David Grossman: A Horse Walks into a Bar

I love the art of stand-up comic and I have watched as many specials as I can, but this is the first time reading one. Grossman’s novel revolves around a 57-year-old Israeli comedian with a wounded soul trying to tell jokes for almost 200 pages. He started off with a few funny jokes, but then delved deeper into his bizarre, terrifying personal stories. His materials got darker and harder for his audience to tolerate. He even beat himself up and broke his glasses. It’s a tragic yet terrific read. Jessica Cohen’s translation does Grossman’s fiction its justice.