Obsessed

It's 1973, and Stephen Friedman is a realtor in Los Angeles. He has no family, no history, no roots, but that doesn't bother him--or so he claims. When he finds out that a Jewish Holocaust survivor who died recently might have been his mother, it doesn't affect him--or so he tries to convince himself. But then he learns that she may have left behind a vast treasure...and some very real danger, both of which are now his to uncover.

This book is quite captivating, as basically a conjunction of many different people's obsessions. Shown in dual timelines, love, hate, hope, thirst for power--all of these combine into a story that spans almost 30 years. The second time period shown, besides Stephen in 1973, is that of 2 women in a show more concentration camp in 1944-45. And while their lives are threatened by the man who runs the camp, Stephen's life is threatened by that Nazi's serial killer son. It's really interesting to go back and forth and see the story play out, but also see how the son, Roth Braun, was shaped into a psychopath by his equally sadistic father.

The biggest downside in the story, in my opinion, is right there in the title. It's not the obsession, per se, but how unrealistically quickly it's developed by Stephen. And the jump from being obsessed with getting his hands on what his mother might have left to being in love with a woman he's never met, simply because he's told they were born for each other, doesn't stir any emotion in me. Except eye-rolling. Is that an emotion? Plus, too many people in the story seem to have the same take on love and obsession, which is fairly unrealistic.

I also think suspense could have been built a little more without some of the scenes shown from Braun's perspective. And there was one particular major action he took that did not really add anything to the plot.

Overall, though, I enjoyed the book a lot. It's not my first time reading it, but it is my first time in 10 years. I'm really glad it held up as the book I remember loving, and I would recommend it for all fans of Christian suspense or thrillers (understanding that it's fairly light on a Christian message). show less

This has been an addictive page turner. It's kept me on pins and needles. There were times where I couldn't bear to turn the page because I just didn't want to know if the character was going to encounter an ugly end, or a great success. However I just had to keep going and read it because I really wanted to know what happened. The action and the plot were well written and it just keeps you on edge. It's been a very suspenseful plot and a very thrilling ride.

Stephen as a character is what makes the story funny and keeps the action going as he keeps on pressing towards his goal. I say it's funny because there were just things Stephen had to do which just made me laugh out loud. Roth on the other hand, makes the story very chilling and show more dark, he's your average villain, but add more evil (about 3 cups) and take away the soul and you get Roth. I have never read a villain such as this and he would most likely end up on my top ten villain list. He was just very real, and oozes evil (he even has the black ensemble to match it). Of all the characters mentioned though, I liked Ruth. Her strength, and her ability to see the good and be able to hold onto hope even when she was surrounded by death and hopelessness was very admirable.

Considering the author is known more for his Christian fiction, and he does make references to faith and God in his works, the book did not seem preachy at all. It did not get in the way of the plot. So those who aren't into Christian fiction like I am, the story really has nothing to do with God, or anything of any religious denomination. Just read it for the plot, and the spine chilling events. You'll be a satisfied reader like I was.

What frustrated me about the story is certain parts of the book where the characters decide to just stop and hesitate and think about what they're doing when they should be running out the door and running like hell. I don't get it. I felt like jumping in and kicking them towards the exit and to stop thinking and blubbering like idiots. It was extremely frustrating and annoying.

Overall though, an excellent page turner with all the right plot twists and thrilling moments at the right times. Give this a read if you want a great thrilling ride. show less

When the protagonist in a thriller is an everyman, like Stephen Friedman, in Obsessed, the author has a big challenge: This character must choose to do things that a rational human being would not do, yet it must be believable to the reader. This has been a dificulty for Dekker in several of his books that I've read, and is again here. I never felt that Stephen had sufficient motivation for the insane things he chose to do.

In the third Lord of the Rings book, there is an excrutiating episode in which there is a battle. When the enemey breaches a wall, the heroes retreat behind another wall. The enemy breaches that wall, and the heroes retreat behind another wall. Although Lord of the Rings is one of the great classics of literature, I show more found this particular battle a bit tedious, as I read the same thing over and over. The middle of "Obsessed" has that problem as well. Stephen must break into a house to gain access to a safe. He tries and is foiled. He tries again and is foiled again. He tries again and is foiled again. It just goes on for one or two more times than is beneficial to the story.

In spite of these problems, and in spite of the fact that I'm not a Christian myself, I still liked the book all right, and will read more Dekker. I hope some of his other books measure up to his Circle Trilogy, which was amazing. show less

Are you obsessed? You probably are, though you may not realize it. Just how deeply do you obsess over certain things, causes, etc.

The two main characters of this novel are definitely obsessed. Roth Braun knows he is obsessed with power. Stephen Friedman comes to find out that he is obsessed with finding out his true identity and ultimately his soul mate.

The obsessions of this plot start in a World War II concentration camp. Two mothers are in a life and death struggle against the commandant and his son. Liberation by the Russians brings a respite but not a conclusion.

The conclusion comes in 1973 after a laborious effort to uncover a holocaust survivor’s treasure located in a Los Angeles apartment building. The treasure forces Stephen show more to follow Braun to his lair in Germany and then Poland. Most of the work focuses on Stephen’s efforts to obtain the treasure in the apartment building. But the plot moves very rapidly after the reader is taken to Germany.

The plot has several surprises sprinkled throughout. Esther and Ruth were the most notable to me. I am normally a very slow reader. A 380-page work will normally keep me busy for three weeks or more. I got caught up in the obsession and read the entire thing in about three sittings.

The story does have its weaknesses. One sub-plot based on serial killings doesn’t seem to have much of a purpose other than to further develop Braun’s character. A couple of situations are unrealistic, especially Stephen’s endeavor to pass off as a female building inspector. But then again, he is obsessed.

One thing of which more conservative Christian readers should beware is that the Braun is an exceedingly dark antagonist and the story follows from the concentration camps to the conclusion accordingly. However, the ending is redeeming.

Obsessed is perhaps some of the best fiction I have ever read in that I think I got the overall “point” of the story. I constantly found myself thinking, “What really drives me to take the actions that I do?” show less

An obsessive read.... of the page-turner variety, that is. A story spanning three decades, beginning in a Nazi concentration camp in World War II, where unspeakable horrors unfold, and culminating in hunt for a Jewish relic. Two factions collide and face off in their quest for this artifact: same goal, different motives, one obsession.

This is my first Ted Dekker book, and I must say, wow. His writing style is excellent and there's always a turn or twist. Nothing that was really horrid or shameful or anything that I'd be embarrassed about if our teen daughter read it. Held my interest without a problem. Stephen, the protagonist, is a wee bit flaky, but he's lovable. I'm now officially a Dekker fan!

Another good book by Ted Dekker; its action was riveting and the pace of the story was good. I found some of the actions of the characters a little unrealistic and in particular the background of the villain and his motivations were not properly explained in my estimation and so it let to a lot of inference and guessing by the reader. Overall though a very good story that kept my attention and kept me guessing till the end exactly how it would all turn out. For a piece of religious themed fiction it was not overly preachy and had no gratuitous mentions of God and Christianity.