Killing the Second Dog Paperback – March 2, 2014

Another rec from the Complete Review.This is a bleak, distinctly mid-century-feeling novel about a pair of Polish con artists hustling rich women in Israel. Before long you will pick up on the title's meaning and a dog's place in their strategy.I enjoyed it. The writing is pretty spare, cutting, doom-laden, misanthropic (peppered with some beautiful descriptions of wind/sand storms, the sea, etc). The translation is so good you'd think it was natively in English. It reads much more like an American novel, something Nathanael West might have written if he'd lived to witness Nazi atrocities and was more of an alcoholic. These experiences--which, if I'm not mistaken, were semi-autobiographical--are kept buried for much of the book and are fittingly disturbing when they surface.The conversations between the two men and some of their regular acquaintances/accomplices are funny and dark and strange (his partner had envisioned a life in theater, the narrator is in more ways than one his aging leading man, and this takes on increasingly perverse dimensions).Just as a personal taste (and not political) thing, I find some of the dynamics between the narrator and his (American) mark a bit tedious. It's very of its time and genre, there never seems to be much variation in how male/female relationships are written in this kind of novel (he is repellant and moody, she loves it, this is how the con works). Ultimately I wasn't sure what to take away from it. She doesn't really matter, I suppose you get enough from the narrator's own spiritual and physical decline to make up the difference. It's very short--I'm not sure I would have made it longer but I feel like it's still missing that 'something' which I make no attempts to prescribe. But it's worthwhile all the same.

One of those small canvases that is perfectly wrought. This book offers a plumb-line into the incurable condition of having lived through and seen the horrors of Nazi occupation close up. The narrator is a broken man with nothing left to live for or believe in, whose heart is broken clear through, who longs for love but knows it will do nothing, can do nothing, in a world in which brutality knows no bounds. The glib, comic tone is a perfect register for the utter despair that fills this book, a strange kind of ghoul dance that keeps the reader riveted and turning the pages. It is a speedy ride in an old jalopy that has the horsepower of a race car and tears along the dusty, hot summer Israeli roads with combustible peril.

I chose this book because of reviews on Amazon.The book is in translation but,the writing and style are very effective.This is an odd piece of writing,a distinctively noir view of the lives of all of the characters.Yet ,I was touched by everyone.One can't help recognizing the despair even of the dogs. .

The premise of the story was interesting and initially was sufficiently engaging that I continued reading. As i got into the book, however, I realized I did not like the two main characters and could not empathize with them. Upon finishing the book, I concluded it was depressing and portrayed a very dark and venal view of human nature. I was sorry I wasted my time reading it.

The characters were flat and lacked any passion or redeeming qualities. Maybe it lost a lot in translation, but wasn't worth my time.

This book was a required reading for our book club. I found the book uninteresting. Maybe 2 lines were interesting.

best

sorry, not my cup of tea.