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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Kiinnostavia, osin hyvin provokatiivisiakin novelleja Israelista. Ihan kaikkia ei oikein tajunnut tai sitten muuten vaan ne ei herättäneet juuri mitään ajatuksia. Muutamat sitäkin enemmän. Lyhyytensä ansiosta myös helppo- ja nopealukuinen kokoelma.
From witty and amusing to heartbreaking and raw, Keret has mastered the art of short story writing. The abundance of emotions he packs into 3-page stories is phenomenal! Not all readers will appreciate the value of each story, but will certainly find at least one they cannot forget.
A really interesting and fantastic collection of short stories, unafraid to go to the odd places that you might not expect a collection of short stories to go. The most mundane story may end in fantasy, while fantasy is quite mundane, Keret paints a unique universe that captures his unique world perspective. Some of the stories left me feeling unsatisfied in the end, but as a collection, it addressed some interesting points and had me thinking about even what a short story must be to a reader for it to be whole.
I have to start by saying that I strongly disliked many/most of the portrayals of women. That being said, Keret has a unique voice and way of telling stories unlike anything I have ever read. Some of the stories were so strange and unexpected I had to read them twice in a row because I loved them so much.
I first came across Etgar Keret in Four Letter Word: Invented Correspondence from the Edge of Modern Romance, a collection of love letters from today's leading fiction writers. After making a note to look him up later and then entirely forgetting about it, I was reminded when I saw the striking cover of this book at Barnes & Noble. After reading the first short story, I immediately put it on my library queue to read the rest.
This collection of short stories feature some of the shortest I've ever read. The first one, "Asthma Attack," is half a page, and the average length of the others does not extend beyond three pages. Irregardless of how short or shorter a story may be, the diversity of imagery and impact of Keret's impressions never seem to lessen in intensity. Throughout all of that is his haunting brand of yearning and disillusionment in unexpectedly surreal scenarios. Although the thinness of the book tempted me to read it straight through, I found that reading in intervals allowed for maximum relishing of each unique story. This is almost necessary in the second half when the stories start to dip into an insider's social commentary on the state of Israeli-Arab interactions; Keret wrote these stories while serving in the Israeli army in the '80s. Neither the fellow Israeli or the Arab escapes criticism for the abuses committed toward the other in their longstanding state of animosity and tension. Yet, countering the heaviness is the author's easy-flowing, colloquial language, which almost sounds like he is telling you these stories personally. It made me wonder if Marjane Satrapi had ever read Keret and received inspiration to tell her story in the disarmingly simple way of Persepolis. Even so, I found his anti-politic fable the most enjoyable with the self-explanatory title "No Politics. The burly tightlipped Romanian cafe owner, who only rouses himself to warn patrons that all political opinions should be left at the door, digs a fresh grave in his backyard for the unfortunate customer who thought him all talk. The exaggerated contrast between the politics-loving lip-clapper and the gruff owner who says only what he means felt like an appropriate pause before the majority of his more somber conflict allegories.
Regardless of whether they are political or not, Keret's stories lead the reader along what seem to be familiar paths and then a surreal turn of events plop you onto an unexpected train of thought. At times quite magical ("Crazy Glue") and at times horrific ("Hat Trick"), it didn't take me too long before I started each new story with fresh anticipation, trying to guess if I would be left with a smile or a rounded "o." The first story ends with a bickering couple who ironically end up stuck to each other at the lips with none other than crazy glue and the second story is narrated by a retired magician who is suffering from post-traumatic stress after pulling out the severed head of his bunny of his top hat . Somehow walking the fence between these two modes are the stories (like "Freeze!) that mix a fun element (the ability to freeze time and to alter other people's actions) with a despicable one (a loser whose sole goal in life is to command women to obey his every whim). The despicable is made all the more despicable, and though the fun element doesn't necessarily brighten, the dark humor of the situation sinks in with the reader while simultaneously evoking pathos for the fiend.
This collection of short stories feature some of the shortest I've ever read. The first one, "Asthma Attack," is half a page, and the average length of the others does not extend beyond three pages. Irregardless of how short or shorter a story may be, the diversity of imagery and impact of Keret's impressions never seem to lessen in intensity. Throughout all of that is his haunting brand of yearning and disillusionment in unexpectedly surreal scenarios. Although the thinness of the book tempted me to read it straight through, I found that reading in intervals allowed for maximum relishing of each unique story. This is almost necessary in the second half when the stories start to dip into an insider's social commentary on the state of Israeli-Arab interactions; Keret wrote these stories while serving in the Israeli army in the '80s. Neither the fellow Israeli or the Arab escapes criticism for the abuses committed toward the other in their longstanding state of animosity and tension. Yet, countering the heaviness is the author's easy-flowing, colloquial language, which almost sounds like he is telling you these stories personally. It made me wonder if Marjane Satrapi had ever read Keret and received inspiration to tell her story in the disarmingly simple way of Persepolis. Even so, I found his anti-politic fable the most enjoyable with the self-explanatory title "No Politics. The burly tightlipped Romanian cafe owner, who only rouses himself to warn patrons that all political opinions should be left at the door, digs a fresh grave in his backyard for the unfortunate customer who thought him all talk. The exaggerated contrast between the politics-loving lip-clapper and the gruff owner who says only what he means felt like an appropriate pause before the majority of his more somber conflict allegories.
Regardless of whether they are political or not, Keret's stories lead the reader along what seem to be familiar paths and then a surreal turn of events plop you onto an unexpected train of thought. At times quite magical ("Crazy Glue") and at times horrific ("Hat Trick"), it didn't take me too long before I started each new story with fresh anticipation, trying to guess if I would be left with a smile or a rounded "o." The first story ends with a bickering couple who ironically end up stuck to each other at the lips with none other than crazy glue and the second story is narrated by a retired magician who is suffering from post-traumatic stress after pulling out the severed head of his bunny of his top hat . Somehow walking the fence between these two modes are the stories (like "Freeze!) that mix a fun element (the ability to freeze time and to alter other people's actions) with a despicable one (a loser whose sole goal in life is to command women to obey his every whim). The despicable is made all the more despicable, and though the fun element doesn't necessarily brighten, the dark humor of the situation sinks in with the reader while simultaneously evoking pathos for the fiend.
Not quite as good in my opinion on "Suddenly, A Knock on the Door". Several of the stories just didn't catch me. The ones that did made the book totally worth it thought. Still one of my favorite writers by far.
He packs a punch, then pulls it. You have to be wide awake when reading Keret. He never does what you expect.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
My favourite Keret book so far -- I've only read a few, but I continually fall in love with every one i read. His quirky and absurd writing is refreshing and breathtaking, and so, so out there and hilarious.
Favourite story: the woman in the kitchen -- I will reveal no more.
Favourite story: the woman in the kitchen -- I will reveal no more.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A