This book won the 2017 Man Booker International Prize. I can't honestly say why - it kept putting me to sleep! At around 200 pages I thought it would be a quick read, but took much longer because there are no chapter breaks (plus I kept falling asleep). The story takes place over 2 hours, where the comedian on stage essentially has a breakdown in front of a horrified audience. Glad it didn't go on much longer because I probably would've had one too. ⭐️⭐️/5

Not for me - I did read until the very last word and it didn't get any better. It's the first book I have read by this author and I would be prepared to read another in order to change my mind.

On reading this book, you can see why it won this year’s Man Booker Prize. This takes some mightily impressive emotional and stylistic risks.

Its set-up is remarkably simple – yet clever for it draws you in and creates a powerful narrative drive. We follow Dovaleh G., a rather unlikeable Israeli stand-up comedian during one of his routines. The book is a straight-through account of this one performance, this one-night show in the small Israeli town of Netanya.

In many ways, this should be unremarkable – a series of crude jokes, some with questionable levels of appropriateness in front of an audience who may be giving the show, what 60% of their attention? But actually what we witness is an unravelling – one that draws in both us the reader, and the audience in front of him.

For Dovaleh has invited a childhood friend to the show – one he has not seen for decades – and what follows is a form of reckoning as Dovaleh’s performance spirals out of control, outside of the normal boundaries of a comedy show, and instead becomes a piece of self-excavation as he revisits moments from his childhood and traumatic events from his past.

This book won’t make you laugh or cry – and I don’t think it is trying to. Everything here is shades of grey. We are meant to feel both repugnance and sympathy for this man, often at the same time. But it is demanding some form of introspection, that we examine ourselves and those around us. To be more aware of private battles others may be facing. That we won’t always be able to read, truly, what is happening with others and that, perhaps, we should not therefore be so quick to judge.

We’re all a bit of a mess, aren’t we? Deliberately uncomfortable but fascinating and a real page-turner.

I couldn't say I liked much about this book apart from the concept which was promising... until I read it.
Some of the jokes were funny but it was generally a very uncomfortable read.
I was hoping for something to redeem it for me but sorry to say that did not happen.

I found this book completely engrossing. I didn't want to put it down. The way the book is written, you can empathise with those in the audience (and question what you would have done - stay or leave). It would be wrong to say this is a wholly unpleasant read. Yes, it covers some upsetting issues - grief, bullying, childhood, loss, guilt, the Holocaust (to name but a few), but the writing is stunning. I was there with him in the audience and there again then he was in the truck be driven back to his home town. You want to intervene and help him some how.
This book willstay with me because any portrayal of bullying like this is quite haunting and dredges up memories from your own past.
It won't be for some (and I wouldn't have enjoyed it if I was in the mood for something light), but it's short, the writing is spot on and given the location and topics covered it gave me new insight that other authors haven't previously.
It's not 5 stars simply because although it moved me, I was ready for it to finish.

This review is based on a free copy provided to me by netgalley.

This is the first time that I have read anything by David Grossman and it is certainly different, but not to my taste. It was originally written in Hebrew and then translated by Jessica Cohen.

The setting is in Israel and it centres on the 'stand up’ comic Doveleh G, who suffers from his intense inner demons. I just found it so difficult to like this character, as he certainly is not funny! He seems to use his audience as a sounding board, spewing forth doom and gloom. No wonder many of them are heckling, plus some even walk out!

There is someone else in the audience who Doveleh G has specially invited and he plays a significant part.

It is interesting to note that there is a diverse variety of opinions from other reviewers, so it's individual appreciation at the end of the day. Sorry, it didn't work for me.

Galadriel

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

A horse walks into a bar…

It’s like those challenges to describe a novel in six words. In this case, the six word title perfectly encapsulates the subject matter, the narrative style, the vibe. We’re in a grim comedy cellar in Netanya – which Google tells me is a town 30km north of Tel Aviv. The comic on stage, Dovaleh G (G for Greenstein) is telling bad jokes about how grim and dangerous Netanya is. I presume this is part of an in-joke as Netanya appears to be a coastal resort some distance from Israel’s borders. And as the evening wears on, he starts some observational comedy based on his own life.

