The Seven Good Years Etgar Keret-is an Israeli author, essayist and filmmakerAlthough a few of my GR friends posted great reviews on this book I am not completely sure what moved me to download Etgar Keret's fantastic memoir but I am so glad I did.A Google search of his name informed me that, as a long time collaborator of the very popular American public radio show This American Life, I had actually listened to some of his stories. I also learned that Keret, who lives in Tel Aviv with his wi...

I've truly missed the experience that an engaging Nonfiction book evokes, so The Seven Good Years arrived in my hands at the right time. This wise, witty memoir—Etgar’s first non-fiction book, and told in his inimitable style—is full of wonder and life and love, poignant insights, and irrepressible humor.I've read Keret's short story collections (Suddenly, a Knock on the Door & The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God & Other Stories) in the past and enjoyed the experience immensely. With the new

I'm not sure how I've missed this guy until now, because this memoir is something special. He is a Jewish writer who lives in Tel Aviv and deals with the possibility of violence and death on a daily basis. This is the best kind of memoir; honest, funny, sometimes profoundly so, and branded with a special, quirky way of looking at reality. He writes of the 7 years between the birth of his son and the death of his father. He really is a genius. And after the kindergarten story, I'm pretty sure his...

A book of richly written, alive, moving, insightful, and funny essays by Israeli writer Etgar Keret. I've never read Keret before, so this little book was a wonderful discovery. I've never been to Israel and Keret's anecdotes are in stunning contrast to my two-dimensional impressions from news reports. This is a sometimes profoundly moving collection of pieces about real life, real people, and the precious mundane. Thank you, my Goodreads friends who posted about The Seven Good Years. You have e...

I read most of Seven Good Years on a short flight today. When I sat down, my nosy seat mate eyeballed what I was reading, and started telling me how much she loved Etgar Keret, had recently seen him speak at a book festival, liked his book of stories but liked this short book of memoir essays more, she finds him so funny, he makes her laugh out loud, and did she mention she saw him at a book festival and how lovely he was... And I stonily -- but politely, I swear -- stayed quiet because I just w...

"So why'd you come all this way to this dump to give birth?" ....( the taxi driver asks Keret)"We wanted a natural childbirth. The department here---""Natural?" He interrupts, sniggering. "What's natural about a midget with a cable hangingfrom his belly button popping out have your wife's vagina?" "Six hours later, a midget with a cable hanging from his belly comes popping out of My wife's vagina and immediately starts to cry. I try to calm him down, to convince him that there's nothing to worry...

What an amazing little book! All I know is that I loved this. I want others to read it. Short little episodic bits of a man's life that speak volumes, all during a seven year period between the birth of the author's son and the death of his father. Short little stories that say so much through humor. Simple little "episodes" of love, of human stupidity, of birth and death and taxi drivers who never get to pee anywhere and nobody gives a damn.Four or five stars? It moved me. It said important thi...

#MUSTREAD Masterpiece of short storytelling! For readers of Ephraim Kishon... :)

I know I’m moving into four and five-star territory when I’m mostly thinking while reading, “Wow! This is great!” and pretty much have no (or very minor) complaints. I’m late to the party with THE SEVEN GOOD YEARS, but this was truly a better late than never moment! I very much enjoyed this episodic-style memoir, and Keret’s technique of frequently couching the serious in humor was particularly effective. I have to admit, though, despite the use of the comedic throughout most of his memoir, Kere...

well this turned into ugly sobbing surprisingly fast

Etgar Keret, teller of minimalist and magical short stories, he often verges on the absurd but possesses a formidable insight in to human nature. Turning his pen on himself and his life in this collection of autobiographical writings that starts with the birth of his son and ends seven years later with the death of his holocaust surviving father, he uses the same style and approach, observing the horror and joy of existence and finding the magic and absurdity of it all. He is a masterful storyte...

A treasury of humor and hope by an Israeli humorist. Affectionate portraits of his semi-insane wife, future war criminal toddler son, his ultra-Orthodox sister and progressive (and possibly more magical/creative) brother...not to mention his mother, his father. A lot of gems here, but standout fave is "Bird's Eye", wherein Etgar debates the underlying message of the videogame Angry Birds with his mother (and, ultimately, himself)...Sample quote from this vignette:"I don't understand," my mother

Loved this collection of small real life essays. Keret is such a sensitive writer, and in some cases so funny! He is known in Israel to be a leftist to some extreme, but showing us his life here, we see how Israeli he is, with a ultra-orthodox sister who he loves so much, and the humane trials and tribulations that we all have to deal with, no matter how much we love or hate. Splendid.

Israeli writer Keret takes all the intelligence, humor, and absurdity he uses in his fiction and makes it sparkle in his ruminations about child rearing, death, and more. The Seven Good Years is a collection of darkly funny essays about the birth of his son, his father's cancer, and the threat of war that hangs over their home. Keret is a masterful writer, with a perfect touch of the strange, making this memoir an absolute delight to read. And if you haven't read his fiction before, do so now. I...

The writer is neither saint nor tzaddik nor prophet standing at the gate; he's just another sinner who has a somewhat sharper awareness and uses slightly more precise language to describe the inconceivable reality of our world. He doesn't invent a single feeling or thought – all of them existed long before him. He's not the least bit better than his readers – sometimes he's a lot worse – and so it should be. If the writer were an angel, the abyss that separates him from us would be so great t

I loved this collection of personal episodes about seven years in writer's life, between the birth of his son and his father's death. They are just what I needed now. They were getting me through a difficult time. Small essays on love, fatherhood, aging parents, human stupidity, human kindness. Funny, sad, warm and wise. They are beautifully written, too. From the book I learned a lot what it's like to live in Israel today. I've been recently there but the trip, the touristic one, was more about...

Funny, sweet and insightful collection of brief essays encompassing the years between the birth of the author's son, Lev, and the death of his father. "The Seven Good Years" is an unusual memoir, with ruminations on telemarketers, the dilemma of book dedications, sibling relationships, his parents' courtship, life in Israel lived under the constant threat of war and a son who cadges sweets from his preschool cook by pretending he's a cat (my favorite):"Meow," Lev answered in a soft, purry voice....

A memoir is a different animal than a work of fiction. It demands a great deal of self-exposure and vulnerability from the writer without crossing the line into pathos and navel-gazing. It must, I believe, expose the author’s humanity while retaining his core essence.Etgar Keret is a powerful writer. I was most impressed with his short-story collection, a feat of imagination titled Suddenly, A Knock on the Door. I’ve heard him speak in person and was charmed by his honesty, wryness, and authenti...

Very interesting read. I listened to the audio version and loved it.