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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
This was a recommendation on the summer reading shelf at my local library.
This book is an interesting premise -- a washed-up comedian tries to woo the crowd in Netanya, Isreal. He is failing and then he spirals into a very personal storytime that is cringe-worthy, especially given the location of a comedy club. All the time, the POV is from a judge who has a connection with the comic we learn throughout the book.
I had to reread a few passages because they were confusing. I think that is partly due to the point of view. Some of the jokes are also in "poor taste," but he's a comedian so you get what you pay for.
This book is an interesting premise -- a washed-up comedian tries to woo the crowd in Netanya, Isreal. He is failing and then he spirals into a very personal storytime that is cringe-worthy, especially given the location of a comedy club. All the time, the POV is from a judge who has a connection with the comic we learn throughout the book.
I had to reread a few passages because they were confusing. I think that is partly due to the point of view. Some of the jokes are also in "poor taste," but he's a comedian so you get what you pay for.
Aika pienin odotuksin tähän lähdin, mutta Israel kiinnostaa aihepiirinä jonkin verran sattuneista syistä, Booker-voittajuus on plussaa ja pieni sivumäärä varmisti, ettei tämä missään tapauksessa iso urakka ole, joten miksipä ei.
Ja kas, tästähän kuoriutui mielenkiintoinen kirja. Päähenkilö on eläköitynyt tuomari, joka saa kutsun standup-keikalle. Keikalle esiintyy vanha lapsuudenystävä, jota päähenkilö ei ole tavannut 40 vuoteen. Keikka alkaa aika tavanomaiseen tapaan, mutta saavuttaa lopulta hyvin maaniset kierrokset. Sitä mukaa, kun yleisöä poistuu paikalta, jutut käyvät sakeammiksi ja uppoavat syvemmälle koomikko Dovin lapsuuden traumoihin.
Mietinkin, miten standup-keikka toimii kirjamuodossa. Tavallinen keikka ei ehkä toimisikaan, mutta tässä saadaan melko riipivä kuvaus lapsuuden traumojen vaikutuksesta ihmiseloon. Ehkä siinä sivussa jotain kommentaaria Israelin yhteiskunnastakin? Sitä pitäisi ehkä tuntea paremmin, jotta siitä puolesta saisi enemmän irti.
Ja kas, tästähän kuoriutui mielenkiintoinen kirja. Päähenkilö on eläköitynyt tuomari, joka saa kutsun standup-keikalle. Keikalle esiintyy vanha lapsuudenystävä, jota päähenkilö ei ole tavannut 40 vuoteen. Keikka alkaa aika tavanomaiseen tapaan, mutta saavuttaa lopulta hyvin maaniset kierrokset. Sitä mukaa, kun yleisöä poistuu paikalta, jutut käyvät sakeammiksi ja uppoavat syvemmälle koomikko Dovin lapsuuden traumoihin.
Mietinkin, miten standup-keikka toimii kirjamuodossa. Tavallinen keikka ei ehkä toimisikaan, mutta tässä saadaan melko riipivä kuvaus lapsuuden traumojen vaikutuksesta ihmiseloon. Ehkä siinä sivussa jotain kommentaaria Israelin yhteiskunnastakin? Sitä pitäisi ehkä tuntea paremmin, jotta siitä puolesta saisi enemmän irti.
This is a very difficult book to rate for me because of all the emotions and all the flaws, both clearly visible to me. I'm going with four stars for now. The story doesn't really explore a lot of the story lines it brings up, they are simply mentioned. Fans of the catcher in the rye would love this novel for sure, it has the same cadence, the same story but no story situation. It explores Dovelah as a character but there's still some restraint in that sphere. What it does really well is create an atmosphere and make you feel the way the audience must have felt. It is heart wrenching in a lot of places, it makes you self introspect a little about how you treat people. I enjoyed the characters and I loved the way I felt while reading this book- a bit sorry, more sorry for being interested in this grotesque act. (I think it might even be a deliberate metaphor for liking the book).
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quite a deceptive title, dark story disguised as a stand up piece. It was a completely new concept for me.
An emotional rollercoaster! One moment you are cracking up then suddenly there is this rage. But most of the time it is only grief and sadness.
However there is something which I couldn't get a hold on, I couldn't experience all the emotions Dov was trying to throw. May be because the concept was so raw and bizzare. Also I felt this should be read in one or two sitting.
An emotional rollercoaster! One moment you are cracking up then suddenly there is this rage. But most of the time it is only grief and sadness.
However there is something which I couldn't get a hold on, I couldn't experience all the emotions Dov was trying to throw. May be because the concept was so raw and bizzare. Also I felt this should be read in one or two sitting.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm confused if I liked this book or not. It's dark, confusing and written in a very unique style where the author narrates incidents from different timelines of the protagonist's life. It has a very weird sense of humor, few instances extremely condescending, few very empathizing and few very disgusting.
It's a story of a stand up gig performed by an old man who thinks he is losing it and the entire story takes place within the two hours of the stand up act. As the gig progresses, the mood changes from fun to melancholy as the performer starts telling about his childhood. Also the comic has invited his childhood friend(who is a retired judge) to be a part of the audience since he wants to know what the friend feels after the act. As the story continues, the reader experiences various moods. Its not an easy read. It's irritating at times but I believe the author intended it to be like that.
This book was awarded Man Booker in 2017. It's very different and you have to read it to judge it. It's a 3.5/5 for me.
It's a story of a stand up gig performed by an old man who thinks he is losing it and the entire story takes place within the two hours of the stand up act. As the gig progresses, the mood changes from fun to melancholy as the performer starts telling about his childhood. Also the comic has invited his childhood friend(who is a retired judge) to be a part of the audience since he wants to know what the friend feels after the act. As the story continues, the reader experiences various moods. Its not an easy read. It's irritating at times but I believe the author intended it to be like that.
This book was awarded Man Booker in 2017. It's very different and you have to read it to judge it. It's a 3.5/5 for me.