Like the title, Dov’s story is cheesy. Or perhaps that’s not quite fair – it is actually quite a sad (and short) story but covered in lashings of comic cheese.

The structure of the book is particularly striking. The story is actually told by Avishai Lazar, a former court judge whom Dov has invited – perhaps paid – to come along and pass judgement. So we actually have Avishai reporting Dovaleh’s routine, complete with his own memories and thoughts, and a running commentary on the state of the audience. Then, when Dov reports other people’s conversations, we have Avishai reporting Dov reporting someone else. And sometimes that someone else is telling a joke… It creates multiple layers, like a matrioshka.

The narrative voice is distinctive and never lets up. But after a while, it starts to get a little wearing. At one point in the novel, a member of the audience gets sick of the endless digressions from the story and when Dov threatens to tell another joke, shouts out for him to get on with the story. I know where that was coming from. By the end, we don’t need to know that Avishai has ordered too may tapas or that the bikers have sneaked out without anyone noticing. We just want to know how Dov’s story ends and whether there is actually a punchline to the horse walking into the bar. Even though we know the answer to both of these all along.

Dovaleh’s story is genuinely shocking but ultimately not that complex. It probably doesn’t deserve such a build up but, like most observational comedy stories, without the padding they would not be worth telling at all.

Overall this is a clever novel and has understandably won awards. But I’m not sure that it is a terribly entertaining book.

This is a story of a man falling apart in public. It is a difficult read in parts but is well worth the effort

Wow, this is not going to be an easy book to review. To start with, it's one of those rare stories of nothing much happening. Importantly though, it remains captivating. It's something that doesn't always work well... or at all really. But, when it does I am hooked. The fact that I'm reading a translation is a huge credit to both Grossman's original text and Jessica Cohen's translating skills. Stories like this are a lazy river on a hot summer's day; if you sit back and let it pull you along you'll be rewarded richly.

So now you know better than to expect pages of intense action you may be wondering what you should expect instead. Well, the blurb tells the plot fairly well. In the coastal city of Netanya, a stand up comic turns his routine into his memoir. A decision which, not unsurprisingly, doesn't exactly prove a big hit with the audience. But it's clear that he's doing this for himself more than the audience. It's some kind of therapy for him, a cathartic piece of performance art.

That final point is a fascinating aspect of this book, and for me what really makes it work. It's easy to miss the incredible performance that Dovaleh delivers because we know Grossman is in complete control of all the characters. It feels odd praising how a performer can work the audience when deep down you know that behind both is the same author who can decide exactly how the two see and react to each other, but Grossman doesn't do Dovelah any favours. He makes the audience react realistically, and when you look at the performance in itself you can see the subtle finesse of a performer really working for every response.

Dovelah bares himself on stage, both figuratively and, at least partially, literally. He appears lost in his private bubble yet he's astutely aware of the room. He plays with the audience. He crafts their reactions; he insults them and he humours them. He uses them to make his entire performance come together. He feeds off them.

Dovelah moves targets for his abuse because a crowd will always relish fresh blood - especially as a distraction from their own wounds. Dovelah flips out cheesy jokes when he knows they need some respite from it all. He is at once awkward and elegant, taking himself right to the line and then pulling back to keep the audience on his side. When he crosses the line he does so with purpose. He knows exactly when he'll go too far and with whom.

The whole story has a darkness to it. We're witnessing an outpouring of hurt, but our protagonist is intent on offering us a buffer. As much as he dishes out the pain he also knows when to pull the verbal punches. He offers respite when the pressure gets too high. Painful memories have an unusual effect on people though. They're hard to look away from. Someone else's hurt often brings out our own. We listen as much for us as for them. And Grossman captures that sentiment well. That odd addiction we all know.

