Suddenly, a Knock on the Door
14 journalers for this copy...
from amazon.de:
A man barges into a writer's house and, holding a gun to his head, demands that he tell him a story, something to take him away from the real world. A pathological liar discovers one day that all the lies he tells come true. A young woman finds a zip in her boyfriend's mouth, and when she opens it he unfolds to reveal a completely different man inside. Suddenly, a Knock on the Door is at once Keret's most mature and most playful work yet, and establishes him as one of the great international writers of our time.
A man barges into a writer's house and, holding a gun to his head, demands that he tell him a story, something to take him away from the real world. A pathological liar discovers one day that all the lies he tells come true. A young woman finds a zip in her boyfriend's mouth, and when she opens it he unfolds to reveal a completely different man inside. Suddenly, a Knock on the Door is at once Keret's most mature and most playful work yet, and establishes him as one of the great international writers of our time.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I'm not the biggest fan of short stories, but this was different. The stories were entertaining, but also sort of weird. And they gave me a glimpse into life in Israel, which I know next to nothing about. Because this book was very different than my usual reads, I will send it into the 2021 Favorite Roundabout. I suspect I will get mixed reviews. Some may hate it, hopefully some will also love it. I hope all of you can appreciate it in some way or another.
1. Dark-Draco (UK)
2. Ythan (UK)
3. Cross-Patch (UK)
4. Poodlesister (UK)
5. Earthcaroleannd (UK)
6. Greenbadger (UK)
7. Grovalskii (Germany)
8. Paulanni (Finland)
9. Fifna (Netherlands)
10. Estelle1806 (Ireland)
11. Mcsar (Canada) (or first Mathgirl40 and then Mcsar)
12. Mathgirl40 (Canada)
13. Valpete (USA)
1. Dark-Draco (UK)
2. Ythan (UK)
3. Cross-Patch (UK)
4. Poodlesister (UK)
5. Earthcaroleannd (UK)
6. Greenbadger (UK)
7. Grovalskii (Germany)
8. Paulanni (Finland)
9. Fifna (Netherlands)
10. Estelle1806 (Ireland)
11. Mcsar (Canada) (or first Mathgirl40 and then Mcsar)
12. Mathgirl40 (Canada)
13. Valpete (USA)
Journal Entry 3 by 
Paulanni
at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Thursday, December 16, 2021
Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Thursday, December 16, 2021
The book is with me now, arrived today. I really look forward to reading it as I haven't read many works by Israeli authors.
Journal Entry 4 by Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Saturday, January 29, 2022
Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Saturday, January 29, 2022
I quite liked Etgar Keret's short stories in this book - the very first one with the man demanding a story with a gun in his hand got me interested in the rest. Stories are witty and funny and, yes, bizarre at times. They are set in the real world, but some have magic in them, like a speaking goldfish or a company called Nice Weather, which sells weather control systems that sets its buyers up with the kind of weather they wish for around their houses. I also appreciated the international flavour of the stories, probably a reality of Israeli life. The man with a gun in the first story had come from Sweden, the other one from Morocco.
Thank you for sharing, grovalskii. I don't know if I had stumbled on this book without the Roundabout.
Thank you for sharing, grovalskii. I don't know if I had stumbled on this book without the Roundabout.
Journal Entry 5 by Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Saturday, January 29, 2022
Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Saturday, January 29, 2022
Released 2 yrs ago (1/29/2022 UTC) at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
The book is ready to go to its next reader. (Posted, but may not start its travel before Monday.)
Arrived safely, thanks Paulanni!
A weird and wonderful collection of stories that I found oddly enjoyable. Some more than others but that's to be expected I guess. Thanks for sharing, I doubt I would have come across it otherwise
On its way to estelle 1806.
Just received, before I fly to France for a few days, so will start reading it on Monday... Thanks, Fifna and grovalskii for sharing.
I am afraid I did not really enjoy this collection of short stories. The first few ones were humorous and caught some of my attention, but then they started to get vulgar and nonsensical... I liked one, but got disappointed by the next, all through the book.
Thanks for sharing all the same, grovalskii.
Thanks for sharing all the same, grovalskii.
Journal Entry 11 by 
estelle1806
at Book Roundabout, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Sunday, February 27, 2022
estelle1806 at Book Roundabout, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Sunday, February 27, 2022
Released 2 yrs ago (2/28/2022 UTC) at Book Roundabout, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Travelling to Canada to the next reader on the roundabout, enjoy!
Please let us know when you release it again...
Please let us know when you release it again...
This book is now with me.
I enjoyed these quirky and often strange stories. However, most of them were very brief and many felt like vignettes rather than actual stories, leaving me feeling somewhat unsatisfied at the end of the stories. Still, I liked getting impressions of the many facets of life in Israel.
Thank you, grovalskii, for offering this book to the roundabout.
Thank you, grovalskii, for offering this book to the roundabout.
This book is on its way to the next reader, mcsar.
The book is here with me. It came right after I finished another book from the roundabout. I like short stories and I will be starting on this one soon.
I enjoyed this collection of quirky stories. I enjoyed the longer stories more. Many are quite surreal but fun to read. Most of them give me something to think about. Unzipping is a great story. The book is a great addition to the roundabout.
On its way to valpete. Happy reading!
Received! Next up on my reading list.
Another book I would never have picked up on my own. So fun getting exposed to different authors and styles of writing. This was, indeed, a collection of weird, quirky short stories, some better than others.
