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An Honest Man
In West Berlin in 1989, eighteen-year-old Ralf has just left school and is living a final golden summer with his three best friends. They spend their days swimming, smoking and daydreaming about the future, oblivious to the storm gathering on the other side of the Berlin Wall.
But an unsettling discovery about his family and a meeting with the mysterious Oz shatters everything Ralf thought he knew about love and loyalty. And as old Cold War tensions begin to tear his life apart, he finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, forced to make impossible choices about his country, his family and his heart.
But an unsettling discovery about his family and a meeting with the mysterious Oz shatters everything Ralf thought he knew about love and loyalty. And as old Cold War tensions begin to tear his life apart, he finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, forced to make impossible choices about his country, his family and his heart.
384 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2019
69 people are currently reading
2369 people want to read
About the author
Ben Fergusson
11 books89 followersBen Fergusson is an award-winning writer and translator. He was born in Southampton in 1980 and grew up near Didcot in Oxfordshire. He studied English Literature at Warwick University and Modern Languages at Bristol University and has worked as an editor, translator and publisher in London and Berlin. He currently teaches creative writing in Berlin and is a doctoral researcher at the University of East Anglia.
Ben's debut novel, The Spring of Kasper Meier, won the 2015 Betty Trask Prize for an outstanding debut novel by a writer under 35 and the HWA Debut Crown 2015 for the best historical fiction debut of the year. It was also shortlisted for The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award and longlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award, while being selected for the Waterstone’s Book Club, WHSmith Fresh Talent and the BBC Radio 2 Book Club.
The second and third books in Ben's Berlin trilogy are The Other Hoffmann Sister, published in 2017, and An Honest Man, published in 2019, which was selected by The Sunday Times, the TLS and the Financial Times as one of the best books of the year. In 2022, he will publish his first book of non-fiction, Tales from the Fatherland, an exploration of same-sex parenthood.
Ben's short fiction has been twice longlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award and twice shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, and in 2020 he won the Seán O'Faoláin International Short Story Prize for his story 'A Navigable River'. He has translated numerous essays, poems and short stories from German for publishers internationally, including texts by Daniel Kehlmann, Alain Claude Sulzer, Byung-Chul Han and Antja Wagner and in 2020 won a Stephen Spender Prize for poetry in translation.
Ben's debut novel, The Spring of Kasper Meier, won the 2015 Betty Trask Prize for an outstanding debut novel by a writer under 35 and the HWA Debut Crown 2015 for the best historical fiction debut of the year. It was also shortlisted for The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award and longlisted for the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award, while being selected for the Waterstone’s Book Club, WHSmith Fresh Talent and the BBC Radio 2 Book Club.
The second and third books in Ben's Berlin trilogy are The Other Hoffmann Sister, published in 2017, and An Honest Man, published in 2019, which was selected by The Sunday Times, the TLS and the Financial Times as one of the best books of the year. In 2022, he will publish his first book of non-fiction, Tales from the Fatherland, an exploration of same-sex parenthood.
Ben's short fiction has been twice longlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award and twice shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, and in 2020 he won the Seán O'Faoláin International Short Story Prize for his story 'A Navigable River'. He has translated numerous essays, poems and short stories from German for publishers internationally, including texts by Daniel Kehlmann, Alain Claude Sulzer, Byung-Chul Han and Antja Wagner and in 2020 won a Stephen Spender Prize for poetry in translation.
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December 8, 2022
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3.5 stars
In Ben Fergusson's An Honest Man our narrator Ralf revisits a particularly significant year in his life. The year is 1989 and Ralf is eighteen and lives with his family in West Berlin. Growing up in a bilingual household (his mother is English), Ralf has always felt like a bit of an outsider. In a few months him and his friends will part ways and go to separate universities (Ralf whose passion is geology plans to study in England). Until then they spend their days and nights relaxing: they go to the swimming pool, on nature excursions, drink together etc. Ralf's routine is interrupted by Oz, born to Turkish parents and a few years older than him.
As Ralf struggles to reconcile himself with his growing attraction, and feelings, towards Oz, he also learns that Oz is keeping tabs on one of his neighbours, Tobias Rose. When Oz asks him for help Ralf finds himself uncovering life-altering secrets. As Ralf's relationship with Oz deepens he is forced to question where is own loyalties lie, and who is willing to betray.
While the story does delve into espionage, the focus remains primarily on Ralf. His relationship with Oz sees him embarking on a journey of self-discovery. The approach of university also alters his perceptions about who he is and who he wants to become. When a shocking discovery jeopardises what little normalcy his life contained, Ralf becomes further enmeshed in a web of deceit.
The story is very much a coming of age. To begin with Ralf is a rather sheltered and somewhat naive boy, and as the story progresses, and he starts seeing with new eyes his family and friends, he becomes more of an adult.
Ben Fergusson portrays believably fallible characters. Ralf, somewhat understandably given that he has a lot to contend with, can be rather self-centred and bratty. More than once I experienced second-hand embarrassment at what he says or does. His relationship with Oz is filled with a young sort of longing, with plenty of awkward flirting (they talk about their favourite pasta shape) and even some tender moments. Oz's introverted nature lends him an air of mystery, and readers, alongside Ralf, will find themselves wanting to learn more about him.
Ralf's group of friends was also solidly depicted and we get to see how his relationship with each one of his friends differs. His friends all have their own backstory and clear-cut personalities.
Ralf's relationship with his family plays a big role in the narrative. Although we might not like or forgive Ralf's parents, Fergusson does give these characters some nuance.
What Fergusson truly excels at is brining West Berlin to life. The setting is vividly rendered, and Fergusson creates and maintains a rather bittersweet atmosphere. Ralf's narration is filled with youthful descriptions and observations. His narrative is sensuous, as he always seem to loose himself in the bodies of those around him (noting the way the light illuminates someone's hair or face).
The ending was a bit rushed for my taste, and part of me wished for a more satisfying confrontation between Ralf and certain other characters.
Although this is a slow-burn kind of story, I finished this novel in one day. Ralf's story is absorbing, and Fergusson examines complex themes in a compelling manner. If you enjoy coming of ages, books by John Boyne, or stories set in times of political divide (such as Confession with Blue Horses and Swimming in the Dark), chances are you will like this book.
3.5 stars
In Ben Fergusson's An Honest Man our narrator Ralf revisits a particularly significant year in his life. The year is 1989 and Ralf is eighteen and lives with his family in West Berlin. Growing up in a bilingual household (his mother is English), Ralf has always felt like a bit of an outsider. In a few months him and his friends will part ways and go to separate universities (Ralf whose passion is geology plans to study in England). Until then they spend their days and nights relaxing: they go to the swimming pool, on nature excursions, drink together etc. Ralf's routine is interrupted by Oz, born to Turkish parents and a few years older than him.
As Ralf struggles to reconcile himself with his growing attraction, and feelings, towards Oz, he also learns that Oz is keeping tabs on one of his neighbours, Tobias Rose. When Oz asks him for help Ralf finds himself uncovering life-altering secrets. As Ralf's relationship with Oz deepens he is forced to question where is own loyalties lie, and who is willing to betray.
While the story does delve into espionage, the focus remains primarily on Ralf. His relationship with Oz sees him embarking on a journey of self-discovery. The approach of university also alters his perceptions about who he is and who he wants to become. When a shocking discovery jeopardises what little normalcy his life contained, Ralf becomes further enmeshed in a web of deceit.
The story is very much a coming of age. To begin with Ralf is a rather sheltered and somewhat naive boy, and as the story progresses, and he starts seeing with new eyes his family and friends, he becomes more of an adult.
