Product Description

In this collection of brilliant, bite-sized satiric tales, Israeli author Etgar Keret chronicles the strange ironies that suffuse his characters' lives. A man goes to bed each night with his beautiful girlfriend, only to find himself five minutes later lying next to a short fat guy who watches sport; a faithful dog refuses to disappear, even after being shot; a little girl covets the glittery eyes of her schoolfriend; a man is surprised by a middle-eastern pessimistic talking fish; a daemon makes a living from repossessing young writers' talents. In stories as painfully funny as they are brief, Keret covers a remarkable emotional and narrative terrain, confirming his status as both Israel's bestselling young writer and new national conscience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #152402 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

The Guardian
"His brief, frenetic sketches appear at once mind-bogglingly clever yet entirely familiar and habitable."

From the Publisher
Warped and wonderful short stories from Israel's hippest young writer

About the Author
Born in Tel Aviv in 1967, Etgar Keret is one of the leading voices in Israeli literature and cinema. In the last twelve years he has published four books of short stories and novellas, four graphic novels and one feature screenplay. His story collections, bestsellers in Israel, have been published in seventeen different languages. His movie, Malka Red-Heart, won the Israeli 'Oscar', as well as acclaim at several international film festivals. His most recent book, Gaza Blues, was a collaboration with the Palestinian writer Samir el-Youssef. Keret lectures at Tel Aviv University's School of Film

Customer Reviews

weird and wonderful - a book full of gems
Etgar Keret's stories are bizarre and off-beat. He has a mind like a corkscrew

Most of his stories instantly ensnared me - pulling me right in from the very first sentence! Be warned - these tales are probably unlike anything else you may ever have come across.

The actual story called 'The Nimrod Flipout' - after which the book is named - had me laughing aloud. Other stories therein - such as the unforgettable 'Glittery Eyes' - are self-contained pieces of pure art. Each story is quick-paced - told with the sharp, ranting style of a stand-up comedian - but these stories are not jokes, (some of them are far from funny - though most of them are rich with absurdity.) He touches upon many everyday nuances - both light and dark and he writes with a deceptive simplicity. These stories are just so easily readible - sometimes compellingly so - but they contain myriad shades and moods.

These stories are, all at once - quirky, insightful, surreal, down-to-earth, zany, ironic, original, refresingly macho, totally unpretentious, and brilliantly clever.

Even if you don't normally read books, even if you never indulge in any sort of fiction whatsoever - you may still enjoy this book. Anyone, anywhere, will find something in this book that will grab, shock, amuse, inspire, provoke or entertain them. Read it, see if I am right - I dare you!

mezzo/mezzo
Some of these stories are brilliant, 1st round knockout triumphs. Others are yawns. The range of quality goes all the way from about 3-10. I'd say buy the book for the knockouts but be ready for those yawns as well. The blurbs on the book are exaggerated and misleading, as blurbs often are. Maybe some day, but not in this collection.