Customer Reviews

The Tel Aviv Dossier

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I finished "The Tel Aviv Dossier" about two weeks ago and honestly, I'm still not quite sure what to make of it.

I minored in religious studies in college, and since my marriage have been extensively studying Judaism, and honestly, I just don't know if I love this book, I hate it, or if it's just so utterly weird I can't put my finger on it.

I will tell you though that here we are almost two weeks later, and I'm still thinking about it and trying to put the pieces together in my head.

I'm giving the book four stars on that basis - any work of fiction, short of the classics, that can keep me thinking about it this long, certainly deserves at least four stars.

I will definitely say though that based on their writing, the authors definitely classify as a couple of angry young Jewish men, so keep that in-mind. The book is surreal, almost always explicit in the way it handles violence and sex, and definitely hostile towards almost everyone and everything.

Have you ever thought to yourself, "You know, the books I'm reading just aren't crazy enough"? If so, THE TEL AVV DOSSIER might be something for you.

This is one of those rare books that defies all explanation. If you try to explain the plot to someone, you end up sounding like a rambling lunatic.
So I will just tell you this: It's crazy.
And awesome.
And really original.
It's the kind of book that makes you think WTF?, but I mean that in a good way. I am seriously in love with this book. It stays with you. It haunts you. I have spent a good deal of time thinking about this book. Dwelling on it. Trying to interpret it. I don't know if I've come up with any solid answers yet, but the journey has been a good time.

But what makes THE TEL AVV DOSSIER so impressive is that its craziness is so well done. Anyone can slap together some weird stuff, but it is t the authors' credit that this comes together so well. JRSavory says he thinks the authors are some angry Jewish men. Personally,
I don't know what's going on with the authors, but it makes me happy that they are somewhere out there writing stuff like this.

This is a true diamond in the rough. This book deserves to be a lot bigger than it is, and if you can't get a copy, you are missing out. I really recommend tracking down a copy of this book if you can find one. As of 12/16/09, copies can still be obtained through Amazon.ca. You might be able to get a copy from the publisher (ChiZine Publications) too. They seem to be a great little press with a lot of interesting dark fiction books of varying degrees of craziness. Check them out. I think they are going to be my new favorite thing. [...]