Ben Fergusson portrays believably fallible characters. Ralf, somewhat understandably given that he has a lot to contend with, can be rather self-centred and bratty. More than once I experienced second-hand embarrassment at what he says or does. His relationship with Oz is filled with a young sort of longing, with plenty of awkward flirting (they talk about their favourite pasta shape) and even some tender moments. Oz's introverted nature lends him an air of mystery, and readers, alongside Ralf, will find themselves wanting to learn more about him.
Ralf's group of friends was also solidly depicted and we get to see how his relationship with each one of his friends differs. His friends all have their own backstory and clear-cut personalities.
Ralf's relationship with his family plays a big role in the narrative. Although we might not like or forgive Ralf's parents, Fergusson does give these characters some nuance.
What Fergusson truly excels at is brining West Berlin to life. The setting is vividly rendered, and Fergusson creates and maintains a rather bittersweet atmosphere. Ralf's narration is filled with youthful descriptions and observations. His narrative is sensuous, as he always seem to loose himself in the bodies of those around him (noting the way the light illuminates someone's hair or face).
The ending was a bit rushed for my taste, and part of me wished for a more satisfying confrontation between Ralf and certain other characters.
Although this is a slow-burn kind of story, I finished this novel in one day. Ralf's story is absorbing, and Fergusson examines complex themes in a compelling manner. If you enjoy coming of ages, books by John Boyne, or stories set in times of political divide (such as Confession with Blue Horses and Swimming in the Dark), chances are you will like this book.
July 5, 2019
Last year I went to visit Berlin for the first time over a long weekend. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a city that’s still so haunted by the after effects of war. Certainly there is more to this thriving city which is dynamic and fascinating in many ways but walking through the streets there are evident battle scars around every corner. Of course, it’s perfectly understandable that this would be the case because it was turned into a battlefield during WWII and then became a city literally divided by the Cold War. Given these facts it’d be virtually impossible to write about Berlin in the late 20th century without referring to the reverberating effects of these traumas.
Ben Fergusson rightly does so in both his first novel “The Spring of Kasper Meier” which describes the city soon after it was jointly occupied by the Allied powers and in his new novel “An Honest Man” which takes place in the time immediately preceding The Berlin Wall’s collapse in 1989. But these stories are filled with so many twists and surprises that they give a fascinating new perspective on this vibrant capital. He captures the lives of ordinary citizens in this shifting political landscape and focuses specifically on the lives of gay men during these periods. “An Honest Man” is centred around the life of Ralf, a teenager in Berlin with an English mother and German father. When Ralf encounters a Turkish man named Osman at a swimming pool he becomes embroiled in both a passionate love affair and a mysterious tale of espionage which completely upturns his life. It’s an utterly gripping tale of self-discovery and intrigue.
Read my full review of An Honest Man by Ben Fergusson on LonesomeReader
Ben Fergusson rightly does so in both his first novel “The Spring of Kasper Meier” which describes the city soon after it was jointly occupied by the Allied powers and in his new novel “An Honest Man” which takes place in the time immediately preceding The Berlin Wall’s collapse in 1989. But these stories are filled with so many twists and surprises that they give a fascinating new perspective on this vibrant capital. He captures the lives of ordinary citizens in this shifting political landscape and focuses specifically on the lives of gay men during these periods. “An Honest Man” is centred around the life of Ralf, a teenager in Berlin with an English mother and German father. When Ralf encounters a Turkish man named Osman at a swimming pool he becomes embroiled in both a passionate love affair and a mysterious tale of espionage which completely upturns his life. It’s an utterly gripping tale of self-discovery and intrigue.
Read my full review of An Honest Man by Ben Fergusson on LonesomeReader
November 12, 2023
One of the deepest feelings we might have while living among other people is trust, that is, the belief that we can rely at least on those who are close to us and feel safe about it. Family, friends, coworkers, classmates, neighbors, etc., even the ones that govern our countries.
An honest man is the third in a trilogy that takes place in the building on Windscheidstraβe 53, Charlottenburg, (West) Berlin, though they can be read independently. The story is told by Ralf, the German-British narrator and main character, looking back at the summer of 1989 in (West) Berlin when he was 18, expecting his Abitur results to decide which university he should choose to attend Geology; go to England, his maternal family country, or stay in Germany and close to his friends and family.
Berlin had special political status since the wall was built in 1961, splitting the city into two halves, turning the city into a boring place to Ralf and his friends: his girlfriend Maike, and best friends Petra and Stephan, all of them anxious for the beginning of classes in their respective universities. While waiting, they go to the skirts of the city along with the Natural Research group they belong to, bike around the city, do temporary jobs to gather some money, go to the public swimming pool, party. It is in the swimming pool that Ralf makes contact with a German-Turkish young man called Oz (Ozman) and from this moment on the world he knew starts changing dramatically to a point he does not know whether he is on safe grounds anymore. Who to trust? The novel feels like a Bildungsroman and had me deeply involved with it, and with Ralf and his involvement with Oz and all the spying plot in a (West) Berlin where the Stasi agents could be anywhere, could be anyone we knew. It is no wonder the book starts with Diogenes' tale of his search for "an honest man" in Ancient Greece.
It has also been a long time since I last read such a beautiful description of the awe in discovering someone else's body that is (just) the same (as yours) can result in such a surprise and fulfillment. It somehow tells poetically what same-sex attraction feels like:
Like all of my friends, I’d seen the ubiquitous soft-core pornography on late-night German television that our English relatives found scandalous. Police interviews, maths lessons, doctors’ visits turning unexpectedly sexual and ending with grunting dry humping. But I’d never seen an erect penis that wasn’t my own, I’d never seen a pale pink circumcision scar, I’d never seen, piece by piece, how a man’s body joins up, how the landscape of skin and hair changes in texture and tone, from the folds of the lips to the folds of the testicles, the tufts of black on his toes to the perfect triangle of hair above his buttocks on his otherwise hairless back.
For this and for a lot more, the novel is also a delicate coming-out story, as there is a maturing process concerning Ralf's coming to terms with his feelings and himself in a time where coming out was no easy deal with the AIDS crisis just around the corner and homosexuality being so much despised. It still can be.
All in all, it is a beautiful novel, even though it may not be the perfect one. But who cares about perfection? I don't. I love novels where characters can evolve, can tell a story that draws me deep into it, and that makes me long for those fictional people and their stories the moment I read the last lines of the book. An honest man is such a book to me.
An honest man is the third in a trilogy that takes place in the building on Windscheidstraβe 53, Charlottenburg, (West) Berlin, though they can be read independently. The story is told by Ralf, the German-British narrator and main character, looking back at the summer of 1989 in (West) Berlin when he was 18, expecting his Abitur results to decide which university he should choose to attend Geology; go to England, his maternal family country, or stay in Germany and close to his friends and family.
Berlin had special political status since the wall was built in 1961, splitting the city into two halves, turning the city into a boring place to Ralf and his friends: his girlfriend Maike, and best friends Petra and Stephan, all of them anxious for the beginning of classes in their respective universities. While waiting, they go to the skirts of the city along with the Natural Research group they belong to, bike around the city, do temporary jobs to gather some money, go to the public swimming pool, party. It is in the swimming pool that Ralf makes contact with a German-Turkish young man called Oz (Ozman) and from this moment on the world he knew starts changing dramatically to a point he does not know whether he is on safe grounds anymore. Who to trust? The novel feels like a Bildungsroman and had me deeply involved with it, and with Ralf and his involvement with Oz and all the spying plot in a (West) Berlin where the Stasi agents could be anywhere, could be anyone we knew. It is no wonder the book starts with Diogenes' tale of his search for "an honest man" in Ancient Greece.
It has also been a long time since I last read such a beautiful description of the awe in discovering someone else's body that is (just) the same (as yours) can result in such a surprise and fulfillment. It somehow tells poetically what same-sex attraction feels like:
Like all of my friends, I’d seen the ubiquitous soft-core pornography on late-night German television that our English relatives found scandalous. Police interviews, maths lessons, doctors’ visits turning unexpectedly sexual and ending with grunting dry humping. But I’d never seen an erect penis that wasn’t my own, I’d never seen a pale pink circumcision scar, I’d never seen, piece by piece, how a man’s body joins up, how the landscape of skin and hair changes in texture and tone, from the folds of the lips to the folds of the testicles, the tufts of black on his toes to the perfect triangle of hair above his buttocks on his otherwise hairless back.
For this and for a lot more, the novel is also a delicate coming-out story, as there is a maturing process concerning Ralf's coming to terms with his feelings and himself in a time where coming out was no easy deal with the AIDS crisis just around the corner and homosexuality being so much despised. It still can be.
All in all, it is a beautiful novel, even though it may not be the perfect one. But who cares about perfection? I don't. I love novels where characters can evolve, can tell a story that draws me deep into it, and that makes me long for those fictional people and their stories the moment I read the last lines of the book. An honest man is such a book to me.
June 23, 2019
I have enjoyed Ben Fergusson’s previous novels, “The Spring of Kasper Meier,” and “The Other Hoffman Sister,” so I was delighted to receive this for review. “An Honest Man,” is set in Berlin, during the summer of 1989, when friends Ralf, Stefan, Maike and Petra, spend the time hanging out and their involvement in conservation and nature; passing the time before they receive their exam results and move on to university.
Ralf is half-English and plans to go to the UK to study, which is unsettling him slightly. He thinks he will miss his girlfriend, Maike and Berlin, where he lives with his parents and brother. One day, while the friends are at the pool, Ralf meets Oz. Oz is Turkish, older, exotic and interesting. He works in a bookshop and asks questions about Tobias Rose, a neighbour of Ralf’s.
This is a slow paced novel, which is far more about the characters, and their relationships, than the plot. However, there is an espionage thread running through the novel, as Ralf becomes interested in Oz and his interest in Tobias. Also, this is very much a coming of age novel. Ralf is a teenager still, but his interest is aroused by Oz and he becomes embroiled in the other man’s investigation of his neighbour. This has a great sense of place and people. A very enjoyable literary novel, which I received from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Ralf is half-English and plans to go to the UK to study, which is unsettling him slightly. He thinks he will miss his girlfriend, Maike and Berlin, where he lives with his parents and brother. One day, while the friends are at the pool, Ralf meets Oz. Oz is Turkish, older, exotic and interesting. He works in a bookshop and asks questions about Tobias Rose, a neighbour of Ralf’s.
This is a slow paced novel, which is far more about the characters, and their relationships, than the plot. However, there is an espionage thread running through the novel, as Ralf becomes interested in Oz and his interest in Tobias. Also, this is very much a coming of age novel. Ralf is a teenager still, but his interest is aroused by Oz and he becomes embroiled in the other man’s investigation of his neighbour. This has a great sense of place and people. A very enjoyable literary novel, which I received from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
May 25, 2020
Ben Fergusson's "An Honest Man" reminds us that love can cause us to see with rose-colored glasses but it can also give us clarity to help us see what had been in front of us the whole time.
Ralfi is a freshly-graduated son of a British therapist and German pharmacist living in West Berlin in 1989 in the lead up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the summer before starting university he had hoped to grow closer with his friends and girlfriend, but his summer plans hit an abrupt snag when he falls in love with an Oz, a Turkish man of mystery who is helping West Berlin in its counterintelligence efforts against the East. Gaslighted into misperceptions about his own love, Ralfi comes to terms with his sexuality, his history, and the society of Cold War-era Berlin all in the same span of a summer.
Fergusson writes with speedy prose, and in true thriller fashion keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page. Though at times the temporal changes in the book feel abrupt, the book itself will keep you hooked. The books one shortfall is Fergusson's failure to discuss the broader queer context of the day - besides a few passing mentions of AIDS, the story felt a bit anachronistic with regards to the queer elements. Nonetheless, saved by a punchy storyline, "An Honest Man" is a book that you won't want to miss.
Ralfi is a freshly-graduated son of a British therapist and German pharmacist living in West Berlin in 1989 in the lead up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the summer before starting university he had hoped to grow closer with his friends and girlfriend, but his summer plans hit an abrupt snag when he falls in love with an Oz, a Turkish man of mystery who is helping West Berlin in its counterintelligence efforts against the East. Gaslighted into misperceptions about his own love, Ralfi comes to terms with his sexuality, his history, and the society of Cold War-era Berlin all in the same span of a summer.
Fergusson writes with speedy prose, and in true thriller fashion keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page. Though at times the temporal changes in the book feel abrupt, the book itself will keep you hooked. The books one shortfall is Fergusson's failure to discuss the broader queer context of the day - besides a few passing mentions of AIDS, the story felt a bit anachronistic with regards to the queer elements. Nonetheless, saved by a punchy storyline, "An Honest Man" is a book that you won't want to miss.
August 9, 2020
Ben Fergusson’s An Honest Man, is an absolutely multilayered, multi themed, provocative narrative set in 1989 at one of the most pivotal period’s in the modern history of Berlin, Germany, Europe and indeed the world. I remember being glued to the television as the Berlin Wall came down, mesmerised by the desperation and triumph symbolised by this event, and wondering what it truly meant for those whose lives had been defined by this foreboding barrier.
Against this backdrop we meet Ralf, a West Berliner, at a cusp and cross road between school and university, caught in his own web of confusion and repression. An Honest Man is a journey into dishonesty, deceit, lies, humanity, fear and discovery. The notion that people are not what they seem underpins this journey and the evocative space of political unrest and Cold War espionage, give this theme fertile ground.
Ralf is a complex young man, coming to grips with himself in a totally relatable way. “I was constantly second guessing what people wanted from me, always aware that there were many thoughts and feelings I was necessarily burying.” (p58). As his family, Berlin and the communist bloc unravels around him, Ralf embarks on his own personal journey of unravelling as he navigates himself. Ultimately, Ralf is very courageous, and there is a resolve that is realised as the wall succumbs, symbolic of the breakthroughs in Ralf’s own life.
One thing that stood out to me too was the revelation that people aren’t necessarily who we know them to be. I’m confronted by this thought. Who are people anyway? Are people the sum of what I believe them to be or of what my experience of them is? Or are people inherently individual and ultimately unknowable?
I’m going to give this 4.5 stars and definitely round to 5. The 4.5 is only because of the slightly cliche very last few sentences for me - just a personal opinion but otherwise absolutely mesmerised by this one.
Against this backdrop we meet Ralf, a West Berliner, at a cusp and cross road between school and university, caught in his own web of confusion and repression. An Honest Man is a journey into dishonesty, deceit, lies, humanity, fear and discovery. The notion that people are not what they seem underpins this journey and the evocative space of political unrest and Cold War espionage, give this theme fertile ground.
Ralf is a complex young man, coming to grips with himself in a totally relatable way. “I was constantly second guessing what people wanted from me, always aware that there were many thoughts and feelings I was necessarily burying.” (p58). As his family, Berlin and the communist bloc unravels around him, Ralf embarks on his own personal journey of unravelling as he navigates himself. Ultimately, Ralf is very courageous, and there is a resolve that is realised as the wall succumbs, symbolic of the breakthroughs in Ralf’s own life.