Thanks for including this in the Roundabout.
Thanks for including this in the Roundabout.
Off to the next reader. Enjoy!
Received … Thank You
Not really one for me. I did kind of like the style of writing, but couldn't get into the stories at all. To me, they felt more like brief vignettes in people's lives - people I couldn't really take to and didn't feel I had a lot in common with. A few reviews I've read mentioned the humour, but I struggled to find that. Maybe it would have been better dipped in and out of, rather than trying to read it in one go, but by about the 6th or 7th story in, I found myself slightly unwilling to pick it up again, which is my main indicator that it's time to move on to something else.
Journal Entry 23 by 
dark-draco
at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Friday, July 8, 2022
dark-draco at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Friday, July 8, 2022
Released 1 yr ago (7/8/2022 UTC) at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Off to the next reader
It's here.
I don't recognise the author or the title but the last line of the synopsis made me laugh and has me intrigued.
I don't recognise the author or the title but the last line of the synopsis made me laugh and has me intrigued.
The problem with short stories is, they don't last long enough! There were some good ones in there but I felt that I couldn't fully enjoy them and soak them in. For me, a smaller number of stories would have made the book more memorable.
Journal Entry 26 by Ythan at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Friday, September 2, 2022
Released 1 yr ago (9/2/2022 UTC) at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On its way to Cross-patch.
Journal Entry 27 by 
Cross-patch
at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Monday, September 12, 2022
Cross-patch at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Monday, September 12, 2022
It took its time getting here, obviously caught up in our irregular postal strikes! It is safe for now.
Journal Entry 28 by Cross-patch at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Thursday, September 22, 2022
Cross-patch at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Thursday, September 22, 2022
Sorry, not my bag. I’ve never really been a fan of short stories; you never get a chance to be involved. This one felt just like a series of jottings in a notebook and didn’t present a real collection even. It made me sad.
Journal Entry 29 by Cross-patch at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Thursday, September 22, 2022
Cross-patch at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Thursday, September 22, 2022
Released 1 yr ago (9/22/2022 UTC) at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Off to the next in line.
Journal Entry 30 by Poodlesister at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Poodlesister at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 27, 2022
This is with me. Thanks for the bookmark!
Journal Entry 31 by Poodlesister at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, October 10, 2022
Poodlesister at Walthamstow, Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, October 10, 2022
Surreal but strangely funny stories very much written from a male perspective. Like grovalskii, I liked the insight into Israeli life. Not something I'd normally read but overall I enjoyed the book.
Journal Entry 32 by Poodlesister at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Monday, October 10, 2022
Poodlesister at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Monday, October 10, 2022
Released 1 yr ago (10/10/2022 UTC) at -- By Post or by Hand--, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
On the way to earthcaroleanne.
Journal Entry 33 by earthcaroleanne at Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Saturday, October 15, 2022
earthcaroleanne at Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Saturday, October 15, 2022
Arrived today. Thank you for all the other goodies too.
Journal Entry 34 by earthcaroleanne at Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, December 30, 2022
earthcaroleanne at Falkirk, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, December 30, 2022
Not really one for me. I couldn't get into the stories at all. In fact, they were too short to be called short stories so you never get a chance to be involved. Like dark-draco, at about the 6th or 7th story in, I didn’t want to pick it up again, This is the only book I haven’t finished this year.
Journal Entry 35 by 
greenbadger
at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, January 7, 2023
greenbadger at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Saturday, January 7, 2023
It's arrived, thank you!
Journal Entry 36 by greenbadger at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 11, 2023
greenbadger at St Albans, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 11, 2023
A book of short stories with unusual twists on reality. Some of these were amusing but I wasn't really inspired, not my sort of thing.
Journal Entry 37 by greenbadger at Thames Footpath in Richmond upon Thames, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, January 29, 2023
greenbadger at Thames Footpath in Richmond upon Thames, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, January 29, 2023
Released 1 yr ago (1/29/2023 UTC) at Thames Footpath in Richmond upon Thames, Greater London United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
To the finder, enjoy, and I hope you will write a journal entry so that previous readers will know that this book has been found. It is always a joy to find where it has gone. You can remain anonymous but if you are interested in joining (free with no strings) please consider using greenbadger as your referrer.
I don't get anything from this except for the pleasure of watching my books travel and knowing that they are giving pleasure to others.
Keep the book for as long as you like, and when you are done with it please pass it on to a friend, or set it out "in the wild" for someone else to find as you did. When you pass this book along, please make a release note to let others know where you left it. Thank you.
I don't get anything from this except for the pleasure of watching my books travel and knowing that they are giving pleasure to others.
Keep the book for as long as you like, and when you are done with it please pass it on to a friend, or set it out "in the wild" for someone else to find as you did. When you pass this book along, please make a release note to let others know where you left it. Thank you.
Journal Entry 38 by SteveRe at Richmond upon Thames, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, March 10, 2023
I found this book along the Thames Path near Kew Bridge (as I recall?) on Jan. 29. Thanks, Greenbadger! I'm reading it this week, and mostly enjoying it, with its quirky and humorous stories. They're very short, some only a few pages, and easy to read. If I have any criticism it's that there's a sameness to them. I've finished about 2/3 of the book and I intend to finish it and then release it somewhere in West Hampstead. (When the weather is better and it won't get rained on!)