It's what makes the bad jokes so good. Outside of this book, you'd groan and roll your eyes at the attempts at humour. But here? Scattered through this story? They become hilarious. Whether poor taste or just plain poor, they are exactly what you need at the point you need them.

I never really felt the weight of the book pushing down on me. Despite the depth and complexity, I was simply engrossed. I found a confident in Dovelah very early that meant I wanted to be part of his journey no matter what happened. I was a willing companion on his meandering journey. I'd ride it again and again.

Like I say, there's something about this style of story that just grabs me. There's a very small group of them that just click so well I can get lost in time and time again. I think that group has just grown by one. This is a story that I am confident will give me more each time I drift away with it.

I'm not going to lie, this was not a book I can say I enjoyed. A fascinating concept...yes. A book that draws you in...yes. But enjoyable...no. I won't go into the details of the plot as others have done that already both on this site and on various review pages. But my overwhelming opinion having literally just finished the book is that it could have been so much more. The feeling that you're in the club watching this comedian is both a really intriguing and vivid setting. And it felt very unique too. But at the same time, it was limiting. I wanted to find out more about some of the other members of the audience. I wanted to find out more about the background of his parents. And I wanted to know more about the judge. Obviously in any book you're limited to whatever the author wants to tell you. But here I felt it was the setting of the comedy club that put up that barrier.

On the positive side, I was interested by the drip feed of the story, both of the relationship between the judge and the comedian and also what happened to the comedian and his parents. And I can see that the book is a take on how society (i.e. the comedy club audience) has a fascination with knowing everything about everyone. To me it felt like a comment on reality tv and social media and how we all feel the need to share and witness perhaps more than is healthy. But at the same time, it showed that sharing could be both harmful (in this case physically as well as mentally) and helpful.

I know my thoughts don't necessarily chime with those of other reviewers but perhaps I enjoy a clearer narrative. I wouldn't discourage people from reading the book as it did feel very different to anything I've ever read before. And I hope people can get some enjoyment from it.

I'm not familiar with Grossman's writing, but as this was a Mann Booker winner, I was curious to read it.
And its short! Its more of a novella or extended short story, being less than 150 pages.
Review made it sound challenging, and I was a little intimidated and wondered if it was the book for me.
However, in fact, I was very impressed by this book, and I think it is a tremendous piece of writing.
The story is simple - an Israeli stand-up comic invites an estranged childhood friend to his show. The question faced by the friend, and posed to the reader also, is why?
The book flips backwards and forwards between the present in the comedy club, and some childhood events as the story is slowly revealed.
Grossman manages the pace beautifully, and grips the reader like a thriller, as we are driven (in both senses) to a climactic finale.
The present-day setting is simple, with a small cast of characters and is quite theatrical. The interplay between characters is beautiful, and controlled. You impression of Dovaleh the comic evolves throughout the story, as we learn about him, and your sympathies are challenged. His act is a roller-coaster as he looses and regains the audience again and again - and perhaps the readers too?
This of course is not a book for everyone. And on paper, I didn't think it was for me. But the story is touching, and gets under your skin. The skill is not showy - but there all the same.
Grossman is like a watchmaker - on the surface you can't see how things work, they just do; his skill is making it look so simple but underneath there is so much going on.
When we get to the finale, some questions are answered, but other answers are left for us to find ourselves, which I really liked.
I recommend it highly, and will go look at the author's other writing.
One thing caused me a little confusion, <spoiler alert!> Grossman seems to use the word orphan in an unconventional way which had me scratching my head. Perhaps its a problem with the translation.

Many thanks to Random House, and Netgalley for giving me a review copy.. .

I'm not 100% sure how I feel about this book, to be honest. Like most Booker Prize winners, it is undoubtedly very clever, but can I say I actually enjoyed reading it? Not really.

There have been a number of reviews and comments saying "I don't really like stand-up comedy, but..." or "I do like stand-up comedy so..." but I really think liking or not liking stand-up comedy has nothing to do with whether you will like this book. A stand-up routine in a comedy club in Israel works as a framing device for this story to be unveiled, but it is not funny, nor does it seem like it's supposed to be.

