WELCOME TO BOOKIN' WITH BINGO'S" ARE YOU LISTENING? DAY"
I AM EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE TODAY'S
AUDIO BOOK CHOICE.....
GIVEAWAY ENDED
SUDDENLY,
SUDDENLY,
A KNOCK ON THE DOOR
BY ETGAR KERET
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Read by an all-star cast and featuring a bonus story special to the audio edition, Suddenly, a Knock on the Door is a one-of-a-kind audiobook program.
Bringing up a child, lying to the boss, placing an order in a fast-food restaurant: in Etgar Keret’s new collection, daily life is complicated, dangerous, and full of yearning. In his most playful and most mature work yet, the living and the dead, silent children and talking animals, dreams and waking life coexist in an uneasy world. Overflowing with absurdity, humor, sadness, and compassion, the tales in Suddenly, a Knock on the Door establish Etgar Keret—declared a “genius” by The New York Times—as one of the most original writers of his generation.
AUDIO TRACK LISTING:
Suddenly, a Knock on the Door: Read by Ira Glass
Lieland: Read by Adam Thirlwell
Cheesus Christ: Read by Dave Eggers
Simyon: Read by Nicole Krauss
Shut: Read by George Saunders
Healthy Start: Read by Ben Foster
Teamwork: Read by Mathieu Amalric
Pudding: Read by Aimee Bender
Unzipping: Read by Miranda July
The Polite Little Boy: Read by Ben Marcus
Mystique: Read by Willem Dafoe
Creative Writing: Read by Stanley Tucci
Snot: Read by John Sayles
Grab the Cuckoo by the Tail: Read by Gary Shteyngart
Pick a Color: Read by Robert Wisdom
Black and Blue: Read by Stella Schnabel
What Do We Have in Our Pockets?: Read by Michael Chabon
Bad Karma: Read by Lorin Stein
Ari: Read by Rick Moody
Bitch: Read by Nathan Englander
The Story, Victorious: Read by Scott Shepherd
A Good One: Read by David Rakoff
What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?: Read by Gary Shteyngart
Not Completely Alone: Read by Michael Chernus
One Step Beyond: Read by Shea Wigham
Big Blue Bus: Read by Josh Charles
Hemorrhoid: Read by Michael Buscemi
September All Year Long: Read by Neal Stephenson
Joseph: Read by Mark Duplass
Mourners Meal: Read by Shalom Auslander
Parallel Universes: Read by Todd Hasak-Lowy
Upgrade: Read by Josh Radnor
Guava: Read by Ira Glass
Surprise Party: Read by Scott Shepherd
What Animal Are You?: Read by Jonathan Safran Foer
Asthma Attack: Read by Etgar Keret
AN EXCERPT FROM SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR:
SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR
"Tell me a story," the bearded man sitting on my living-room sofa commands. The situation, I must say, is anything but pleasant. I'm someone who writes stories, not someone who tells them. And even that isn't something I do on demand. The last time anyone asked me to tell him a story, it was my son. That was a year ago. I told him something about a fairy and a ferret--I don't even remember what exactly--and within two minutes he was fast asleep. But the situation is fundamentally different. Because my son doesn't have a beard, or a pistol. Because my son asked for the story nicely, and this man is simply trying to rob me of it.
I try to explain to the bearded man that if he puts his pistol away it will only work in his favor, in our favor. It's hard to think up a story with the barrel of a loaded pistol pointed at your head. But the guy insists. "In this country," he explains, "if you want something, you have to use force." He just got here from Sweden, and in Sweden it's completely different. Over there, if you want something, you ask politely, and most of the time you get it. But not in the stifling, muggy Middle East. All it takes is one week in this place to figure out how things work--or rather, how things don't work.
I try to explain to the bearded man that if he puts his pistol away it will only work in his favor, in our favor. It's hard to think up a story with the barrel of a loaded pistol pointed at your head. But the guy insists. "In this country," he explains, "if you want something, you have to use force." He just got here from Sweden, and in Sweden it's completely different. Over there, if you want something, you ask politely, and most of the time you get it. But not in the stifling, muggy Middle East. All it takes is one week in this place to figure out how things work--or rather, how things don't work.