One thing that stood out to me too was the revelation that people aren’t necessarily who we know them to be. I’m confronted by this thought. Who are people anyway? Are people the sum of what I believe them to be or of what my experience of them is? Or are people inherently individual and ultimately unknowable?
I’m going to give this 4.5 stars and definitely round to 5. The 4.5 is only because of the slightly cliche very last few sentences for me - just a personal opinion but otherwise absolutely mesmerised by this one.
June 26, 2022
This book is excellent!
A gripping story of growing up, finding out your live isn't what you ever thought it was and all in the looming shadow of one of histories most dramatic events.
The author here obviously has a thing for Berlin geography, geology and history as the detail around all of these areas is spot on.
Excellently written whlst being both tragic and enthralling.
A gripping story of growing up, finding out your live isn't what you ever thought it was and all in the looming shadow of one of histories most dramatic events.
The author here obviously has a thing for Berlin geography, geology and history as the detail around all of these areas is spot on.
Excellently written whlst being both tragic and enthralling.
July 9, 2024
This is a novel I looked forward to with a fair amount of anticipation, mainly due to its premise. Having now finished the read, it seems I admired the work more than I loved it. I'm still giving it a fairly high rating but - even though it holds quite a few sections that I found particularly compelling - overall it's a work that, with regularity, kept itself busy pulling me back in after periods of well-meaning tedium.
~ which is to say, not only could it have been shorter by leaving out some of its clutter but it could have replaced said clutter with more relevant character insight or information endemic to the Germany that was about to be rid of its Berlin Wall.
The novel reads like John le Carré-lite, in the sense that its espionage is on a smaller scale and its storyline is (minimally) populated with everyday folk (as opposed to professional spies). The plot (swimming in the search for or creation of "compromising information") hinges on deceit both perceived and genuine. Suspicion plays out in accordance with the workings of East Germany's KGB-esque STASI, dependent as it was on civilian informants.
Operatives set out for proof of who is secretly doing what, and under what disguise.
Enter the tentative, awkward love story between 18-year-old Ralf of West Berlin and mysterious 22-year-old Oz. (Is Oz a "Romeo spy"?) The author handles this aspect of the story extremely well and it makes for much of the plot's success. Though both of these guys are emotionally inexperienced when it comes to same-sex stuff (Ralf even has something of a girlfriend in the troubled Maike), the reality of their ages is depicted by a writer who vividly recalls the (not just physical) discomfiture that comes with that territory:
But, instead, Fergusson gives us the unnecessary 'added-plus' of regular intervals of descriptive paragraphs pertaining to nature trips, geology, architecture, food, etc. I kept wanting these 'pit stops' to be more concise. As well, I kept wondering why the bulk of the characters had to be quite as shadowy as they are. I understood that duplicity was part of the bargain here - but I still wanted more character clues.
~ not to mention more clues about the character of the landscape.
In a 2019 article in 'The Guardian', Sabine Rennefanz writes about her first-hand experience of living in a Germany about to be no longer wall-divided:
My qualms may just be my own, of course; other readers may not be bothered much by what bothered me. But, yes, I liked the book enough to want to like it more than I actually (often) did.
~ which is to say, not only could it have been shorter by leaving out some of its clutter but it could have replaced said clutter with more relevant character insight or information endemic to the Germany that was about to be rid of its Berlin Wall.
The novel reads like John le Carré-lite, in the sense that its espionage is on a smaller scale and its storyline is (minimally) populated with everyday folk (as opposed to professional spies). The plot (swimming in the search for or creation of "compromising information") hinges on deceit both perceived and genuine. Suspicion plays out in accordance with the workings of East Germany's KGB-esque STASI, dependent as it was on civilian informants.
Operatives set out for proof of who is secretly doing what, and under what disguise.
Enter the tentative, awkward love story between 18-year-old Ralf of West Berlin and mysterious 22-year-old Oz. (Is Oz a "Romeo spy"?) The author handles this aspect of the story extremely well and it makes for much of the plot's success. Though both of these guys are emotionally inexperienced when it comes to same-sex stuff (Ralf even has something of a girlfriend in the troubled Maike), the reality of their ages is depicted by a writer who vividly recalls the (not just physical) discomfiture that comes with that territory:
'Is it going to hurt?' he said.Both refreshingly and frustratingly, Ralf and Oz more or less drive the narrative. But there are potentially fascinating subordinate characters (Ralf's parents; his close buds--the classic movie-mad Stefan and the wonderfully snarky Petra) who (I feel) could have been used to even better advantage, for the sake of tension / emotional depth.
'What?' I said. I thought I'd misheard him.
'Sex.'
'Oz,' I said, stunned, 'I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing.'
His face softened instantly. 'Fuck, Ralf,' he said. 'Me neither.'
And we began to laugh.
But, instead, Fergusson gives us the unnecessary 'added-plus' of regular intervals of descriptive paragraphs pertaining to nature trips, geology, architecture, food, etc. I kept wanting these 'pit stops' to be more concise. As well, I kept wondering why the bulk of the characters had to be quite as shadowy as they are. I understood that duplicity was part of the bargain here - but I still wanted more character clues.
~ not to mention more clues about the character of the landscape.
In a 2019 article in 'The Guardian', Sabine Rennefanz writes about her first-hand experience of living in a Germany about to be no longer wall-divided:
Even today, if you are a young person in eastern Germany and want a traditional, well-paid career in a large corporation, you have to leave your hometown and go west.As intriguing as much of 'AHM' is, I wish it had given me a richer sense of its backdrop. I felt the need to know more about the actual scenery coloring and covering the novel's performance stage.
The official narrative over the past 30 years has been of unification as a great German success story. But in the last few years, the divisions between east and west have grown deeper than ever.
My qualms may just be my own, of course; other readers may not be bothered much by what bothered me. But, yes, I liked the book enough to want to like it more than I actually (often) did.
July 9, 2023
Exceptional. Set in Berlin just before the wall came down this is a wonderful coming of age story, spy thriller, love story, full of wonderful characters, some witty observations about life as a teenager in 1989 and some really touching moment. The last chapter is an absolute joy. Probably my favourite novel of the year so far.
January 7, 2021
What a great way to start 2021! I really loved this unique, fabulously narrated story, including the audiobook‘s narrator.
September 26, 2019
This is a novel that keeps a reader guessing to the end and shows imagination and skill in equal amounts.
The novel is written from the present, but looks back to the months prior to November 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. The story is built skilfully around a series of doubles. The narrator, Raif Dorsam, aged eighteen, is bisexual. His life is stretched between sexual reality and fantasy: his love for Maike Willert and his desire for Osman Ozemir-- the mysterious Oz. As with a mirror facing a mirror, the doubles double: Raif is bilingual and dual heritage, with an English mother and a German father. And, of course, the whole plot occurs with a Berlin split into East and West. Gradually, what seems to be a coming of age novel becomes much more as lies and truths intertwine and Raif becomes embroiled in the politics of West and East Germany.
The relationship between Raif and Oz is depicted with conviction, but the characterisation elsewhere is done with broad brush strokes-- teenagers are too often symbolised by expletives. Or maybe this is deliberate as it allows the novel's depths to belong to Raif and Oz?
An Honest Man develops through geographical metaphors--grows out of Raif's teenage obsession with geography--and reaches an earthquake at the novel's close. It is a modern novel that adheres to simple beliefs, tell a story well and construct a fictional reality that rings true. And it sure does that. Berlin lives. Raif struggles. And the novel has a tragic depth that leaves the reader disturbed and in shock as psychological walls dissolve and the truth slowly unwinds. The novel's title alludes to Diogenes' search for an honest man (and the novel begins with a quotation that remembers this famous story). Diogenes invented the word, cosmopolitan, a dweller in the world and that ultimately is Raif's quest as he begins to live in the world of adults and find his way through a labyrinth of fake news and relative truths towards a dark centre.
The novel is written from the present, but looks back to the months prior to November 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. The story is built skilfully around a series of doubles. The narrator, Raif Dorsam, aged eighteen, is bisexual. His life is stretched between sexual reality and fantasy: his love for Maike Willert and his desire for Osman Ozemir-- the mysterious Oz. As with a mirror facing a mirror, the doubles double: Raif is bilingual and dual heritage, with an English mother and a German father. And, of course, the whole plot occurs with a Berlin split into East and West. Gradually, what seems to be a coming of age novel becomes much more as lies and truths intertwine and Raif becomes embroiled in the politics of West and East Germany.
The relationship between Raif and Oz is depicted with conviction, but the characterisation elsewhere is done with broad brush strokes-- teenagers are too often symbolised by expletives. Or maybe this is deliberate as it allows the novel's depths to belong to Raif and Oz?
An Honest Man develops through geographical metaphors--grows out of Raif's teenage obsession with geography--and reaches an earthquake at the novel's close. It is a modern novel that adheres to simple beliefs, tell a story well and construct a fictional reality that rings true. And it sure does that. Berlin lives. Raif struggles. And the novel has a tragic depth that leaves the reader disturbed and in shock as psychological walls dissolve and the truth slowly unwinds. The novel's title alludes to Diogenes' search for an honest man (and the novel begins with a quotation that remembers this famous story). Diogenes invented the word, cosmopolitan, a dweller in the world and that ultimately is Raif's quest as he begins to live in the world of adults and find his way through a labyrinth of fake news and relative truths towards a dark centre.
March 26, 2024
Its rare to find a book set in Cold War Berlin where the main charater isn't a Stasi member. Also being LGBT is an even bigger bonus!
April 16, 2024
Deserving of a 4.5 rating!
Read
July 18, 2025❧ audiobook review
THAT ENDING THO
IT'S PERFECTION.
I didn't think I was going to be okay with the ending. I was really, really worried about the ending for a second there.
This book is set at the end of the Cold War, in the heart of Berlin, as Ralf and Oz fall in love.
But of course, in the end, 1989 meant neither of those things. It just meant Oz and espionage - how grand that word sounds now. And, I suppose my family, and the terrible things we did.
Angst and espionage, you say?
(I'm not sure I ever recovered from the gut-punching angst that was London Spy, but sure, I figured let's give 1989 yearning and secrecy a try.) This is another Joe Jameson narration, and it is a truth universally acknowledged that if Joe Jameson narrates a book, I will listen to it. (If you've been following my reviews, he's one of my favourite audiobook narrators so far. He voiced Caught Inside, The Prince of Thorns, The Last Romeo and The Magnificent Sons. Amazing books, by the way. Deffo check them out!)
This book was a wonderful historical fiction about young love and family obligations. Fergusson’s writing is lovely and I’m so glad I gave this book a chance! Oz and Ralf are wonderful characters!
Also, his description of his mum at the start straight up gives me Sex Education vibes.
I really enjoyed this book and I'm definitely going to look out for more books by Ben Fergusson in future.
☆ Book Reviews | Bluesky | Twitter | Threads ☆
THAT ENDING THO
IT'S PERFECTION.
I didn't think I was going to be okay with the ending. I was really, really worried about the ending for a second there.
This book is set at the end of the Cold War, in the heart of Berlin, as Ralf and Oz fall in love.
But of course, in the end, 1989 meant neither of those things. It just meant Oz and espionage - how grand that word sounds now. And, I suppose my family, and the terrible things we did.
Angst and espionage, you say?
(I'm not sure I ever recovered from the gut-punching angst that was London Spy, but sure, I figured let's give 1989 yearning and secrecy a try.) This is another Joe Jameson narration, and it is a truth universally acknowledged that if Joe Jameson narrates a book, I will listen to it. (If you've been following my reviews, he's one of my favourite audiobook narrators so far. He voiced Caught Inside, The Prince of Thorns, The Last Romeo and The Magnificent Sons. Amazing books, by the way. Deffo check them out!)
This book was a wonderful historical fiction about young love and family obligations. Fergusson’s writing is lovely and I’m so glad I gave this book a chance! Oz and Ralf are wonderful characters!
Also, his description of his mum at the start straight up gives me Sex Education vibes.
I really enjoyed this book and I'm definitely going to look out for more books by Ben Fergusson in future.
☆ Book Reviews | Bluesky | Twitter | Threads ☆
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2023
An exceptional genre bending spy thriller that is just as much about love as it is espionage. An Honest Man is, honestly, so truthful.
June 26, 2021
Reading Ben Fergusson's "An Honest Man" is a very meaningful moment in one's life: the combination of the haunted love story, the espionage thriller and the coming of age story taking place in one of the world's darkest times ever, is what makes this novel so peculiar, compelling.
In a way, Fergusson's prose is a reminder that just 32 years ago, in the summer of 1989, the Cold War was still at its hottest.
He paints a vivid picture of the divided Berlin where, even as East Germany reels from what now seem inevitable forces of change, the Stasi secret service is still hard at work on both sides of the wall. A divided city where the Wall was not only physical, but psychological, where its citizens didn't really belong to their own city: living on the line, in fear, where they couldn't even trust their own neighbours.
The narrator and main focus of the story, Ralf sits a particularly significant year in his life. He is eighteen and lives with his family in West Berlin. Growing up in a bilingual household (his mother is English), Ralf has always felt like a bit of an outsider. In a few months him and his friends will part ways and go to separate universities (Ralf whose passion is geology plans to study in England). Until then they spend their days and nights relaxing: they go to the swimming pool, on nature excursions, drink together etc. Ralf’s routine is interrupted by Oz, born to Turkish parents and a few years older than him.
While the story deeps into espionage, the focus remains primarily on Ralf. His relationship with Oz sees him embarking on a journey of self-discovery. The approach of university also alters his perceptions about who he is and who he wants to become. When a shocking discovery jeopardises what little normalcy his life contained, Ralf becomes further enmeshed in a web of deceit.
Fergusson portrays believably fallible characters. Ralf, somewhat understandably given that he has a lot to contend with, can be rather self-centred and bratty. More than once I experienced second-hand embarrassment at what he says or does. His relationship with Oz is filled with a young sort of longing, with plenty of awkward flirting and even some tender moments. Oz’s introverted nature lends him an air of mystery, and readers, alongside Ralf, will find themselves wanting to learn more about him.
Ralf’s group of friends was also solidly depicted and we get to see how his relationship with each one of his friends differs. His friends all have their own backstory and well-defined personalities.
Ralf’s relationship with his family plays a big role in the narrative, and even though we might not like or forgive Ralf’s parents, Fergusson does give these characters some nuance. The young are driven by a innate sense of honesty, the desire to see right and wrong as absolutes but the adult world in grey, nuanced, complex. Ralf is forced to make choices. The power to destroy without realising just how devastating it will be makes this story all the more poignant. This is an historical fiction that deals in lies and deceits, compulsions, and the overwhelming desires of the heart.
What Fergusson truly excels at is brining the divided Berlin to life. The setting is vividly rendered, and Fergusson creates and maintains a rather anguishing, bittersweet atmosphere. Ralf’s narration is filled with youthful descriptions and observations. His narrative is sensual, as he always seem to loose himself in the bodies of those around him, describing bodies, someone's details almost with the painter's accuracy.
Perhaps the ending is a bit rushed, and the reader is left with a longing for a more satisfying confrontation between Ralf and certain other characters, or a better exploration of the outbreak of AIDS of those years (only hinted at), and the aftermath of the fall of the Wall in these characters' lives.
Nonethelss, ss well as a poignant love story, this novel is also a compelling, original thriller; with a not so predictable final twist that sets a powerful climax in motion just as the Wall comes down. But this is a novel as much about the end of innocence, the limits of ideology and the pain of realising the people we love are very far from perfect.
In a way, Fergusson's prose is a reminder that just 32 years ago, in the summer of 1989, the Cold War was still at its hottest.
He paints a vivid picture of the divided Berlin where, even as East Germany reels from what now seem inevitable forces of change, the Stasi secret service is still hard at work on both sides of the wall. A divided city where the Wall was not only physical, but psychological, where its citizens didn't really belong to their own city: living on the line, in fear, where they couldn't even trust their own neighbours.
The narrator and main focus of the story, Ralf sits a particularly significant year in his life. He is eighteen and lives with his family in West Berlin. Growing up in a bilingual household (his mother is English), Ralf has always felt like a bit of an outsider. In a few months him and his friends will part ways and go to separate universities (Ralf whose passion is geology plans to study in England). Until then they spend their days and nights relaxing: they go to the swimming pool, on nature excursions, drink together etc. Ralf’s routine is interrupted by Oz, born to Turkish parents and a few years older than him.
While the story deeps into espionage, the focus remains primarily on Ralf. His relationship with Oz sees him embarking on a journey of self-discovery. The approach of university also alters his perceptions about who he is and who he wants to become. When a shocking discovery jeopardises what little normalcy his life contained, Ralf becomes further enmeshed in a web of deceit.
Fergusson portrays believably fallible characters. Ralf, somewhat understandably given that he has a lot to contend with, can be rather self-centred and bratty. More than once I experienced second-hand embarrassment at what he says or does. His relationship with Oz is filled with a young sort of longing, with plenty of awkward flirting and even some tender moments. Oz’s introverted nature lends him an air of mystery, and readers, alongside Ralf, will find themselves wanting to learn more about him.
Ralf’s group of friends was also solidly depicted and we get to see how his relationship with each one of his friends differs. His friends all have their own backstory and well-defined personalities.
Ralf’s relationship with his family plays a big role in the narrative, and even though we might not like or forgive Ralf’s parents, Fergusson does give these characters some nuance. The young are driven by a innate sense of honesty, the desire to see right and wrong as absolutes but the adult world in grey, nuanced, complex. Ralf is forced to make choices. The power to destroy without realising just how devastating it will be makes this story all the more poignant. This is an historical fiction that deals in lies and deceits, compulsions, and the overwhelming desires of the heart.
What Fergusson truly excels at is brining the divided Berlin to life. The setting is vividly rendered, and Fergusson creates and maintains a rather anguishing, bittersweet atmosphere. Ralf’s narration is filled with youthful descriptions and observations. His narrative is sensual, as he always seem to loose himself in the bodies of those around him, describing bodies, someone's details almost with the painter's accuracy.
Perhaps the ending is a bit rushed, and the reader is left with a longing for a more satisfying confrontation between Ralf and certain other characters, or a better exploration of the outbreak of AIDS of those years (only hinted at), and the aftermath of the fall of the Wall in these characters' lives.
Nonethelss, ss well as a poignant love story, this novel is also a compelling, original thriller; with a not so predictable final twist that sets a powerful climax in motion just as the Wall comes down. But this is a novel as much about the end of innocence, the limits of ideology and the pain of realising the people we love are very far from perfect.
March 23, 2024
(A 2022 review revised in 2024 to remove spelling and grammatical errors. I think I should have given this book five stars but I am letting my original judgement stand until/if I read the book again).
I came very close to giving this book 5 stars and only held back because of all the books I really love and care for but haven't given 5 stars to. I wasn't sure this book is one of those books that I would rush to save if my flat was on fire - having said that this novel is superb - I am not going to go and tell you what it is about - there are loads of reviews doing that and honestly the summary on Amazon or Goodreads or the books flyleaf (if you are lucky enough to actually have a bookshop near you!) is more than sufficient to attract or put you off reading the book. What I can assure you is that Mr. Fergusson is a fine writer (I haven't yet read the other volumes in the trilogy of which this book is the third - not that you need to, but I certainly will) and captures the time, and place (Berlin just before the Wall comes down) with incredible delicacy and accuracy. All the scene setting is done in a way that does not show the incredible research that he has probably done.
I was particularly impressed with his sure handling of what it was like to be young gay man at that time and also the complexities of the life of those whose beliefs lead them to betray country and, unwittingly family and friends. As I write this I am sure I have short changed this wonderful novel by not giving it 5 stars. I hope you will read this book.
I came very close to giving this book 5 stars and only held back because of all the books I really love and care for but haven't given 5 stars to. I wasn't sure this book is one of those books that I would rush to save if my flat was on fire - having said that this novel is superb - I am not going to go and tell you what it is about - there are loads of reviews doing that and honestly the summary on Amazon or Goodreads or the books flyleaf (if you are lucky enough to actually have a bookshop near you!) is more than sufficient to attract or put you off reading the book. What I can assure you is that Mr. Fergusson is a fine writer (I haven't yet read the other volumes in the trilogy of which this book is the third - not that you need to, but I certainly will) and captures the time, and place (Berlin just before the Wall comes down) with incredible delicacy and accuracy. All the scene setting is done in a way that does not show the incredible research that he has probably done.
I was particularly impressed with his sure handling of what it was like to be young gay man at that time and also the complexities of the life of those whose beliefs lead them to betray country and, unwittingly family and friends. As I write this I am sure I have short changed this wonderful novel by not giving it 5 stars. I hope you will read this book.
October 16, 2020
4.5 stars
I'm thinking what should I write about this book. It's strange because I don't know what genre it fits in or I would say it's multi-genre. I don't find myself love it so much but I just can't help myself keep reading, why? Cuz it's good!?One thing I can assure is the good writing in this novel, the setting in Berlin and its theme is something new to me.
It sets in a 1989 over the summer in West Berlin, we follow Ralf and his friends spending the last few months together before off to their new life in University. During this time, Ralf met Oz and they had an intimate and strange relationship together. Then, strange stuffs reveals: romance, betrayal and espionage.
It is important to study the background of Germany back in 1989: West Germany, East Germany, West Berlin, East Berlin and of course the Berlin Wall.
I'm thinking what should I write about this book. It's strange because I don't know what genre it fits in or I would say it's multi-genre. I don't find myself love it so much but I just can't help myself keep reading, why? Cuz it's good!?One thing I can assure is the good writing in this novel, the setting in Berlin and its theme is something new to me.
It sets in a 1989 over the summer in West Berlin, we follow Ralf and his friends spending the last few months together before off to their new life in University. During this time, Ralf met Oz and they had an intimate and strange relationship together. Then, strange stuffs reveals: romance, betrayal and espionage.
It is important to study the background of Germany back in 1989: West Germany, East Germany, West Berlin, East Berlin and of course the Berlin Wall.
February 24, 2022
Loved it. Will be reading more by Ben Fergusson.
February 13, 2021
IT'S A 5-STAR RATING WHEN YOU TEAR UP AT THE END
Let's be clear, this is not a tawdry M/M romance although there is some sex, almost all of it suggested and completely tasteful. What it is, is an amazingly written suspenseful love story taking place in West Berlin in the summer of 1989 right before the eminent collapse of the Berlin Wall.
