The Book of Mischief: New and Selected Stories (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781555976217)

"In the 25 years since [Stern] published his first book, younger Jewish writers have run with a similar shtick . . . But Stern was there first." --The Toronto Globe and Mail

The Book of Mischief triumphantly showcases twenty-five years of outstanding work by one of our true masters of the short story. Steve Stern's stories take us from the unlikely old Jewish quarter of the Pinch in Memphis to a turn-of-thecentury immigrant community in New York; from the market towns of Eastern Europe to a down-at-the-heels Catskills resort. Along the way we meet a motley assortment of characters: Mendy Dreyfus, whose bungee jump goes uncannily awry; Elijah the prophet turned voyeur; and the misfit Zelik Rifkin, who discovers the tree of dreams. Perhaps it's no surprise that Kafka's cockroach also makes an appearance in these pages, animated as they are by instances of bewildering transformation. The earthbound take flight, the meek turn incendiary, the powerless find unwonted fame. Weaving his particular brand of mischief from the wondrous and the macabre, Stern transforms us all through the power of his brilliant imagination.

Author: Steve Stern
ISBN-10: 1555976212
ISBN-13: 9781555976217
Publisher: Graywolf Press
Language: English
Published: 09/04/2012
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.54lbs
Size: 9.33h x 6.35w x 1.57d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2012 pg. 1442
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2012
Shelf Awareness 09/07/2012
Booklist 09/15/2012 pg. 24
New York Times Book Review 09/30/2012 pg. 22
New York Times Book Review 10/07/2012 pg. 30
Kirkus Best Fiction 11/15/2012 pg. 38
NY Times Notable Bks of Year 12/02/2012 pg. 25
Kirkus Bea Big Book Guide 05/15/2012 pg. 26