"'Earl, if you want to cope with this, you'll just have to accept the truth.'

Keese became very haughty. 'No, I don't,' he said. 'I don't have to accept anything that doesn't suit me'." - Thomas Berger, Neighbors, page 141


I'll be the first to admit that I only decided to pick this up after watching its 1981 movie adaptation, which I loved. It absolutely baffles me how poorly the film did upon its release, because I think Aykroyd and Belushi did a phenomenal job bringing the acute horror of the story to life. Having now read the book, it's clear that the movie is a surprisingly faithful adaptation of the book. Very few events and details are left out of the film. 

Berger's style lends itself incredibly well to the claustrophobia of the story. By the end, the reader feels as though they are driving slow circles around the very cul-de-sac of the novel's setting, becoming fleetingly acquainted with the small cast of characters just as they begin to morph and change. The characters are elusive and untrustworthy. The house itself is sinister. Everything feels wrong, and yet, by the end, it all feels as though it has fallen morbidly into place. The unsettling motifs, as well: dogs, cold food, prostitution. Each made me want to go back and try and piece together Berger's themes about suburban culture.  

The only thing I disliked about this book was its structure. The sectioning-off of the story into chapters was jarring and diminished the downward-spiral feel of the book. Often, chapters would end on cliffhanger notes, which, in my mind, cheapened the experience a little. In my opinion, I think it would have been better without any chapter divisions.

Beyond that, though, I loved this book a great deal. The experience is incredibly unique and the novel and the movie complement each other in unexpected ways. Definitely worth a read, if you're up for it.