This short novel unfolds over a single night at a dingy comedy club in Netanya, as a comedian’s final performance veers into something raw and unsettling. In the dance between comic and audience, the life of the stand-up comic begins to take shape, full of guilt, betrayal, and treachery. Part performance, part memoir, this is a story that demands both revulsion and empathy from the reader. Thanks to Jessica Cohen’s translation, we’re able to enjoy this masterpiece from one of Israel’s best authors.
What the Booker Prize said:
David Grossman has attempted an ambitious high-wire act of a novel, and he’s pulled it off spectacularly. A Horse Walks into a Bar shines a spotlight on the effects of grief, without any hint of sentimentality. The central character is challenging and flawed, but completely compelling. We were bowled over by Grossman’s willingness to take emotional as well as stylistic risks: every sentence counts, every word matters in this supreme example of the writer’s craft.’
Why do we love it?
We love this book for its daring. Grossman asks what happens when grief refuses to stay offstage – and whether humour can hold its shape under pressure. Short, sharp, and humane, this is a story about memory, shame, fractured societies, and what it means to be seen when it matters most.
In the words of the author…
Listen to David Grossman discuss the award-winning book with Mark Lawson ahead of his Booker Prize win. A very special event with readings from Henry Goodman: