murder-suicide sits in his house, spying on his neighbors, and comes to discover that he is being watched? That's certainly part of it. A man learns to come to terms with his dark past and discover that the gene pool does not have to dictate who he becomes? Sort of. Sometimes everyone in a family can love the same person? Yes, in a way, but ...
Let's start with the basics. Nick Walsh festers, whether alone in his home, studying his neighbors via spy cameras he had installed in their homes, or in the local bar, where he drinks too much. Nick drinks too much at home as well, but can you blame him? There was the murder-suicide of his parents, after all. His one friend is a loathsome creature, and his few human relationships are a study in dysfunction. The one constant he has are those monitors trained on his neighbors. We know Nick needs to be rousted from his miasmatic existence, even if he seems a bit resigned to it.
There is a woman in his life, the elusive Monica, who comes and goes as she pleases. I would not call theirs a romance, but it isn't merely friendship or adversarial, either. For the most part, Nick is blithely uncurious about Monica; when he finally decides he wants to know her better, he is unprepared for what she is willing to divulge to him.
As Nick observes about himself:
I have only an idea of a person, even the person that I call myself. That's all. And when I love another person, or think I do, it is only the idea of that person that I love, and it is only the idea of me that is doing the loving.
... Show me where love is, where it exists, and I will show you a cerebral circuit board of signals and crossed wires. Saying you are in love with a person is like saying you are in love with a radio, or a TV, the box itself, not the broadcast coming from it, which is always hopelessly muddled anyway with the broadcast that is coming from yourself.
Nick unwittingly sets forth his inner turmoil, although he clearly is not aware that he has such self-knowledge. Monica pushes and pushes him to give up that "broadcast" that flits within him, but he does not. In Nick's case, it is not an issue of won't, but an issue of can't. He is not ready to face his parents' death and the ramifications of it, nor is he ready to admit his own failings, separate from dear old Mom and Dad.
This is not an easy or simple book to read. It is very complex, both in Nick's creation and portrayal, and in its supporting characters. When Nick befriends an elderly neighbor across the street, it is clear that he has found someone more complex than himself. Then there is the young girl he allows into his life. She breaches a sort of lingering childhood innocence in him; Nick responds by alternately pushing and pulling her away from and into his life.
There is a considerable amount of conversation, both internal and those Nick shares with us. A lot of contemplation goes on. For the most part, Nick's observations are interesting and thought provoking. Some are just annoying and ridiculous.
Overall, Thy Neighbor is pretty good. It is not a book I care to read again, only because when I finished it, it left a ponderous sensation. Yet it did make me think, and some of Norah Vincent's lines are meant to be debated.
Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
November 6, 2012
I received this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.
Thy Neighbor is gritty and dark; not for the faint of heart.
Nick Walsh is seriously messed up. I suppose it is hard to blame him when his upbringing, or lack of it, was so bad. His highly intelligent mother tried to stimulate Nick’s mind as a child, but he simply wasn’t intellectually gifted like his mother. She ended up drowning her sorrows in booze, and then her interest turned to the neighbour’s grand-daughter, Robin, who Mrs. Walsh observed was reading Dante’s Inferno at the tender age of 11. Robin wasn’t reading for show. Mrs. Walsh was astounded that the young girl was actually getting it! While Mrs. Walsh was busy cultivating Robin’s young mind and turning Robin into her protégé, Mr. Walsh did little to pick up the slack in the parenting department. Nick ached to be loved and cherished, and he even went to far as to ask his father if he loved him and his father did nothing to assuage his son’s insecurities. My heart broke for poor Nick! For a child not to know and feel a parent’s love without question is truly heart-breaking! For reasons unknown to Nick, his father kills his mother and then turns the gun on himself: A murder-suicide. All Nick has left of his broken childhood are the memories in that house and unanswered questions as to what went wrong.
The story begins with Nick as an adult, who works from home writing book reviews. He is a binge-drinker, and he sleeps most days away while going on benders most nights. He is also addicted to pills, and he takes uppers to get him going and downers to get him to sleep. In an effort to search for clues as to what happened in his past, he begins to spy on his neighbours to see what goes on behind closed doors. His drug dealer puts him in touch with someone who works as a television cable service repairman, who can be hired to do inside jobs. Nick pays for this repairman to put cameras in the homes of his neighbours, and Nick has a set-up in his basement to watch all the goings-on unfold before his eyes. What Nick witnesses is shocking, and he discovers that he isn’t the only one with skeletons in his closet.
