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Grolar
Grolar:
halb Grizzly, halb Polar Bär (Eisbär)
Diese Tiere werden zunehmend in Kanada gesichtet, da sich beide Arten aufgrund der Klimaerwärmung häufiger treffen.
Merkmal: besonders aggressiv. + + +
Inhalt:
Jon heuert auf einem Goldschürfercamp im kanadischen Yukon an. Als er seine Frau und seinen Sohn nachkommen lässt, stellt sich heraus, dass der Claim im Jagdgebiet eines riesigen Grolars liegt. + + +
Stimmen:
“Sehr spannend, ungewöhnlich, interessant, ein sehr guter Thriller, einer, wie man ihn wirklich noch nicht gelesen hat.” – Lektor +
“Das ist in einem sauberen, farbigen Erzählstil geschrieben, der an Altmeister Stephen King erinnert: eine runde, packende Horrorstory im schnellen, griffigen US-Stil.” – xtme.de +
“Wie Stephen King, wenn er Gas gibt” +
„Raubt einem den Atem“ +
„Ähnlich dem Film Der Weiße Hai“ +
„Ich fühlte mich wie bei Stephen King“ +
„Eins der besten Bücher“ +
„Gruselig“ +
„Das Spannendste, was ich seit Langem gelesen habe“ +
„Klasse!“ +
„Absolut packend“ +
„Man ist sofort in der athmosphärisch dichten Geschichte gefangen“ +
„In einem Rutsch gelesen“ +
„Viel Liebe zum Detail“ +
„Mit diesem Buch hatte ich ein kurze Nacht, fast so kurz wie einige Menschenleben…“ +
„Ein durch und durch Nordamerikanischer Horror Roman“
halb Grizzly, halb Polar Bär (Eisbär)
Diese Tiere werden zunehmend in Kanada gesichtet, da sich beide Arten aufgrund der Klimaerwärmung häufiger treffen.
Merkmal: besonders aggressiv. + + +
Inhalt:
Jon heuert auf einem Goldschürfercamp im kanadischen Yukon an. Als er seine Frau und seinen Sohn nachkommen lässt, stellt sich heraus, dass der Claim im Jagdgebiet eines riesigen Grolars liegt. + + +
Stimmen:
“Sehr spannend, ungewöhnlich, interessant, ein sehr guter Thriller, einer, wie man ihn wirklich noch nicht gelesen hat.” – Lektor +
“Das ist in einem sauberen, farbigen Erzählstil geschrieben, der an Altmeister Stephen King erinnert: eine runde, packende Horrorstory im schnellen, griffigen US-Stil.” – xtme.de +
“Wie Stephen King, wenn er Gas gibt” +
„Raubt einem den Atem“ +
„Ähnlich dem Film Der Weiße Hai“ +
„Ich fühlte mich wie bei Stephen King“ +
„Eins der besten Bücher“ +
„Gruselig“ +
„Das Spannendste, was ich seit Langem gelesen habe“ +
„Klasse!“ +
„Absolut packend“ +
„Man ist sofort in der athmosphärisch dichten Geschichte gefangen“ +
„In einem Rutsch gelesen“ +
„Viel Liebe zum Detail“ +
„Mit diesem Buch hatte ich ein kurze Nacht, fast so kurz wie einige Menschenleben…“ +
„Ein durch und durch Nordamerikanischer Horror Roman“
ebook
First published January 1, 2013
20 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Thorsten Nesch
35 books12 followersSince 2014 I live in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
My stories received literary grants and awards nationally and internationally. In the last years I did more than 1500 readings in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and on two cruises.
My first novel was nominated Best German YA Debut and I won the Hans-im-Gluck-Award 2012
Jury: „His style is a stroke of luck for literature“
My stories received literary grants and awards nationally and internationally. In the last years I did more than 1500 readings in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and on two cruises.
My first novel was nominated Best German YA Debut and I won the Hans-im-Gluck-Award 2012
Jury: „His style is a stroke of luck for literature“
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 27, 2021
The book as a slow start that lets you, the reader get comfortable and even bored on purpose. A casual pace, almost like a lazy stroll on the beach with words that start building up as the story moves forward.
In this story, we have a quite peculiar bear-like beast, to which we don’t know how to exactly describe at first, but we know that it is bulky, big, compact, fast and powerful, a Grolar, and we discover on the first thriller scene, that is the second scene of the book, how lethal it is, as well as how powerful and thrilling the narrative of Thorsten Nesch is. And the book gets rolling.
So we have Jon, a normal hardworking man, out of his luck due to the financial crisis, facing severe tension on his relationship and overall life, and after an incident on his way to work on the gold prospecting site with his family, we get the feeling that we will be witnessing a horror spectacle in the woods.
