Fly Already

Need a criminal defendant condemned in a courtroom? The stories in this collection suggest you simply call him a murderer in front of the judge. A wealthy, isolated man craving company can purchase other people's birthdays and be flooded with friends. A lovesick reader who wants a girl in bed might hire a writer to pen an irresistible story. And when you are perched on a skyscraper ledge, weighed down by misery, the advice is to jump. Across 22 short pieces, the ridiculous seeps through the seams of ordinary life, outlandish escapades expose raw feelings, and the strange turns out to be oddly familiar.

The book is a patchwork of life's surreal side, and its author, Etgar Keret, an Israeli writer known for his sharp, humorous take on the absurdity of modern existence, approaches everyday trouble with dark wit and inventive logic.