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A review by marypmcg
The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God by Etgar Keret
3.0
It was very different. Here's a quick like/ dislike breakdown though, in case anyone is interested:
dislikes:
1. Some of the stories just ended abruptly. I think this is really Keret's style and it is intentional more than it is lazy. But a lot of times a story would be over and I would feel like, "...SO??"
2. Some of the language in the book sounds racist or homophobic. I don't think Keret himself is racist or homophobic, but he feels the need to portray a lot of "macho" guys in his stories, and it gets old.
likes:
1. The stories are very short. This makes the book go by at an enjoyable pace. It's like seeing several different snapshots. Like a frozen moment of a story, a painting of a story.
2. Keret creates some very unusual and clever situations and settings. One of my favorite stories (actually one of the longest, too) in the book is the last one, about the afterlife for people who commit suicide. It was very surreal and bizarre. And he rags on Kurt Cobain a little bit, who is a bit of a whiny bitch in the afterlife. This should surprise no one.
3. I find it interesting that Keret seems very Israeli. For example, the names he uses in his stories all sound very Israeli. And the fact that all citizens are required to spend some time in the military comes into play in almost every story. But not in a contrived way. Just as if being in the military is a fact of life. Everyone in the stories is in it or will be someday, or used to be, or knows someone who is.
other things:
1. This isn't a dislike of mine personally, but sometimes the stories seem really superficial. I think Keret has a bit of an existentialist element to his work. Some people aren't really into this, so it's more of a warning than a dislike of my own.
2. Keret's stories tend to be a bit on the dark side. Which is rather unsurprising, since the illustration on the cover shows a smiley cartoon character blowing his brains out. So, don't read this book if you're in the mood for something uplifting. It is humorous in its own way, and clever, but not exactly fun.
dislikes:
1. Some of the stories just ended abruptly. I think this is really Keret's style and it is intentional more than it is lazy. But a lot of times a story would be over and I would feel like, "...SO??"
2. Some of the language in the book sounds racist or homophobic. I don't think Keret himself is racist or homophobic, but he feels the need to portray a lot of "macho" guys in his stories, and it gets old.
likes:
1. The stories are very short. This makes the book go by at an enjoyable pace. It's like seeing several different snapshots. Like a frozen moment of a story, a painting of a story.
2. Keret creates some very unusual and clever situations and settings. One of my favorite stories (actually one of the longest, too) in the book is the last one, about the afterlife for people who commit suicide. It was very surreal and bizarre. And he rags on Kurt Cobain a little bit, who is a bit of a whiny bitch in the afterlife. This should surprise no one.
3. I find it interesting that Keret seems very Israeli. For example, the names he uses in his stories all sound very Israeli. And the fact that all citizens are required to spend some time in the military comes into play in almost every story. But not in a contrived way. Just as if being in the military is a fact of life. Everyone in the stories is in it or will be someday, or used to be, or knows someone who is.
other things:
1. This isn't a dislike of mine personally, but sometimes the stories seem really superficial. I think Keret has a bit of an existentialist element to his work. Some people aren't really into this, so it's more of a warning than a dislike of my own.
2. Keret's stories tend to be a bit on the dark side. Which is rather unsurprising, since the illustration on the cover shows a smiley cartoon character blowing his brains out. So, don't read this book if you're in the mood for something uplifting. It is humorous in its own way, and clever, but not exactly fun.