This book feels like you are watching a movie, which is really cool, and the simple narrative used by Thorsten Nesch, allows the imagery to be adapted by each person that reads the book while keeping it stable enough so the details are general for everyone when they need to be. Nicely done
A very interesting thing here is that, the Grolar, our main character, that is a bear, a monster bear, is described in primal ways of behaviour and thought. It’s very interesting to see how Thorsten Nesch describes the moods, tactics and perceptions of the beast. The way it walks, its intentions, and even the plans he makes before killing. It’s something new, this beasty “first impressions”.
As the story progresses and we get to the goings of it, we start taking notice that Thorsten Nesch did dedicate a good ammount of time in the dialogue, that although might seem simple, it reveals how can short-talk be the sign of a dying marriage. There is a lot of tension between Jon and his wife, altough he is trying to do his best everyday, and keep his family fed, his kid safe. We also notice that the tension is also due to the expectations of the part of the wife of marrying a man that “makes it” someday, and that wants that man to make it now, as she becomes tired of the man she supposedly loves.
I love the dynamics of this book, how the tension is built ever so slowly, as if the writer didn’t plan to kill everyone in this book through the Grolar. The way things just proceed, without hurry, like the walk of the beast itself it’s very nice. A thing here: Thorsten Nesch uses the emotional tension of the couple in order to keep our senses “teased” and ready, but ever so lightly in order for us not to notice when he is going to strike. Sneaky and very professional of his part.
The scenes change pace in an instant. One line you are all comfy, and the next one you are in the middle of a thriller filled with claws, jaws, blood and dead bodies, where by the end of it, 3 paragraphs have been read in a flash. It’s impressive. I like this type of narrative motion really much, it’s something interesting to read and the way Thorsten Nesch makes the almost expected transitions of pace gives this book the distinct mood that sets it apart. I mean, who would make a book focused on the views of a bear-like creature thirsty for blood and vengeance?
The cinematographic feeling that this book possesses, thanks to the narrative of this great writer, is something that enhances the reading experience. This is a thriller book for nature lovers, and it will totally satisfy your beasty appetites for blood and fast-attack scenes. Very nice read.
Pros:
Smooth characters. Simple descriptions with vivid, distinct personalities
Loved the way the Grolar is put as a character with a major role to play, and not as an “occurrence”
You get immerse in the beast and you understand its motivations, something pretty new and very well made
The emotional toll of the married couple, was a major thing here. It was so well displayed and you can actually feel it in you, the anger, the pent-up energy, the distress, and Jon trying his best to not let that influence his son
Nice descriptions of nature and the dynamics, the weather, the sounds, the air, the smells, the lakes, it’s quite imaginative and gripping.
A simple plot that you don’t need to predict at all, you just read it and have fun. It’s very nice
The author keeps things simple and focuses on the story, just the story and tells it
Cons:
The book takes a little time to “start”. I wish the second scene was the first because it would grip the readers at once.
Lesson from the book: “Respect Nature, but carry a gun with you when visiting it.”
Favourite Character: The Grolar
Cover Score: 7.5/10
Book Score: 8.3/10
Original review @ - https://scribblesworth.wordpress.com/...
In this story, we have a quite peculiar bear-like beast, to which we don’t know how to exactly describe at first, but we know that it is bulky, big, compact, fast and powerful, a Grolar, and we discover on the first thriller scene, that is the second scene of the book, how lethal it is, as well as how powerful and thrilling the narrative of Thorsten Nesch is. And the book gets rolling.
So we have Jon, a normal hardworking man, out of his luck due to the financial crisis, facing severe tension on his relationship and overall life, and after an incident on his way to work on the gold prospecting site with his family, we get the feeling that we will be witnessing a horror spectacle in the woods.
This book feels like you are watching a movie, which is really cool, and the simple narrative used by Thorsten Nesch, allows the imagery to be adapted by each person that reads the book while keeping it stable enough so the details are general for everyone when they need to be. Nicely done
A very interesting thing here is that, the Grolar, our main character, that is a bear, a monster bear, is described in primal ways of behaviour and thought. It’s very interesting to see how Thorsten Nesch describes the moods, tactics and perceptions of the beast. The way it walks, its intentions, and even the plans he makes before killing. It’s something new, this beasty “first impressions”.
As the story progresses and we get to the goings of it, we start taking notice that Thorsten Nesch did dedicate a good ammount of time in the dialogue, that although might seem simple, it reveals how can short-talk be the sign of a dying marriage. There is a lot of tension between Jon and his wife, altough he is trying to do his best everyday, and keep his family fed, his kid safe. We also notice that the tension is also due to the expectations of the part of the wife of marrying a man that “makes it” someday, and that wants that man to make it now, as she becomes tired of the man she supposedly loves.