A comedian called Dovaleh G begins his routine to laughter and applause, but it very soon begins to fall apart as his jokes become ever less funny, ever more personal. Many themes are covered in this short book about a man falling apart on stage - friendship, betrayal, revenge, Israel, the Holocaust, to name a few.

The rambling style of narrative, punctuated by unfunny jokes, made for a difficult and tiring read. Dovaleh was sometimes too annoying to be interesting, though I will say that perseverance pays off when we finally discover the truth behind his personal angst. I think the most interesting aspect throughout - and what probably enabled me to read to the end - was the inclusion of the first person narrator in the audience. We know almost immediately that Dovaleh knows this person and that there is going to be some story behind their shared glances.

I finished the book feeling satisfied at having read it. Some books don't feel worth the effort put in to make it to the end, but I appreciated this one more when I looked back over it. It just seems wrong to give a book more than three stars when it was so difficult to push through.

It's an enthralling story, extremely well written in the way it weaves the historical context into the current situation.

It's difficult reading at times but engrossing and absorbing, you can see how the developing narrative is shaped by a tragic past.

The lead character is Dovaleh Greenstein. He's not a very good stand up telling some awful jokes, being very rude to the audience and exhibiting some really bad attitude and behaviours. It's more like a therapy session. The author engenders a whole range of emotions towards him from ambivalence, contempt, bewilderment and disgust to empathy as the story unfolds through the eyes of a narrator.

It's not really a story about comedy, it's more about life, our attitudes to each other and the general failings of humanity. But there's also a sense of redemption or closure to the finale, it's a great release of the building tension through the story.

A great read! One of the few things harder to pull off than a successful stand up routine must be a book about a stand up routine. It kept the humour and pathos going throughout at an unflagging pace, at the same time unrolling the back story and giving us an insight into the comedian himself and members of his audience. A genuine tour de force, and a well-deserved Booker Prize winner.

The concept of this book is intriguing - set in a comedy club with a stand-up comedian of questionable ability.

I struggled to engage with the characters and the situation in the club. I felt I was looking onto a series of scenes which I could not understand.

I was disappointed that it it did not live up to my expectations after hearing the book reviewed on Radio 4.

An unusual read. I would recommend trying to read at a single sitting over the same period in real time as the main character takes to deliver his monologue. The story, as with the joke from which the book takes it title, comes without a real punchline but nevertheless holds the attention.

I struggled with this book at times, as happens a lot with thought-provoking work. I tended to read it in short bursts as it was very uncomfortable to read of a man putting himself and his life on display to an unsuspecting audience. The humour and glimpses of humanity in people, as well as the incredibly good writing more than made up for this.

I was sent A Horse Walks into a Bar by David Grossman to read and review by NetGalley
I have very mixed feelings about this book as on the one hand I can appreciate that it is a very well written piece of fiction but on the other hand I can’t say that I actually enjoyed reading it. The novel is set in a bar in Israel and concentrates on the failing set of stand-up comic Dovaleh. The writing is very clever as you can almost feel that you are at the gig and the cameos of some of the audience are well observed. What we hear of the comic’s routine is interspersed with the thoughts that are going through the mind of his old friend, a retired judge, who he has invited along to observe the show even though they haven’t met for 25 years. While the evening starts well enough for Dovaleh it soon deteriorates as his mind battles against his memories of the past which he cannot control or set aside.
I am not a huge fan of stand-up so I knew this book might pose a challenge for me. I can see why it won the Man Booker International Prize 2017 and there are elements which I am sure will stay with me but would I ever be tempted to read it again? I’m afraid not.

The concept of this is simple - a stand-up comedian at a comedy club in a small town in Israel performs his set, and gradually falls apart on the stage.

Other reviewers have written about how they found the character of Dovaleh, the comedian, rather loathesome. Certainly he abuses the audience and tells off-colour jokes. But somehow, I didn't find this offensive and I'm curious about why that is. I think it's because Dovaleh is presented through a plausible, complicated lens of regret and sympathy. The narrator, Avishai Lazar, is a childhood friend who Dovaleh has tracked down and invited to his show. Lazar, now a retired court judge, comes along reluctantly, haunted by an event in their past.