This is Vincent's fiction debut, and I enjoyed the story in all its raw detail. Nick is such a tortured soul, and I wanted so badly for him to find his peace. The ending is shocking and horrible, yet satisfying.
The narrator, Edoardo Ballerini, is phenomenal! His portrayal of Nick was incredible. He captured Nick’s anger, his rage, his angst, his pain, and his torment. Had I read this book instead of listening, I believe that I would have been put off and repulsed by Nick. However, Ballerini is so good at drawing the reader into Nick’s world and expressing his emotions that I could not help but feel sympathy and pity for him.
MY RATING: 4 stars!! It was really good! You should put it on your "To Be Read" list. Thanks to Penguin Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook!
This review was originally posted on my blog:
http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2...
Thy Neighbor is gritty and dark; not for the faint of heart.
Nick Walsh is seriously messed up. I suppose it is hard to blame him when his upbringing, or lack of it, was so bad. His highly intelligent mother tried to stimulate Nick’s mind as a child, but he simply wasn’t intellectually gifted like his mother. She ended up drowning her sorrows in booze, and then her interest turned to the neighbour’s grand-daughter, Robin, who Mrs. Walsh observed was reading Dante’s Inferno at the tender age of 11. Robin wasn’t reading for show. Mrs. Walsh was astounded that the young girl was actually getting it! While Mrs. Walsh was busy cultivating Robin’s young mind and turning Robin into her protégé, Mr. Walsh did little to pick up the slack in the parenting department. Nick ached to be loved and cherished, and he even went to far as to ask his father if he loved him and his father did nothing to assuage his son’s insecurities. My heart broke for poor Nick! For a child not to know and feel a parent’s love without question is truly heart-breaking! For reasons unknown to Nick, his father kills his mother and then turns the gun on himself: A murder-suicide. All Nick has left of his broken childhood are the memories in that house and unanswered questions as to what went wrong.
The story begins with Nick as an adult, who works from home writing book reviews. He is a binge-drinker, and he sleeps most days away while going on benders most nights. He is also addicted to pills, and he takes uppers to get him going and downers to get him to sleep. In an effort to search for clues as to what happened in his past, he begins to spy on his neighbours to see what goes on behind closed doors. His drug dealer puts him in touch with someone who works as a television cable service repairman, who can be hired to do inside jobs. Nick pays for this repairman to put cameras in the homes of his neighbours, and Nick has a set-up in his basement to watch all the goings-on unfold before his eyes. What Nick witnesses is shocking, and he discovers that he isn’t the only one with skeletons in his closet.
This is Vincent's fiction debut, and I enjoyed the story in all its raw detail. Nick is such a tortured soul, and I wanted so badly for him to find his peace. The ending is shocking and horrible, yet satisfying.
The narrator, Edoardo Ballerini, is phenomenal! His portrayal of Nick was incredible. He captured Nick’s anger, his rage, his angst, his pain, and his torment. Had I read this book instead of listening, I believe that I would have been put off and repulsed by Nick. However, Ballerini is so good at drawing the reader into Nick’s world and expressing his emotions that I could not help but feel sympathy and pity for him.
MY RATING: 4 stars!! It was really good! You should put it on your "To Be Read" list. Thanks to Penguin Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook!
This review was originally posted on my blog:
http://darlenesbooknook.blogspot.ca/2...
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August 2, 2012Grief does funny things to people. For Nick Walsh in Norah Vincent’s debut fictional novel Thy Neighbor, grief is the excuse he uses in order to explain his excessive drinking and drug use. For the past thirteen years, Nick drinks himself into a memory-blanking stupor in order to ease his pain and confusion at the sudden and violent murder/suicide of his parents. When he is not doing that, or sleeping off the effects of the alcohol, he is busy spying on his neighbors, taking a perverse glee at their foibles and secrets. At first, Nick is the type of character to offend and shock his audience as much as possible, as much to protect himself as it is to protect others. He is crass and disgusting, in his habits, language, and actions. However, there is an tender vulnerability just beneath the surface that plucks at a reader’s heartstrings and prevents one from dropping the book like a hot potato. Once the mysterious Monica enters his life, with seemingly no strings attached, no earthly ties, and no expectations of anyone, he begins to question his behavior and that of his neighbors. Suddenly, his self-loathing is almost as great as his desire to drink himself into an oblivion every night, and as he struggles to find meaning in his life, a reader’s sympathy profoundly grows.
Thy Neighbor is not a novel to rush through to the end. There is so much hate, confusion, debauchery, and perverse attitudes that it takes a strong stomach to make it through certain scenes, let alone the entire book. Yet, Nick’s struggle to find redemption, or to redeem others, becomes absolutely mesmerizing upon careful reading. It is a bit like pulling off a Band-Aid, which initially hurts, has a lingering sting, but eventually all residual pain dissipates. No matter how sickening the story becomes, Nick’s search for answers, and his growing inability to completely numb his senses, is gut-wrenchingly painful to read. His discoveries keep the sting lingering, but sooner or later, the reader feels relief. In a way, the reader is mirroring Nick’s own emotional roller coaster, without the fifth of whiskey or the resulting hangover.
Thy Neighbor is a provocative redemption story, throughout which Nick is desperately trying to seek the closure he does not even know he wants. His spying is as much a symptom as it is a solution to his pain. The discovery that he is not the only unsavory, hypocritical person on the block simultaneously adds fuel to his rage and confusion while providing a balm to assuage his loneliness. Unfortunately, while the first half of the novel is surprising, Thy Neighbor’s ultimate conclusion is anti-climactic and predictable. However, a reader’s enjoyment is not driven by the not-so-surprising end, but Nick’s journey along the way. It is so raw and honest, it is all but hypnotic. While not the most appropriate summer reading choice, a reader will be haunted by Nick’s story long after the last page is turned.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group for my e-galley!
Thy Neighbor is not a novel to rush through to the end. There is so much hate, confusion, debauchery, and perverse attitudes that it takes a strong stomach to make it through certain scenes, let alone the entire book. Yet, Nick’s struggle to find redemption, or to redeem others, becomes absolutely mesmerizing upon careful reading. It is a bit like pulling off a Band-Aid, which initially hurts, has a lingering sting, but eventually all residual pain dissipates. No matter how sickening the story becomes, Nick’s search for answers, and his growing inability to completely numb his senses, is gut-wrenchingly painful to read. His discoveries keep the sting lingering, but sooner or later, the reader feels relief. In a way, the reader is mirroring Nick’s own emotional roller coaster, without the fifth of whiskey or the resulting hangover.
Thy Neighbor is a provocative redemption story, throughout which Nick is desperately trying to seek the closure he does not even know he wants. His spying is as much a symptom as it is a solution to his pain. The discovery that he is not the only unsavory, hypocritical person on the block simultaneously adds fuel to his rage and confusion while providing a balm to assuage his loneliness. Unfortunately, while the first half of the novel is surprising, Thy Neighbor’s ultimate conclusion is anti-climactic and predictable. However, a reader’s enjoyment is not driven by the not-so-surprising end, but Nick’s journey along the way. It is so raw and honest, it is all but hypnotic. While not the most appropriate summer reading choice, a reader will be haunted by Nick’s story long after the last page is turned.
Acknowledgments: Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Group for my e-galley!
December 15, 2014
Thy Neighbor is not something I would have picked out on my own. I happened to win a copy and decided to read it. Maybe it would surprise me? Well, it did. I was ready to hate it based on the first chapter, but once I settled into Nick's life, I was hooked. He is a severely screwed up person, and there's a lot of severely screwed up things happening around him. Thirteen years ago, his parents died in a murder/suicide. Also around that time, a neighbor girl went missing and hasn't been heard from since. Now, Nick is living in his parents' house, drinking and drugging himself into oblivion, and spying on the neighbors using hidden cameras. Then he starts finding disturbing poems written in his handwriting on pink stationary.
