The Girl on the Fridge: Stories (Paperback)

by Etgar Keret (Author), Miriam Shlesinger (Translator), Sondra Silverston (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Advocates of flash fiction contend you can say a lot with a little. Unfortunately, you can also say a little with a little. Israeli writer Keret (The Nimrod Flipout) confirms both with this hodgepodge of 46 sketches, culled from his first collection. There are whimsical tales like Nothing, about a woman who loved a man who was made of nothing because this love would never betray her, and Freeze! about a guy who can stop the world and uses the power to score with hot girls. Despite an appealing, comic voice, many of these pieces feel insubstantial and leave the reader indifferent. Nevertheless, a haunting theme arises as stories featuring violence accumulate: Not Human Beings, in which an Israeli soldier is beaten by fellow officers when he objects to the cruel treatment of an old Arab man, screams in the face of bloodshed, whereas the irritation of the father in A Bet, when TV news reports on an Arab sentenced to death preempts an episode of Moonlighting, suggests how violence has been normalized. Keret demonstrates how the same short form that produces ineffective trifles can also create moments of startling power. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Keret is a brilliant writer . . . completely unlike any writer I know. He is the voice of the next generation." —Salman Rushdie

“Keret may be the most important writer working in Israel right now; certainly he is the closest observer of its post-intifada, post-Oslo spiritual condition. And astonishingly, he is also the Israeli writer closest to the literary tradition of pre-Israel, pre- Holocaust European Jewry . . . Kafka said that literature should be an ax to break the frozen sea within us. Keret is a writer whaling at the ice with a Wiffle ball bat.” —Stephen Marche, The Forward

“Short, strange, funny, deceptively casual in tone and affect, stories that sound like a joke but aren’t—Etgar Keret is a writer to be taken seriously.” —Yann Martel

 

“Keret can do more with six . . . paragraphs than most writers can with 600 pages.” —Kyle Smith, People

See all Editorial Reviews

---

Product Details Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (April 15, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0374531056 ISBN-13: 978-0374531058 Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,184 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #3 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Middle Eastern > Hebrew

---

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	58% buy the item featured on this page: The Girl on the Fridge: Stories 4.2 out of 5 stars (6) $9.60
	20% buy The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God & Other Stories 4.3 out of 5 stars (23) $10.15
	13% buy The Nimrod Flipout: Stories 4.2 out of 5 stars (9) $9.60
	2% buy Pizzeria Kamikaze 3.7 out of 5 stars (3) $10.17

Explore similar items

---

Tags Customers Associate with This Product  (What's this?) Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people. Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below. etgar keret(2) graphic novel(2) israel(2) israeli(2) short stories(2) emotion(1) fiction(1) See all 9 tags... Your tags: Add your first tag

Search Products Tagged with   See most popular tags

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

---

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

---

 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.2 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant, effective, topical, and raw, May 21, 2008 By  Dean McRobie "ex-scifi reader" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    A great friend of mine loaned me this book saying is changed her. It had an amazing effect on me too. The book is written in very short stories, no more than a page or three at most. Each story is complete, explores an idea, an event, often with an unexpected component, not really a twist, just unexpected. The book is just the essence of stories. It's like a great red wine reduction ... flavorful, deep in color, hints of what could be a much bigger wine, but concentrated to accent your current mood.I think the first two stories: asthma and the marriage story stuck with me the most. The line in the first story goes something like this: "When an asmatic says "I love you," and when an asthmatic says "I love you madly," there's a difference. The difference of a word. A word's a lot. It could be stop, or inhaler. It could even be ambulance." 4 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Occassionally more than clever and odd , May 30, 2008 By  Andrew Corsa "Reader" - See all my reviews I bought this book because I thought that several of the stories in Keret's book "The Nimrod Flipout" were truly incredible. Those stories, which were perfect gems, made a strong and lasting impression on me. They didn't just make me think. They were more than merely clever and odd. They hit me in the gut, in my emotional core. Very few of the stories in "Girl on the Fridge" did that. But some of them did, and this book of stories is certainly worth reading. Still, many stories seemed frivolous, or merely odd, intelligent, or cleverly written. In my opinion, none was as good as the best stories from "The Nimrod Flipout." "Girl on the Fridge" is a grab-bag. When Keret is good, he's excellent, but when he's not, reading can require a little effort. For me, the percentage of incredible stories wasn't quite high enough. I don't want to put this book down too much! Keret is a superb writer, and, even when his stories didn't wow me, I was still impressed by how much he could accomplish in so few words. There are more than 40 stories in this book, each is only a few pages long, and a number of them still manage to pack quite a punch! And many of the rest, which didn't hit me as hard, were still quite clever and odd. I certainly recommend you read Keret's other book: The Nimrod Flipout: Stories. I think it was better. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars not happy but fun stories, August 30, 2008 By  J. Demske (...in transit) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Keret's stories are rarely happy, but they're fun. Their fluidity and lack of surface complications, plus the casual bits of surrealism, make them different in the best kind of way: they are different because of a unique simplicity, not because of a fatal dose of complexity and effort. The stories in "The Girl on the Fridge" aren't perfect, yet there are a handful that make the book well worth reading. I look forward to reading Keret's other books.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars "Girl on the Fridge" is an interesting and quirky read. These quirky stories are interesting, yet cleverly crafted.They seem like amusing little pieces, but they are much deeper, with lots of food for thought about violence and family... Read more Published 5 days ago by jane veecee 5.0 out of 5 stars Consistantly incredible Keret has a powerful ability to craft profound stories in only one to three pages. Having read both The Bus Driver. . . Read more Published 2 months ago by Zachary Solomon 4.0 out of 5 stars Uneven, but mostly good This collection of short stories is very uneven in quality. The weak ones seem merely flippant, the strong ones remind me of prose poems in the tradition of Baudelaire. Read more Published 14 months ago by James E. McVoy Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

