His father was physically abusive, while his mother was a Holocaust survivor, haunted by her memories. During his show, Dov shares his tragic story: as a lonely skinny kid, he was a victim of bullying. More black than comedyĭespite being about a stand-up at a comedy club, A Horse Walks into a Bar is far more black than humor. Soon a supposedly fun comedy night takes a darker turn – and so does the book, which is “ neither remotely funny nor an easy read”. As the evening progresses, more and more spectators leave the club. Just like Avishai and all audience members, readers follow Dov’s painful show: he starts telling off-color jokes, picking on the audience that quickly becomes hostile. “I want you to see me, really see me, and then afterwards tell me”. Although he hadn’t seen him in ages, Dov invited Avishai to his show with a bizarre request: The show is narrated by Avishai Lavar, a retired judge and childhood friend of the comedian. The novel takes place during one comedy night in a basement club in the Israeli town of Netanya. Dov Greenstein, a 57-year-old stand-up comedian, is at the center of David Grossman’s A Horse Walks into a Bar, published in 2014 and winner of the Man Booker International Prize (2017).
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