I just finished reading The Bus Driver Who Wanted to be God by Etgar Keret, and I have to say it is probably my favorite work thus far for the class. I found his writing to be refreshingly open and thought-provoking as it challenged common perceptions of daily life. I am shocked that it is a work in translation, as the language and style seemed comparable to many American writers of contemporary comedy. What intigued me most, however, was the careful balance of humor and morbidity that made each work interesting and emotionally fulfilling.
Many themes are prominent in this collection of stories, such as the problem of the individual versus society, the significance of Hell, sleep disorders, suicide, and the history of the Middle East. Israeli politics were referenced through many of the stories, including "Rabin's Dead," whose title seems to play on the assasination of former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was opposed after signing the Oslo Accords in an attempt at furthering negotiations with Palestine.
My favorite story was "Kneller's Happy Campers," in which Keret creates an afterlife for all individuals that commit suicide. The story is told directly and honestly, and almost resembles a utopia where miracles happen and families are reunited. There was a movie made based on this story, entitled Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006). The author's religious culture is evident throughout many of the works, seen in the references to Hell, a "Messiah," and other biblical events. The stories seem to set religion in a skeptical light or with a strange twist attached, such as in "Plague of the Firstborn," where the father finds out that his wife had betrayed him as a result of the Old Testament plague.
Although I don't know what the stories can reveal to us specifically about Israeli life, I do feel that reading the book puts Israelis in a more sympathetic light in which we can separate them from war and Palestine. I feel this is especially important after our discussion of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, during which I felt the majority of our class agreed that Isreal was responsible for a large portion of the guilt. It is important to try to consider the lives and values of all of the parties involved as equally as possible.
14 years ago
I like your take on the book, especially that you mentioned putting Israeli literature separate from the Palestine conflict. I was looking for that in Palestinian literature and other texts, but it's hard to find, if it even exists (?).
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that we should consider both sides of the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. It is kinda cool that the Israeli group came right after the Palestinian group... maybe it will help us to keep balanced!
ReplyDeleteIf we continue to allow these cultures to be defined by the confict, and if the leaders of these cultures buy into this identification, we lose the potential to see so much more about life for other people. When our group got together, our biggest goal was to pick a book that had very little to do with the conflict itself, and instead just represented good/interesting literature. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all these comments, as well as your post, Carly. So often I think we all focus on the conflict that is occuring, as that is what is so often thrown in our face and is most easily accesible. But how much do we miss when we do only that? There is so much incredible culture to be discovered within each society that is NOT centered around conflict, and maybe if we could understand and see that culture a little more, the conflict that does inherently exist could be put into better perspective and be better understood (and maybe even resolved...?).
ReplyDeleteI agree that the language and style are amazing, especially for a translation. I think that that has so much to do with how engaging the stories are. While some will object on the basis of story content, I think much of the book would be great for students precisely because it is so engaging, there's so much to discuss about the book, and students aren't often granted the opportunity to read this type of material in schools.
ReplyDelete