---

Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)   Discussion Replies Latest Post   No discussions yet Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   [Cancel] Guidelines Active discussions in related forums   Discussion Replies Latest Post israel Anti-Zionism is another form of Jew hatred? 792 2 minutes ago israel 2 questions for the pro-zionist folks 38 9 hours ago graphic novel Graphi novels recommended for college library 45 17 hours ago graphic novel Graphic Novel Support Group 54 21 hours ago graphic novel New graphic novel taking pre-orders 0 7 days ago graphic novel Wanted - Graphic Novelists 13 8 days ago short stories Three Avenues of Escape - short story 0 15 days ago

The Graphic Novel community Latest activity 2 hours ago 6,310 customers have contributed 5,602 products, 682 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Short Stories community Latest activity 1 hour ago 4,352 customers have contributed 4,406 products, 333 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community The Israel community Latest activity 5 hours ago 2,419 customers have contributed 2,059 products, 134 lists & guides and more... › Explore the community Related forums etgar keret graphic novel (37 discussions) israel (4 discussions) israeli short stories (21 discussions) Explore more › See all Customer Communities › Your communities

---

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

---

Listmania!

My To-Read List: A list by Rita The Bookworm   Best Books of 2009: A list by Ralph Wiggum   Israeli writers reflect on history and conflict: A list by Joshua Ellison Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

---

So You'd Like to...

Cuddle up with a Masterpiece: A guide by Olivia Louise Lewis Create a guide

Search Guides

---

Look for Similar Items by Category

• Books > Literature & Fiction > Short Stories
• Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Middle Eastern > Hebrew

---

Have a shopping question? Try askville. It's free! Get answers from real people in areas like health, books, parenting, relationships

Best Books of 2008 Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.

Summer Reading for Kids & Teens Discover everything from beach reads and board books to teen romance and action-adventure series in Summer Reading for Kids & Teens. And, check off the kids' required reading lists in our Summer School Reading Store.

Xantrex Renewable-Energy ProductsA world leader in advanced electronics, Xantrex offers products that are smarter, cleaner, lighter, quieter, and easier to maintain than other power sources.

Ad feedback

 

Feedback If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Your comments can help make our site better for everyone. Please note that we are unable to respond directly to all feedback submitted via this form, but we'll ask you to sign in so we can contact you if needed.

Where's My Stuff? Track your recent orders. View or change your orders in Your Account. Shipping & Returns See our shipping rates & policies. See FREE shipping information. Return an item (here's our Returns Policy). Need Help? Forgot your password? Buy gift cards. Visit our Help department.

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)

You have no recently viewed items or searches. After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.	Continue shopping: Top Sellers Free by Chris Anderson 3.5 out of 5 stars (15)$0.00 Paranoia by Joseph Finder 4.1 out of 5 stars (203)$0.00 My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent 3.2 out of 5 stars (6)$0.00 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 Doyle 5.0 out of 5 stars (5)$0.00

Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores

International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us

Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage

Careers at Amazon  |  Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Corporate Responsibility

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374531056
• ISBN-13: 978-0374531058
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #83,184 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #3 in

  Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Middle Eastern > Hebrew

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant, effective, topical, and raw, May 21, 2008

By	Dean McRobie "ex-scifi reader" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A great friend of mine loaned me this book saying is changed her. It had an amazing effect on me too. The book is written in very short stories, no more than a page or three at most. Each story is complete, explores an idea, an event, often with an unexpected component, not really a twist, just unexpected. The book is just the essence of stories. It's like a great red wine reduction ... flavorful, deep in color, hints of what could be a much bigger wine, but concentrated to accent your current mood.I think the first two stories: asthma and the marriage story stuck with me the most. The line in the first story goes something like this:
"When an asmatic says "I love you," and when an asthmatic says "I love you madly," there's a difference. The difference of a word. A word's a lot. It could be stop, or inhaler. It could even be ambulance."

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Occassionally more than clever and odd , May 30, 2008

By	Andrew Corsa "Reader" - See all my reviews

I bought this book because I thought that several of the stories in Keret's book "The Nimrod Flipout" were truly incredible. Those stories, which were perfect gems, made a strong and lasting impression on me. They didn't just make me think. They were more than merely clever and odd. They hit me in the gut, in my emotional core.

Very few of the stories in "Girl on the Fridge" did that. But some of them did, and this book of stories is certainly worth reading. Still, many stories seemed frivolous, or merely odd, intelligent, or cleverly written. In my opinion, none was as good as the best stories from "The Nimrod Flipout."

"Girl on the Fridge" is a grab-bag. When Keret is good, he's excellent, but when he's not, reading can require a little effort. For me, the percentage of incredible stories wasn't quite high enough.

I don't want to put this book down too much! Keret is a superb writer, and, even when his stories didn't wow me, I was still impressed by how much he could accomplish in so few words. There are more than 40 stories in this book, each is only a few pages long, and a number of them still manage to pack quite a punch! And many of the rest, which didn't hit me as hard, were still quite clever and odd.

I certainly recommend you read Keret's other book: The Nimrod Flipout: Stories. I think it was better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars not happy but fun stories, August 30, 2008

By	J. Demske (...in transit) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Keret's stories are rarely happy, but they're fun. Their fluidity and lack of surface complications, plus the casual bits of surrealism, make them different in the best kind of way: they are different because of a unique simplicity, not because of a fatal dose of complexity and effort. The stories in "The Girl on the Fridge" aren't perfect, yet there are a handful that make the book well worth reading.
I look forward to reading Keret's other books.