So Lazar narrates the action, watching Dovaleh perform his act, sensing Dovaleh's deep self-disgust behind the comedian patter. But Lazar feels a sense of responsibility for it. So - to return to the point I began with - this softens Dovaleh's apparent loathesomeness. Certainly, I didn't like him, but I liked the narrator's vulnerability towards him - which gives us a way in. And who says you have to like all lead characters in fiction anyway? You simply have to be interested enough to stay with them.

But Dovaleh would be hard to take if the author hadn't interposed the early part of his act with flashback. As the comedian warms up his audience, this is intercut with Lazar remembering a phone call when Dovaleh got in touch out of the blue and asked him to come to the performance. This shows us quite a different Dovaleh - uncertain, vulnerable, lacking in the comedian's chutzpah. It's a master-stroke of structuring and it goes a long way to making Dovaleh tolerable.

We have flashbacks, too, to the relationship between Lazar and Dovaleh. They are a peculiar and unlikely set of friends, and interesting to watch. Lazar finds himself reflecting on other relationships since, especially his partner who died. There's another person from Dovaleh's childhood in the comedy club audience - a very short girl he used to know - and he treats her with scathing cruelty. Strangely, she seems to sit there and tolerate it, as if she's giving him a free pass. This seems to echo Lazar's attitude - he seems to want to make amends for having treated Dovaleh badly.

I did find some of the sequences went on longer than necessary. Many of them seemed to restate the same points about his family and background, and I found them repetitive. The climax of the story is when Dovaleh is suddenly taken away from summer camp to a funeral, but no one will tell him what has happened or which parent has died. A soldier is given orders to drive him back to his hometown, where the funeral is taking place, and the soldier struggles to find things to talk about as they drive the distance. So he tells Dovaleh that he's in an army jokes competition and needs to practise, which results in a lot of diversions into jokes. At the same time we're also getting the usual stand-up's fodder of diverting into jokes, in this case to try to stop the audience leaving. I found this rather wearying on the page. Instead of adding to the emotional pressure, I felt like skimming because it wasn't real. But then, my idea of hell would be to go and watch a stand-up routine so maybe I have a low threshold for that kind of comedy.

That aside, I found some parts of the book very moving. Especially the discomfort of the joke-telling soldier. We later find out that the competition didn't exist - he'd invented it as a desperate attempt to be kind to this kid who'd just lost a parent. Cultural resonances aside, this, for me, is the real emotional heart of the book. Dovaleh and Lazar are both haunted and during the performance they confront many things. Dovaleh examines - out loud on the stage - his disagreeable thoughts as he travelled in the lorry to the funeral, not knowing which parent had been killed. Lazar is haunted by a moment when he could have showed some support of Dovaleh, but Dovaleh was peculiar and unpopular, so he didn't. A strong emotion emerges that forms a focus of the book: being kind, and failing to be kind - to others and also to yourself.

The prose is a delight. I have no way of knowing what the Hebrew original was like, but the translator, Jessica Cohen, deserves much praise for her bravura interpretation - full of nuance, brashness and sensitivity.

It's not a book with easy answers or resolutions. That's not the purpose. The purpose is the merciless self-examination the characters are gradually forced into, peeling back layer after layer.

The book is somewhat like a one act play as it dwells entirely on the antics of a stand up comedian’s performance in an Israeli bar and the reactions of the audience. It is seemingly located in the town of Caesarea and you need to be an Israelis to fully appreciate what’s going on as the comedian’s patter is strewn with names of Israeli places and personalities. Dispersed with his jokes he gradually introduces anecdotes’ from his childhood and early life. Some of the audience seem to have known him and the situation develops until it is dominated by his remembrances of how his life evolves. It drags on so the reader could be tempted to give up like some of his audience who leave in disgust until there are only a few left to hear the high light of his most tragic experience.