If I had a criticism, it would be that sometimes there are flashes into the future, present tense, that were confusing because the book is mostly all told through the protagonist's memories of his teenage years. These "jumps" were at first confusing. I had to do some re-reading to make sure I hadn't missed something. That confusion was even more pronounced when I thought Fergusson had made a major error of omission explaining how some compromising photographs had been taken; an event central to the plot which left me puzzled and wanting resolution before I read on. Not to worry, if you read the book, just trust. All will become clear. I should never have doubted and in the end it's one big reason this book was so good.
Here's the other reason this book so impressed me. Throughout the narrative, Fergusson vividly injects observations that are so mundane and commonplace to human existence, regardless of time or place, you marvel at how he ever thought of them. Because the descriptions are so profoundly familiar, they really help place us in these characters' reality.
I'm a retired history teacher very familiar with this history, but the book is impeccably researched with rich detail that was new and interesting. Not quite halfway through, you will begin to worry and desperately hope events will work out for our hero as he accidentally becomes involved in espionage between east and west that threatens him and his family.
This is the third of three novels Fergusson has written using the setting of Berlin following World War II. Finishing, An Honest Man, I've now downloaded his first volume and will begin that adventure tonight.
Let's be clear, this is not a tawdry M/M romance although there is some sex, almost all of it suggested and completely tasteful. What it is, is an amazingly written suspenseful love story taking place in West Berlin in the summer of 1989 right before the eminent collapse of the Berlin Wall.
If I had a criticism, it would be that sometimes there are flashes into the future, present tense, that were confusing because the book is mostly all told through the protagonist's memories of his teenage years. These "jumps" were at first confusing. I had to do some re-reading to make sure I hadn't missed something. That confusion was even more pronounced when I thought Fergusson had made a major error of omission explaining how some compromising photographs had been taken; an event central to the plot which left me puzzled and wanting resolution before I read on. Not to worry, if you read the book, just trust. All will become clear. I should never have doubted and in the end it's one big reason this book was so good.
Here's the other reason this book so impressed me. Throughout the narrative, Fergusson vividly injects observations that are so mundane and commonplace to human existence, regardless of time or place, you marvel at how he ever thought of them. Because the descriptions are so profoundly familiar, they really help place us in these characters' reality.
I'm a retired history teacher very familiar with this history, but the book is impeccably researched with rich detail that was new and interesting. Not quite halfway through, you will begin to worry and desperately hope events will work out for our hero as he accidentally becomes involved in espionage between east and west that threatens him and his family.
This is the third of three novels Fergusson has written using the setting of Berlin following World War II. Finishing, An Honest Man, I've now downloaded his first volume and will begin that adventure tonight.
December 9, 2019
A great sense of period and location in this gay coming-of-age romance set in a tangle of Stasi & western spies as the Berlin Wall crumbles. Honesty between family and friends is the theme and the book is character-focussed rather than exclusively genre suspenseful. An enjoyable read - apparently the third segment of a Berlin trilogy set in the same building over the course of a century. After this I quite fancy checking out the first two.
May 22, 2021
An Honest Man is a captivating read. Beautifully paced, its strangely lyrical love story picks up speed rapidly and leaves a reader wondering until the final paragraph. In the final third of this book, I could not put it down.
This is one that will stay with me, and I’m sure will be re-read one day!
This is one that will stay with me, and I’m sure will be re-read one day!
November 23, 2024
I had a few issues with the dialogue and pacing at times but otherwise an enjoyable read for the most part.
May 6, 2021
4.5! really intricate and engaging plot and a very sexy love story! was nicely surprised.
December 7, 2019
This is the final book of a trilogy set in the same building.
The book starts with the languorous nonchalance of the hot 1989 Berlin summer it is set in and torpor seems always about to strike but slowly the plot catches pace to an almost satisfying ending.
There are a few elements of the plot that don't come as huge surprises when they finally happen but others are much more unexpected.
This is a gentle spy story but more importantly it is a tender coming of age and moving evocation of Berlin in the months before the fall of the wall.
Lovely.
The book starts with the languorous nonchalance of the hot 1989 Berlin summer it is set in and torpor seems always about to strike but slowly the plot catches pace to an almost satisfying ending.
There are a few elements of the plot that don't come as huge surprises when they finally happen but others are much more unexpected.
This is a gentle spy story but more importantly it is a tender coming of age and moving evocation of Berlin in the months before the fall of the wall.
Lovely.
September 22, 2021
Teniendo en cuenta que la caída del muro de Berlín me cogió ya con más de 20 años, esta parte de la historia contemporánea me apasiona porque tengo la impresión de que en su momento no supe apreciarlo del todo (si bien estuve toda la noche del 11 de Nov de 1989 pegada al televisor) y me encanta revivirlo de nuevo.
Me gustó mucho el libro, la narración es brillante, la historia está muy bien hilada y los personajes son muy creíbles. La intriga también está bien articulada de manera que no sabes por donde van a salir los tiros, cosa que se agradece.
He pasado un buen rato y se lee de un tirón.
Me gustó mucho el libro, la narración es brillante, la historia está muy bien hilada y los personajes son muy creíbles. La intriga también está bien articulada de manera que no sabes por donde van a salir los tiros, cosa que se agradece.
He pasado un buen rato y se lee de un tirón.
July 2, 2019
‘And this might have been my lasting memory of summer 1989. Even that moment I might have forgotten, recalling only my A levels and the Wall if people asked what that year had meant to me. But of course, in the end, 1989 meant neither of those things. It just meant Oz, and espionage – how grand that word sounds now – and I suppose my family and the terrible things we did.’
Covering the tumultuous period of summer-winter of 1989 in West Berlin, Ben Fergusson’s new novel centres on 18-year-old Ralf, his family and friends, and Oz, a part-time informant for the authorities who has been spying on the apartment block where Ralf’s family live. This is mostly a coming of age story, with an espionage subplot that weaves in and out of the events of Ralf and his family, before the book reaches a thrilling twist and a moving conclusion. The novel is narrated in first-person, with an older Ralf looking back on this period to understand what happened. Imagine ‘Deutschland 83’ meets ‘Call Me By Your Name’, with a little bit of ‘Stand By Me’ thrown in for good measure – that’s probably the best way I can describe the whole effect of this novel.
Ralf and his friends have just finished school – Ralf, with an English mother and German father, has been studying at an international school (hence the A-levels). His close-knit group of friends include Maike, Ralf’s erstwhile girlfriend; Stefan, his closest friend; and Petra, who has an on-off relationship with Stefan. Together they have forged tight bonds, but as the summer of 1989 unfolds these bonds start to unravel, as Ralf finds himself involved in a spying mission set for him by Oz, a 22-year old of Turkish origin, whom Ralf meets at a swimming pool but recognises from a car which has been parked outside his building for weeks. Oz is trying to find the identity of ‘Axel’, a Stasi spy that has been blackmailing leading political and military figures and who, Oz thinks, is really Ralf’s neighbour Tobias. Furthermore, Ralf finds himself torn between his love for Maike and a growing attraction to Oz. As the weeks and months go by further secrets are revealed and everything Ralf has taken for granted in his life starts to crumble:
‘I had the uneasy feeling that I was just old enough to see these things shifting for the first time, a snapshot of a much longer cycle, a split second in the inestimable history of my own deep time.’
