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The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God Other Stories Etgar Keret Books

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The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God Other Stories Etgar Keret Books

With this book I think the most important thing for any potential reader is to understand the genre before giving this book of short stories a read, because if you do not like this genre then you will not like this book. The stories are dark, and the author plays with irony and subtle twists. The author's worlds are not black and white but instead different shades of grey. If you don't enjoy flawed heroes who learn twisted lessons then this is not the book for you.

With that said this book was an important read for me in that it illustrated just how big a role military life plays in Israeli culture and society. More than half of these stories had some theme of military service surrounding them. The author's stories tend to focus on youths, and so their eventual military service is a common theme. I guess it is difficult to understand just how much the military permeates Israeli culture when one is outside of this society. I have read a lot of books on Israel, but it wasn't really till this little book that the reality actually began to sink in that this is a very pervasive aspect of Israeli culture.

As for the stories themselves the majority of them are about three pages long so expect to be sucked into this book very quickly. I found myself saying just one more until the book was finished. Of course I love this genre and style, so this book was bound to find a receptive audience with me. The author has a very nice style that sucks you in quickly then punches you in the gut before he moves onto the next story.

Once again know the genre. If this genre appeals to you then you will love this book, but if it doesn't then you should absolutely skip this work because it won't appeal to you.


Tags : Amazon.com: The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God & Other Stories (9781592641055): Etgar Keret: Books,Etgar Keret,The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God & Other Stories,Toby Pr,1592641059,Humorous,Religious - General,Short stories.,1967-,FICTION Humorous General,FICTION Religious,FICTION Short Stories (single author),Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction-Humorous,GENERAL,Keret, Etgar,,Modern fiction,Short Stories (single author),Short stories,Translations into English

The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God Other Stories Etgar Keret Books Reviews

If you like amusing, quirky short stories, this is the book for you!
I originally fell in love with the movie the wristcutters a love story. That movie is based off a short story in this book called knellers happy campers. Reading the actual story was like rediscovering an old love.
There is no way to know whether you will like this book or not, because it's totally fresh and different from any other writer out there (to my knowledge; if I'm missing something please do let me know). This is a voice like nothing I've ever read, with incredible imagination and depth. A window into modern Israeli culture as well as some of the deepest and most raw human emotions, the kind you don't access in the course of normal life. And it was liberating - finally, a vision of the place our present lives occupy in the great big eternity or whatever this thing might be that's tangible and all the more meaningful for not being swept aside for a set of answers. Keret's is an anchorless irreverance; instead of bashing its head against some existing philosophy, it just lets itself unfold. Reading him was a completely new and revelationary experience for me and I would recommend him to anyone who can sweep aside everything they might have heard or read - including this review - and just read him with wide open eyes.
This is one of my favorite books/authors! Each and every story grabs you by the seat of your pants/skirt and takes you on an ever unexpected journey. Etgar Keret is my author idol! If I could write even half as good as him, I'd be a best-seller!
I (along with what I believe to be most of the other people reviewing) bought this book because I really enjoyed the movie "Wristcutters A Love Story." Let me say, I was NOT disappointed!!
With the exception of Wristcutters, all of Keret's stories in the book are REALLY short, even in comparison to other short stories that I have read. While I was initially concerned that I would not enjoy such short stories, I found that my initial thoughts were mistaken, and I greatly appreciated their length. This book is really easy to pick up and read when you only have a few minutes to read- say before dinner or during a break at work.
I found all of the stories agreeable, but would have to say that my favorite story was "The Bus Driver Who Wanted to be God." I thought that both characters in this story were extremely likable, and I found the story to be rather sweet. However, in some of the stories, I believe that the ideas presented would be more relatable to someone more familiar with Israeli culture than I.
I watched the movie "Wrist Cutters - A Love Story" which is based on a short story by Etgar Keret called "Kneller's Happy Campers". While the movie has a happier ending that the short story, I did enjoy Keret's writing style and the fact his stories are quirky and present life from a different point of view. Keret is a Jewish author and grew up in Israel. His stories have a bit of an existential feel and I think he would be an interesting person to know.
I might be going a little too far by calling this the best book I've read all year, but while the high of this book still lingers with me that's what I'm calling it. I'll admit the only reason I bought this book was to read "Kneller's Happy Campers" because it was adapted into the film Wristcutters - A Love Story, but "Knellers" turned out to be the last story in the collection and it just didn't feel right to ignore the other stories.

Etgar Keret doesn't disappoint. His style might be a little over the top for the average reader, but his imagination is just the sort of world I'd love to live in. From a town that houses the gateway to hell to a man who finds Heaven within a pipe, the book is filled with slice-of-life stories of average-joe characters who just happen to reside within the surreal.

I should warn that if you're not into magical realism, bizarro fiction, or surrealism, then you should stray away from this collection. However, if you're seeking an exit from the monotony of your choice genre, this book might just be what you're looking for.
With this book I think the most important thing for any potential reader is to understand the genre before giving this book of short stories a read, because if you do not like this genre then you will not like this book. The stories are dark, and the author plays with irony and subtle twists. The author's worlds are not black and white but instead different shades of grey. If you don't enjoy flawed heroes who learn twisted lessons then this is not the book for you.

With that said this book was an important read for me in that it illustrated just how big a role military life plays in Israeli culture and society. More than half of these stories had some theme of military service surrounding them. The author's stories tend to focus on youths, and so their eventual military service is a common theme. I guess it is difficult to understand just how much the military permeates Israeli culture when one is outside of this society. I have read a lot of books on Israel, but it wasn't really till this little book that the reality actually began to sink in that this is a very pervasive aspect of Israeli culture.

As for the stories themselves the majority of them are about three pages long so expect to be sucked into this book very quickly. I found myself saying just one more until the book was finished. Of course I love this genre and style, so this book was bound to find a receptive audience with me. The author has a very nice style that sucks you in quickly then punches you in the gut before he moves onto the next story.

Once again know the genre. If this genre appeals to you then you will love this book, but if it doesn't then you should absolutely skip this work because it won't appeal to you.