I'll start with why I almost hated Thy Neighbor. The first few chapters were awful. I felt like the author was trying too hard to establish her protagonist as male. I'm sure this was intended to be character development and give us a sense of who Nick was, but I found it incredibly irritating. There's lots of talk of working out, masturbation, pooping, anonymous sex, and plenty of swearing. Not that there's anything wrong with any of these things (except maybe the pooping), but it was a lot all at once and without real focus. Nick isn't very likeable, but he wasn't meant to be in the beginning. That introduction was just over-the-top.
Nick is smothered by his grief. He just cannot move on, because he has no clue what happened the night his parents died. He spent most of his life away at boarding school and college, so he has very few memories of his parents to use to piece it together. But his videos of the neighbors somehow trigger events that start to make sense of his parents' mysterious deaths. No one is who they seem in public, not even his parents, and he's not ready for the shock that he receives once he learns who those poems are really from (and who they're for). I was honestly shocked by what happened. Sure, I figured some things out on my own, but when the full truth comes out? Dang.
Thy Neighbor touches on a lot of serious issues. It's quite a heavy read once the story gets going. The things that happen in Nick's neighborhood are just awful, and it makes me wonder what's going on in my own backyard. I probably would have liked this one more if it wasn't so stuffy and jammed packed with literary references that went straight over my head. But that's why tend to avoid Literary Fiction to begin with. I am glad I gave Thy Neighbor a chance though.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
I'll start with why I almost hated Thy Neighbor. The first few chapters were awful. I felt like the author was trying too hard to establish her protagonist as male. I'm sure this was intended to be character development and give us a sense of who Nick was, but I found it incredibly irritating. There's lots of talk of working out, masturbation, pooping, anonymous sex, and plenty of swearing. Not that there's anything wrong with any of these things (except maybe the pooping), but it was a lot all at once and without real focus. Nick isn't very likeable, but he wasn't meant to be in the beginning. That introduction was just over-the-top.
Nick is smothered by his grief. He just cannot move on, because he has no clue what happened the night his parents died. He spent most of his life away at boarding school and college, so he has very few memories of his parents to use to piece it together. But his videos of the neighbors somehow trigger events that start to make sense of his parents' mysterious deaths. No one is who they seem in public, not even his parents, and he's not ready for the shock that he receives once he learns who those poems are really from (and who they're for). I was honestly shocked by what happened. Sure, I figured some things out on my own, but when the full truth comes out? Dang.
Thy Neighbor touches on a lot of serious issues. It's quite a heavy read once the story gets going. The things that happen in Nick's neighborhood are just awful, and it makes me wonder what's going on in my own backyard. I probably would have liked this one more if it wasn't so stuffy and jammed packed with literary references that went straight over my head. But that's why tend to avoid Literary Fiction to begin with. I am glad I gave Thy Neighbor a chance though.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
January 17, 2016
Author: Norah Vincent
Published By: Viking Adult
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Blog For: GMTA
Review:
"Thy Neighbor" by Norah Vincent was some read from the start to the finish. There is a lot to absorb in this read from Nick Walsh. I found him truly a sad person...why? Well apart from the fact that he was jobless, his parents had died in a apparent murder-suicide at home....with him now spying on his neighbors with via spy cameras that he installed in their homes...only to discover that he is also being watched. Then there is his drinking..at home or in the local bar...why is that? Nick has a friend Dave only if you can call it that and then there is a woman who enters his life...Monica...but was she a real girlfriend..what did he know about her?
"Thy Neighbor" moves at a very slow pace until you are able to uncover just how these tragedies are put together with these weird characters and there will be a whole lot of strangeness going on but in the end I thought it was different and definitely a original. I found it a hard novel to enjoy in that how this character was so unlikeable.. due to his cynical, disillusioned and so deeply flawed. However, why was he like this....this is where I say you must pick up this read and find out what this novel is all about. Be prepared to be disturbed from the read that could make one uncomfortable...and some of the scenes were somewhat disgusting. This is not a quick read so be prepared. I am not saying this in a negative way...for it took me a while to get into this storyline of its development of this particular human behaviour.
Now if you are interested in a different type of read you have come to the right page. I must say due to the subject matter I would only recommend this to the adult audience due to its foul language and scatological content.