Of course, in the background, is the fracturing of Communism and the events leading up to November 1989, when the checkpoints in Berlin were opened and the process that ultimately led to the reunification of Germany was begun. Without forcing the parallels down your throat, Fergusson manages to make the events unfolding in Ralf’s life and the wider political issues find their own threads. There are several subtle examples throughout the book of borders or edges, of something on the brink of changing: Ralf is half British and half German; he and his friends stand on the cusp of adulthood; he finds himself torn between his sexuality; and of course the Wall, which stands as a physical embodiment of the change that is to come to everyone in the novel.
I’ll be honest, when I first came to this novel, I was expecting a pretty simple spy story. Instead, what I found was a little gem of a book, with characters who came alive and clearly show a great deal of affection from the author. The various strands of the novel work in harmony, and the story of Ralf and Oz becomes more and more complicated as he – and us – start to question everyone and everything that happens. Who can we trust? Who is telling the truth? As the answers start to come and Ralf’s life explodes, the truth is shocking and the implications are massive. This is a tender, involving, beautifully written novel which draws you in and makes you care. The historical perspective is handled really well, and you truly get a sense of the teenagers in the story and their lives. It feels authentic, and is deeply moving. As I say, this was an unexpected wonder of a book, providing so much more than a simple synopsis can provide. 4.5 stars, which I’m happy to bump up to 5 simply because of the surprise of its effect on the reader. Wonderful.
Covering the tumultuous period of summer-winter of 1989 in West Berlin, Ben Fergusson’s new novel centres on 18-year-old Ralf, his family and friends, and Oz, a part-time informant for the authorities who has been spying on the apartment block where Ralf’s family live. This is mostly a coming of age story, with an espionage subplot that weaves in and out of the events of Ralf and his family, before the book reaches a thrilling twist and a moving conclusion. The novel is narrated in first-person, with an older Ralf looking back on this period to understand what happened. Imagine ‘Deutschland 83’ meets ‘Call Me By Your Name’, with a little bit of ‘Stand By Me’ thrown in for good measure – that’s probably the best way I can describe the whole effect of this novel.
Ralf and his friends have just finished school – Ralf, with an English mother and German father, has been studying at an international school (hence the A-levels). His close-knit group of friends include Maike, Ralf’s erstwhile girlfriend; Stefan, his closest friend; and Petra, who has an on-off relationship with Stefan. Together they have forged tight bonds, but as the summer of 1989 unfolds these bonds start to unravel, as Ralf finds himself involved in a spying mission set for him by Oz, a 22-year old of Turkish origin, whom Ralf meets at a swimming pool but recognises from a car which has been parked outside his building for weeks. Oz is trying to find the identity of ‘Axel’, a Stasi spy that has been blackmailing leading political and military figures and who, Oz thinks, is really Ralf’s neighbour Tobias. Furthermore, Ralf finds himself torn between his love for Maike and a growing attraction to Oz. As the weeks and months go by further secrets are revealed and everything Ralf has taken for granted in his life starts to crumble:
‘I had the uneasy feeling that I was just old enough to see these things shifting for the first time, a snapshot of a much longer cycle, a split second in the inestimable history of my own deep time.’
Of course, in the background, is the fracturing of Communism and the events leading up to November 1989, when the checkpoints in Berlin were opened and the process that ultimately led to the reunification of Germany was begun. Without forcing the parallels down your throat, Fergusson manages to make the events unfolding in Ralf’s life and the wider political issues find their own threads. There are several subtle examples throughout the book of borders or edges, of something on the brink of changing: Ralf is half British and half German; he and his friends stand on the cusp of adulthood; he finds himself torn between his sexuality; and of course the Wall, which stands as a physical embodiment of the change that is to come to everyone in the novel.
I’ll be honest, when I first came to this novel, I was expecting a pretty simple spy story. Instead, what I found was a little gem of a book, with characters who came alive and clearly show a great deal of affection from the author. The various strands of the novel work in harmony, and the story of Ralf and Oz becomes more and more complicated as he – and us – start to question everyone and everything that happens. Who can we trust? Who is telling the truth? As the answers start to come and Ralf’s life explodes, the truth is shocking and the implications are massive. This is a tender, involving, beautifully written novel which draws you in and makes you care. The historical perspective is handled really well, and you truly get a sense of the teenagers in the story and their lives. It feels authentic, and is deeply moving. As I say, this was an unexpected wonder of a book, providing so much more than a simple synopsis can provide. 4.5 stars, which I’m happy to bump up to 5 simply because of the surprise of its effect on the reader. Wonderful.
March 14, 2023
“I didn't move from my bed, where I lay staring at a crack that ran from the cable of my lamp to the window frame. I was thinking about the imperceptible movement of our apartment block, thinking how even buildings were in constant, sluggish motion. I thought about bergschrunds, the long crevasses that form when the glacier pulls away from the stagnant ice at its sides. There were so many stories of climbers falling down these crevasses, stories that had once terrified me, but I now imagined lying at the bottom of one, the snow beneath me soft, ice crisp in my nostrils, the high walls around me a perfect powder blue, the rough surface extracting every sound, so that all I would be able to hear would be my heartbeat in my ears. the creak of my clothing, my breath. As che cold turned to warmth I would grow Sleepy and the white of the sky at the top of the crevasse would widen until it enveloped me and became everything. That would be a way to go, I chought, dissolved in glacial
whiteness.”
REVIEW: What a rare treat of a book. I am utterly perplexed as to how and why this book wasn’t a HUGE bestseller? Ben Fergusson’s AN HONEST MAN is many things: an lgbt coming of age story; a political thriller set against the backdrop of Cold War Berlin in the days before the collapse of the Wall; a historical fiction; a love story. It is not only superbly written, but flirts with being ‘popular fiction’ without ever falling victim to the pitfalls of that genre (namely, pandering to the reader or softening its various blows.) It kept me guessing through to the end, and while there were a few issues for me, namely a bit of cheesiness (esp in the denouement) and some oddly described familial dynamics, overall, this book was a profound treat that would appeal to MANY readers. Go grab a copy. 4.5/5
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#benfergusson #anhonestman
whiteness.”
REVIEW: What a rare treat of a book. I am utterly perplexed as to how and why this book wasn’t a HUGE bestseller? Ben Fergusson’s AN HONEST MAN is many things: an lgbt coming of age story; a political thriller set against the backdrop of Cold War Berlin in the days before the collapse of the Wall; a historical fiction; a love story. It is not only superbly written, but flirts with being ‘popular fiction’ without ever falling victim to the pitfalls of that genre (namely, pandering to the reader or softening its various blows.) It kept me guessing through to the end, and while there were a few issues for me, namely a bit of cheesiness (esp in the denouement) and some oddly described familial dynamics, overall, this book was a profound treat that would appeal to MANY readers. Go grab a copy. 4.5/5
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#benfergusson #anhonestman
January 25, 2022
Loved this book so much. A Cold War double spy gay romance novel - what more could you ask for
October 7, 2021
All in all, I liked it. The setting (West Berlin at the time of the Wall coming down) wasn't one I'm very familiar with and the book corrected some inaccurate historical assumptions on my part. The story is twisty and turny, the atmosphere rich, and the characters likeable (though somehow I got off on the wrong foot in envisioning the love interest's physical appearance and I was never fully able to revise my first impression, which was annoying because he was basically my physical ideal and I couldn't accept it). A lull around the 70 percent mark felt like it wanted to be an ending, though the pages remaining suggested otherwise; so the story drifts into the ending rather than charging into it. A major coincidence around that time could've been better handled too. I guess that's a way of saying it's a little messy in places. But the main character's participation in a historical evident was exhilarating. And it kept me on my toes.
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