TO FINISH READING THIS EXCERPT, VISIT THE MACMILLAN AUDIO BOOK WEBSITE HERE!
PRAISE FOR SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR:
PRAISE FOR SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR:
“Keret’s greatest book yet—the most funny, dark, and poignant. It’s tempting to say these stories are his most Kafkaesque, but in fact they are his most Keretesque.” —Jonathan Safran Foer
Etgar Keret’s stories highlight humor, bizarre twists and characters in the midst of psychic upheaval.
- The New York Times
- The New York Times
“His pieces elicit comparison to sources as diverse as Franz Kafka, Kurt Vonnegut and Woody Allen . . . [Keret is] a writer who is often very funny and inventive, and occasionally profound.” —Kirkus Reviews (March 15)
Suddenly': Surreal Stories From A Modern Master : A killer is doomed to live out the afterlife as Pooh Bear. A magical goldfish grants wishes, and disgruntled divorced dads abound. Welcome to the absurd and very tender world of Suddenly, a Knock on the Door, the new story collection by Israeli writer Etgar Keret.
- NPR.org
- NPR.org
“Israeli author Keret writes sometimes appealingly wacky, sometimes darkly absurdist stories that translate well to America . . . Sophisticated readers should check this out.” —Library Journal
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Be sure and visit Etgar Keret's website HERE.
MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
When did you last read a short story, and why was it so long ago? That was the question I asked myself as I began to listen to the Macmillan Audio Book of Etgar Keret’s SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR. After thoroughly enjoying just the first satirical tale, “Suddenly a Knock on the Door”, I realized I have been missing out on some exceptional literature. Keret’s very short stories are so enjoyable that like a short chapter book that keeps you turning the pages to read just one more chapter, SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR has one listening to “just one more story” before stopping. Often I did stop purposefully just to let what I had read rumble around in my thoughts so I could decide what I liked about it or perhaps what the implications might be.
The stories cover a wide range of subjects and especially play with our imagination. I believe that if one takes them too literally, or waits for the picture perfect ending, you have lost the whole idea of what the story sets out to do. They run the gamut from witty to sad, normal to bizarre, as well as unexpectedly poignant. What Keret can do in just a few minutes or pages is grab the reader and draw them in for what some books may take chapters to finally do.
With 35 stories, I can’t pick a favorite as they all got me to thinking, or laughing, or smiling, or crying. I did enjoy the imagery and theoretical correlation that “Cheesus Christ” presented. Linked to an imaginary fast-food restaurant of the same name, “Cheesus Christ” starts out with a supposed survey of the most common last words people say before they die. Descriptions of certain people and their last words lead to what effect that has on the world as a whole. I found it quite imaginative and thought provokingly enjoyable!
I found ”Bitch” to be charmingly clever as a widower on a train watches a woman with a small dog who suddenly stares deeply into his eyes and he realizes that the spirit of his deceased wife is now the dog’s. How he reacts and recounts her story has to bring a smile to your face. “What Animal Are You?” reveals the paternal, protective side in Keret and is also a favorite. Whether tragic or triumphant, these stories may be your entry back to the world of short stories if, like me, they were left behind when you left school. SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR in Audio Book was even more enjoyable to me as I listened to all the familiar people who read each story. Take some time to explore Etgar Keret’s latest work. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
GIVEAWAY
THANKS TO ESTHER AND MY FRIENDS AT
MACMILLAN AUDIO, I HAVE ONE COPY OF
THIS AMAZING BOOK, SUDDENLY, I HEARD
A KNOCK ON THE DOOR, TO GIVE AWAY
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY
HOW TO ENTER:--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY
+1 ENTRY: READ ABOUT THE AUDIO BOOK ABOVE AND COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT SUDDENLY, A KNOCK ON THE DOOR THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS AUDIO BOOK
+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY
+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT ETGAR KERET'S WEBSITE HERE
+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE CURRENT GIVEAWAY OF MINE YOU HAVE ENTERED. IF YOU ENTERED MORE THAN ONE, COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR EACH AND YOU WILL GET AN ENTRY FOR EACH ONE
+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU CAN COMMENT SEPARATELY AND EACH WILL COUNT AS AN ENTRY
GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, JUNE 4
GOOD LUCK!6 PM, EST, JUNE 4
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