Starred review from June 14, 2021
In this stimulating debut, Gefen explores the mysteries of the human mind through realist and fantastical lenses. In “The Geriatric Platoon,” an Israeli grandfather is deployed to guard a remote settlement near the Jordanian border, much to the puzzlement of his practical son and rudderless, war-scarred grandson. The setup lends itself to some Catch 22-style absurdist humor—one soldier receives special nap dispensations—but the family relationships resonate emotionally as well. Another military-themed story, “Neptune,” offers a darker vision. Set at a remote outpost, it describes a mock trial over a stolen grilled cheese sandwich that devolves into a brutal display of violence and power. Gefen is also a neurocognitive researcher, and several chilling tales venture into the mysteries of cognition, dream worlds, and mental illness. In the dreamlike title story, a husband tries to help his Alzheimer’s-suffering wife relive a special memory. And in the powerful “Exit,” two parents helplessly watch as their young daughter, who suffers from a mysterious condition in which she believes her dreams last for years, becomes lost in the “infinity of her private future” and withdraws from the waking world. Other stories, like “101.3 FM,” about a radio that can tune into people’s inner thoughts, and “Girl Who Lived Near the Sun,” an interplanetary coming-of-age tale, transcend their conceits thanks to a sharp voice. This vigorous, inventive work will surely fire up readers’ neurons. Agent: Deborah Harris, Deborah Harris Agency.
August 15, 2021
Thirteen stories of contemporary Israeli life weave in and out of reality. From a story called "Flies and Porcupines": "Since the day you enlisted, Yonatan, I've been trying to catch time. Literally catch it....At first I didn't catch anything, because catching time is truly tricky." From "The Girl Who Lived Near the Sun": "It's been a year and a half now that you've been traveling all over the solar system, without popping by to visit your old grandma even once." From "Debby's Dream House": "I found the job through a newspaper ad. I didn't even know there were people who built dreams." Originally published in Israel to awards and acclaim, many of the stories in Gefen's debut collection combine a down-to-earth, wry narrative tone with surreal or SF-esque premises. While one narrator actually does get a job building dreams, and also nightmares, another fixes a radio that can tune into people's inner thoughts, while a third gets a job as a representative for a company called the Meaning of Life, Ltd. At a facility called Lucid Memo, people literally share their memories with others--and the pre-wedding couples who come in get a complimentary pampering spa treatment after the procedure. Some stories have more realistic premises, or somewhat more realistic, anyway: In the very long--too long--first story, "The Geriatric Platoon," the narrator is a man whose grandfather joins the military to alleviate his boredom. A military base is also the setting for "Neptune," so called because that's how far away from everything it feels--there, a mock trial is held for the crime of stealing a grilled cheese sandwich. Gefen's background as a neurocognitive researcher filters through the collection in stories that meditate on dreams, cognition, mental illness, and the inner lives of his characters. His philosophical concerns and ability to combine humor with grim resignation to the conditions of everyday life in Israel recall Etgar Keret. With stories already optioned by Ryan Gosling and Warner Bros., the author seems poised for a successful American debut.
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