Published By: Viking Adult
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Blog For: GMTA
Review:
"Thy Neighbor" by Norah Vincent was some read from the start to the finish. There is a lot to absorb in this read from Nick Walsh. I found him truly a sad person...why? Well apart from the fact that he was jobless, his parents had died in a apparent murder-suicide at home....with him now spying on his neighbors with via spy cameras that he installed in their homes...only to discover that he is also being watched. Then there is his drinking..at home or in the local bar...why is that? Nick has a friend Dave only if you can call it that and then there is a woman who enters his life...Monica...but was she a real girlfriend..what did he know about her?
"Thy Neighbor" moves at a very slow pace until you are able to uncover just how these tragedies are put together with these weird characters and there will be a whole lot of strangeness going on but in the end I thought it was different and definitely a original. I found it a hard novel to enjoy in that how this character was so unlikeable.. due to his cynical, disillusioned and so deeply flawed. However, why was he like this....this is where I say you must pick up this read and find out what this novel is all about. Be prepared to be disturbed from the read that could make one uncomfortable...and some of the scenes were somewhat disgusting. This is not a quick read so be prepared. I am not saying this in a negative way...for it took me a while to get into this storyline of its development of this particular human behaviour.
Now if you are interested in a different type of read you have come to the right page. I must say due to the subject matter I would only recommend this to the adult audience due to its foul language and scatological content.
March 10, 2013
It took me months to get through this book. I got up into the 140's and then kept finding better things to read. I finally powered through the ending by bringing it on vacation with me, where I wasn't tempted by all the other good stuff to read at home. And really? I'm glad I did.
Nick is a depressed alcoholic. He's living in the home he grew up in, where a few years back, his father shot his mother and then himself. His only friend is a dysfunctional rich kid/bigot/pervert who is likely only his friend because they're the most messed up people in town, and no one else could stand their company. They drink. They barf. They do depressing things. Oh, and Nick has installed spy cams in his neighbors homes, which he monitors from a secret room in his basement.
It seems like that would be enough of a hook to keep you reading, but it takes so long to get to the interesting part of it that it's tempting to set it aside. As you delve further into the book, however, you delve further into the crazy lives of his neighbors. There's the divorced mom who neglects her kid to sleep with even the worst of the worst in town, and the sad lady whose daughter died and whose granddaughter went missing years before, who still lights a candle in the window every night. There's the overmilitant dad who locks his bedwetting teen in a dog cage, and there's Nick to watch over them all in judgement while he tries to come to terms with his own past.
The ending of this book is interesting, and is a morbid little peek into human nature and the secrets that we keep. I think that the slow start will put off a lot of readers, and it nearly kept me from finishing it as well, but once the story picks up it's fascinating.
*This book was received at no cost through the GoodReads First Reads program.
Nick is a depressed alcoholic. He's living in the home he grew up in, where a few years back, his father shot his mother and then himself. His only friend is a dysfunctional rich kid/bigot/pervert who is likely only his friend because they're the most messed up people in town, and no one else could stand their company. They drink. They barf. They do depressing things. Oh, and Nick has installed spy cams in his neighbors homes, which he monitors from a secret room in his basement.
It seems like that would be enough of a hook to keep you reading, but it takes so long to get to the interesting part of it that it's tempting to set it aside. As you delve further into the book, however, you delve further into the crazy lives of his neighbors. There's the divorced mom who neglects her kid to sleep with even the worst of the worst in town, and the sad lady whose daughter died and whose granddaughter went missing years before, who still lights a candle in the window every night. There's the overmilitant dad who locks his bedwetting teen in a dog cage, and there's Nick to watch over them all in judgement while he tries to come to terms with his own past.
The ending of this book is interesting, and is a morbid little peek into human nature and the secrets that we keep. I think that the slow start will put off a lot of readers, and it nearly kept me from finishing it as well, but once the story picks up it's fascinating.
*This book was received at no cost through the GoodReads First Reads program.
July 25, 2012
My Thoughts
When we first meet Nick, he is one crazy dude. Crazy as in, he doesn’t have both oars in the water. Or, both oars are in the water but they’re on the same side of the boat. Or, my personal favorite, he has both oars in the water but no boat! Get my drift? We learn very early in the story that when Nick was twenty-one, his Dad shot his Mom, and then turned the gun on himself. Nick had no idea why this happened and has spent the thirteen years since wondering what events took place the would lead to such a horrible occurrence.
Because of where Nick is mentally, he needs some level of hyperstimulation and decides to start spying on his neighbors. What he sees while spying is sometimes difficult to read - the idea of what goes on behind the closed doors of seemingly “normal” people.
When I first finished this book, I thought I would give it a 3 out of 5 star rating. To be honest with you, I really thought - how does spying on his neighbors tie in to Nicks search for what happened with his parents? Ohhhh - I assure you, it does. The more I thought about it, the more I felt the author had written a very well put together story. It is very interesting how Ms. Vincent ties all the pieces together.
My thanks to Penguin Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC for my unbiased review.
When we first meet Nick, he is one crazy dude. Crazy as in, he doesn’t have both oars in the water. Or, both oars are in the water but they’re on the same side of the boat. Or, my personal favorite, he has both oars in the water but no boat! Get my drift? We learn very early in the story that when Nick was twenty-one, his Dad shot his Mom, and then turned the gun on himself. Nick had no idea why this happened and has spent the thirteen years since wondering what events took place the would lead to such a horrible occurrence.
Because of where Nick is mentally, he needs some level of hyperstimulation and decides to start spying on his neighbors. What he sees while spying is sometimes difficult to read - the idea of what goes on behind the closed doors of seemingly “normal” people.
When I first finished this book, I thought I would give it a 3 out of 5 star rating. To be honest with you, I really thought - how does spying on his neighbors tie in to Nicks search for what happened with his parents? Ohhhh - I assure you, it does. The more I thought about it, the more I felt the author had written a very well put together story. It is very interesting how Ms. Vincent ties all the pieces together.
My thanks to Penguin Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC for my unbiased review.
July 15, 2012
Author: Norah Vincent
Title: Thy Neighbor
Description: Nick lives a wasted life alone in his childhood home, spending most of his days sleeping and most of his nights drunk and high. Thirteen years before, his father shot his mother, then committed suicide, and that was pretty much it for Nick. When he can think, he spends his time with Monica, a girl with no last name, past, or occupation, or he spies on his neighbors.
Review source: netgalley
Plot: Somehow, things seem to be revealing more about Nick’s past than they ever have before. He never knew what really went on between his father & his mother, but someone out there does know.
Characters: This is the author’s first novel, so I have nothing to compare it to, but Nick’s voice (it’s a first-person narrative) is right on. He’s bitter, sarcastic, and funny. He’s angry and vulnerable. Pretty amazing.
Writing style: This is definitely a dark story, and it really made me think. I actually used my kindle highlighter, meaning there were some passages I want to think on some more.
Audience: It’s a mystery/thriller
Wrap-up: A little darker than what I usually read, but it kept me fascinated through to the end. 4/5*
Title: Thy Neighbor
Description: Nick lives a wasted life alone in his childhood home, spending most of his days sleeping and most of his nights drunk and high. Thirteen years before, his father shot his mother, then committed suicide, and that was pretty much it for Nick. When he can think, he spends his time with Monica, a girl with no last name, past, or occupation, or he spies on his neighbors.
Review source: netgalley
Plot: Somehow, things seem to be revealing more about Nick’s past than they ever have before. He never knew what really went on between his father & his mother, but someone out there does know.
Characters: This is the author’s first novel, so I have nothing to compare it to, but Nick’s voice (it’s a first-person narrative) is right on. He’s bitter, sarcastic, and funny. He’s angry and vulnerable. Pretty amazing.
Writing style: This is definitely a dark story, and it really made me think. I actually used my kindle highlighter, meaning there were some passages I want to think on some more.
Audience: It’s a mystery/thriller
Wrap-up: A little darker than what I usually read, but it kept me fascinated through to the end. 4/5*
August 9, 2012
This is a difficult book to enjoy as the main protagonist Nick Walsh is not a likeable character. He is cynical and disillusioned and deeply flawed. He is truly overwhelmed by the grief he feels for the loss of his parents, and yet underneath the facade is a vulnerability which at times cuts through his tactless and often blundering behaviour.
This is Norah Vincent’s debut novel, undeniably there are some flashes of brilliance, but there is also a lot to disturb the mind, and make the reader just a little uncomfortable. Whilst I’m not suggesting that this is a negative, I feel I must say that it took me a while to get used to the way in which the story developed.
Overall, this was a multifaceted and tricky book, the characters show a complexity that I struggled to understand, and I’m not altogether sure I really understood why Nick behaved as he did, but it certainly makes you think about human behaviour.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group USA for an advance e-copy to read and review
This is Norah Vincent’s debut novel, undeniably there are some flashes of brilliance, but there is also a lot to disturb the mind, and make the reader just a little uncomfortable. Whilst I’m not suggesting that this is a negative, I feel I must say that it took me a while to get used to the way in which the story developed.
Overall, this was a multifaceted and tricky book, the characters show a complexity that I struggled to understand, and I’m not altogether sure I really understood why Nick behaved as he did, but it certainly makes you think about human behaviour.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group USA for an advance e-copy to read and review
July 7, 2012
When I first started to read Thy Neighbour I thought to myself that this was just a trashy creepy novel. The farther I read I began to feel there was more to the book and I did not want to put it down.
Nick Walsh who tries to forget his past as well as his parents death by the means of drugs and alcohol is just sinking lower and lower. As he tries to understand his parents death he starts to spy on his neighbours as if there may be a clue beyond his home. He becomes involved with Monica, a woman whom he meets at a bar who hides behind secrets as he does himself. Nick also becomes involved with a person on facebook, unknown to him who gives him insight of just what has gone wrong in his neighbourhood. The ending of the novel blew me away. I guess we all have secrets and the novel just leaves the reader wondering if it could really happen in their world.
I received theis book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Nick Walsh who tries to forget his past as well as his parents death by the means of drugs and alcohol is just sinking lower and lower. As he tries to understand his parents death he starts to spy on his neighbours as if there may be a clue beyond his home. He becomes involved with Monica, a woman whom he meets at a bar who hides behind secrets as he does himself. Nick also becomes involved with a person on facebook, unknown to him who gives him insight of just what has gone wrong in his neighbourhood. The ending of the novel blew me away. I guess we all have secrets and the novel just leaves the reader wondering if it could really happen in their world.
I received theis book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
February 6, 2013
Unable to understand why his Father killed his Mother, then took his own life, Nick begins installing hidden cameras in his neighbors' homes, voyeurism that only inspires more questions than answers ... especially about himself. Written by a seasoned (and often controversial) journalist, Norah Vincent's fiction debut THY NEIGHBOR is a wonderful showcase of her considerable skill with prose. Unfortunately, as a story, it often meanders off course and struggles to keep our interest, is stocked with characters -- like Nick himself -- that we don't like or have much interest in, and is often very hard to follow, even for this reader who read it in less than a week's time. This is not the modern Hitchcock Noir I hoped for when I read about the plot, and is not for fans of straightforward pop fiction. Looking at Norah Vincent's body of work, I would think that's exactly how she designed it. Prepare to be challenged.
March 26, 2014
I don't know, really, how to rate/review this book. It was kind of like a piece of swiss cheese. Some areas were really dense and communicated the darkness of Nick's life(style) extremely well and led me to ruminate on a meaningful turn of phrase; others were devoid of any merit that could have been had. Insightfulness sometimes bordered on navel-gazing. The scene near the end with Bloom, Nick and Gruber in the yard with our "anti-heroine" turned me off. Who waxes philosophical at a time like that? Bloom handled the event far too well. It was laughable.
Well, I accomplished one thing.....I read a book outside my comfort zone to expose my mind to different genres/voices. That being said, I probably will not search out another Norah Vincent novel.
Well, I accomplished one thing.....I read a book outside my comfort zone to expose my mind to different genres/voices. That being said, I probably will not search out another Norah Vincent novel.
November 2, 2012
This book was creepy and deeply uncomfortable, but gripping and suspenseful nonetheless. Nick Walsh is the only survivor of the murder/suicide of his parents. Thirteen years later he deals with his wounds by spying on his neighbors. Gradually he becomes aware that he, in fact, is the one being stalked as the past returns for retribution. I had a lot of trouble getting into this book initially, but then it grabbed hold and didn't let go until the very end. Some of the subject matter was deeply disturbing, but well worth the discomfort. By the time I was halfway through, I literally could not put it down. It was a roller lasted ride of dread and fear. Highly recommended.
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