I love the dynamics of this book, how the tension is built ever so slowly, as if the writer didn’t plan to kill everyone in this book through the Grolar. The way things just proceed, without hurry, like the walk of the beast itself it’s very nice. A thing here: Thorsten Nesch uses the emotional tension of the couple in order to keep our senses “teased” and ready, but ever so lightly in order for us not to notice when he is going to strike. Sneaky and very professional of his part.
The scenes change pace in an instant. One line you are all comfy, and the next one you are in the middle of a thriller filled with claws, jaws, blood and dead bodies, where by the end of it, 3 paragraphs have been read in a flash. It’s impressive. I like this type of narrative motion really much, it’s something interesting to read and the way Thorsten Nesch makes the almost expected transitions of pace gives this book the distinct mood that sets it apart. I mean, who would make a book focused on the views of a bear-like creature thirsty for blood and vengeance?
The cinematographic feeling that this book possesses, thanks to the narrative of this great writer, is something that enhances the reading experience. This is a thriller book for nature lovers, and it will totally satisfy your beasty appetites for blood and fast-attack scenes. Very nice read.
Pros:
Smooth characters. Simple descriptions with vivid, distinct personalities
Loved the way the Grolar is put as a character with a major role to play, and not as an “occurrence”
You get immerse in the beast and you understand its motivations, something pretty new and very well made
The emotional toll of the married couple, was a major thing here. It was so well displayed and you can actually feel it in you, the anger, the pent-up energy, the distress, and Jon trying his best to not let that influence his son
Nice descriptions of nature and the dynamics, the weather, the sounds, the air, the smells, the lakes, it’s quite imaginative and gripping.
A simple plot that you don’t need to predict at all, you just read it and have fun. It’s very nice
The author keeps things simple and focuses on the story, just the story and tells it
Cons:
The book takes a little time to “start”. I wish the second scene was the first because it would grip the readers at once.
Lesson from the book: “Respect Nature, but carry a gun with you when visiting it.”
Favourite Character: The Grolar
Cover Score: 7.5/10
Book Score: 8.3/10
Original review @ - https://scribblesworth.wordpress.com/...
July 11, 2021
‘There was a big animal…a really, really big bear…’ A tale of terror
Canadian author Thorsten Nesch is a celebrated German Young Adult novelist whose career advances include literary arts grants and writer’s residencies in Denmark and Germany, and he has been engaged for live readings in many countries at schools, universities, book fairs and other locations. His books, in English, include THE LOCOMOTIVE, THE TIME TRAVELLER, LET’S ROB THE COPS, FOR A SPIN, I AM YOU AM I and GROLAR – translated from the German by Barbara L. Hilden.
Nesch’s ability to soar our imagination is evident in the manner in which he elects to open this novel – a story about a strange animal mix between grizzly and polar bear – by allowing grolar’s entry before the human element: ‘The wind shifter and the grolar drew in a deep breath. He could smell the ran-wet wood, as ever, but there was also something different on the air. Something he was sensing more and more often these days. Something that got his attention. The grolar raised himself up slowly, shifting his weight onto back legs as broad as small logs, His joints hurt. Not from age – he wasn’t that old – but from the long trek that lay behind him. He had walked far, driven by hunger and guided by his nose. He trusted his nose. He owed his life to his nose. It was his nose that had led him, faultlessly, from animal to animal. Away from cannibalism, away from the slaughter of little bear cubs and their equally scrawny little mothers.’ Suspicion aroused, the new ‘scent’ – surveyors Barry and Ned – enter the scene, only to fall victims to Grolar’s hunterly instincts and successful forage.
That terrifyingly realistic opening marks the beginning of this tale of horror, a ‘family outing’ with Jon and Tara and their son Cliff facing the adverse elements of nature. Or as Thorsten supplies a hint of the plot, ‘Jon lost his job in Vancouver and finds work at a small gold mining camp. His wife Tara and his young son Cliff join him. When the toddler shows them what he had found near the tree line, they know, there is something dark waiting for them.’
For an author well known for his young adult books, this story is a sizzling adult mystery/horror admixed with interpersonal relationships, as in marital conflicts, that bring the story into focus. A factor that makes this novel unique is the author’s using the vantages of both bear and human to relate the story – and that works exceptionally well. Thorsten Nesch proves, here, that his talent is solid – wherever he chooses to write! Recommended.
Canadian author Thorsten Nesch is a celebrated German Young Adult novelist whose career advances include literary arts grants and writer’s residencies in Denmark and Germany, and he has been engaged for live readings in many countries at schools, universities, book fairs and other locations. His books, in English, include THE LOCOMOTIVE, THE TIME TRAVELLER, LET’S ROB THE COPS, FOR A SPIN, I AM YOU AM I and GROLAR – translated from the German by Barbara L. Hilden.
