theelliemo 's review for:

A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman

4.0

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A Horse Walks Into A Bar is narrated by a retired district court judge, who out of the blue receives a invite from a stand-up comedian, Dovaleh G. The judge and Dovaleh had been childhood friends, but have not spoken to each other for more than 40 years.
The narrator talks us through Dovaleh's routine, and the audience's reactions, both as a group and individually, and fills in some of the gaps of the history that Dovaleh recounts during his routine. What starts as a normal stand-up routine soon becomes something much more personal, as Dovaleh reveals key events in his life that shaped the man he became. To some extent, what the audience (and us the reader) are seeing is a man on the brink of a breakdown.
In a way, it's a car-crash of a book - you know it probably won't end well but you can't tear yourself away. But I mean that in the best possible way. Grossman's (and Cohen's) skill here is to introduce to us a rather vulgar, obnoxious comedian, and then slowly draw us into his story, and make us really care about him, really want to know what happens to him. It's a book that can be read in one sitting - but you may need a bit of a break from the rollercoaster of emotions.
Touching on racism and anti-Semitism, bullying, anxiety and mental health, this is a hard- hitting book, but an immensely rewarding read.