Nesch’s ability to soar our imagination is evident in the manner in which he elects to open this novel – a story about a strange animal mix between grizzly and polar bear – by allowing grolar’s entry before the human element: ‘The wind shifter and the grolar drew in a deep breath. He could smell the ran-wet wood, as ever, but there was also something different on the air. Something he was sensing more and more often these days. Something that got his attention. The grolar raised himself up slowly, shifting his weight onto back legs as broad as small logs, His joints hurt. Not from age – he wasn’t that old – but from the long trek that lay behind him. He had walked far, driven by hunger and guided by his nose. He trusted his nose. He owed his life to his nose. It was his nose that had led him, faultlessly, from animal to animal. Away from cannibalism, away from the slaughter of little bear cubs and their equally scrawny little mothers.’ Suspicion aroused, the new ‘scent’ – surveyors Barry and Ned – enter the scene, only to fall victims to Grolar’s hunterly instincts and successful forage.
That terrifyingly realistic opening marks the beginning of this tale of horror, a ‘family outing’ with Jon and Tara and their son Cliff facing the adverse elements of nature. Or as Thorsten supplies a hint of the plot, ‘Jon lost his job in Vancouver and finds work at a small gold mining camp. His wife Tara and his young son Cliff join him. When the toddler shows them what he had found near the tree line, they know, there is something dark waiting for them.’
For an author well known for his young adult books, this story is a sizzling adult mystery/horror admixed with interpersonal relationships, as in marital conflicts, that bring the story into focus. A factor that makes this novel unique is the author’s using the vantages of both bear and human to relate the story – and that works exceptionally well. Thorsten Nesch proves, here, that his talent is solid – wherever he chooses to write! Recommended.
August 22, 2021
The Review
A truly gripping and chilling horror and thriller, author Thorsten Nesch expertly makes his way from YA into the adult mystery and suspense genres. The true terror that brings the horror genre into this narrative is the real-life inspiration for the “monster” of the novel, the self-titled Grolar. The descriptive imagery the author infuses into the narrative really brings this terrifying animal to life, but the way the author delves into the mind and behavior of the beast is what gives weight and gravity to the situation for the characters.
The thing that fascinated me was the way the author managed to balance the narrative with more intimate and gripping personal drama. The characters, their fractured bonds, and the motivations each had for being at the site of this book’s main setting really elevated the danger and fear that the bear’s attack left on them all as the narrative progressed.
The Verdict
A memorable, frightening, and entertaining read, author Thorsten Nesch’s “Grolar” is a must-read novel! Fans of the horror genre and creature-feature style narrative will absolutely become enthralled with this story. This novel is for the Canadian wilderness what Jaws was for the ocean. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
A truly gripping and chilling horror and thriller, author Thorsten Nesch expertly makes his way from YA into the adult mystery and suspense genres. The true terror that brings the horror genre into this narrative is the real-life inspiration for the “monster” of the novel, the self-titled Grolar. The descriptive imagery the author infuses into the narrative really brings this terrifying animal to life, but the way the author delves into the mind and behavior of the beast is what gives weight and gravity to the situation for the characters.
The thing that fascinated me was the way the author managed to balance the narrative with more intimate and gripping personal drama. The characters, their fractured bonds, and the motivations each had for being at the site of this book’s main setting really elevated the danger and fear that the bear’s attack left on them all as the narrative progressed.
The Verdict
A memorable, frightening, and entertaining read, author Thorsten Nesch’s “Grolar” is a must-read novel! Fans of the horror genre and creature-feature style narrative will absolutely become enthralled with this story. This novel is for the Canadian wilderness what Jaws was for the ocean. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
May 13, 2019
Don't look behind you.
This is a cut above your typical "monster" novel. The suspense is knife edge and great pacing. A young man, his wife, and small son have come to the Canadian Rockies to work a good claim. All goes well until the arrival of a huge bear. What makes this book a real page turner is the half grizzly half polar bear is a real animal. This is no Loch Ness Monster or Jersey Devil. This beast is real and becoming more common as polar bears move south to find more prey. Read this book and then Google images of you dare.
This is a cut above your typical "monster" novel. The suspense is knife edge and great pacing. A young man, his wife, and small son have come to the Canadian Rockies to work a good claim. All goes well until the arrival of a huge bear. What makes this book a real page turner is the half grizzly half polar bear is a real animal. This is no Loch Ness Monster or Jersey Devil. This beast is real and becoming more common as polar bears move south to find more prey. Read this book and then Google images of you dare.
August 6, 2018
A rush!
This one keeps you reading and guessing who’s nest. An enjoyable book that keeps you engaged to the last page.
It’s rare when even the dog dies!
This one keeps you reading and guessing who’s nest. An enjoyable book that keeps you engaged to the last page.
It’s rare when even the dog dies!
March 29, 2021
Loved this book!
If you love bears and truly scary novels; then this is the one. I really loved it, and read it in one day.
If you love bears and truly scary novels; then this is the one. I really loved it, and read it in one day.
Read
February 24, 2025DNF
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews