Strange Fire: A Novel

by Melvin Jules Bukiet

"Savagely funny....Never was Jewish wit put to better or more urgent use."― Chicago Tribune , a Favorite Book of 2001 Blind, homosexual, Russian émigré speechwriter Nathan Kazakov has enough problems even before his left ear is obliterated by a bullet presumably meant for the Israeli prime minister. Determined to solve the mystery, Nathan begins exploring a web of conspiracies involving messianic orthodox settlers, Arab terrorists, and the Israeli secret service. Was the bullet intended for Nathan after all? or perhaps for the prime minister's son Gabriel, an archaeologist who shuns his father's politics? One trail leads to Leviticus, another beneath the Temple Mount. Strange Fire is "a stunning literary achievement" ( Miami Herald ) fueled by Bukiet's singular imagination. A Washington Post Book World 2001 Rave, a Chicago Tribune Favorite Book of the Year, and a Booklist Editors' Choice. "Corrupt, violent, zigzagging atmosphere...a raucous vituperative attack on every kind of political hypocrisy."― Los Angeles Times Book Review

Genres: Fiction

348 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Marsh "Bad Sci Fi" Bloom · Rating 2 out of 5]

What happens when an author is trapped in that one writing class where the instructor harangues the students to keep adding limitations and barriers for the protagonist to overcome?
What happens when a book uses cliché as an attempt at humor?
What happens when a Dan Brown fan spends half the book creating a journal of perfectly ordinary factual asides that would make a 1950s school film reel narrator cry, overwhelming an already flighty story?
What happens when the editor gets super exhausted editing out 1980s writing ticks and finally gives up at times?
The answers to these questions and more can be found in Strange Fire.

Short version: Dan Brown-esque novelization of a screenplay that had it been produced would have broke ground on a new genre of jewsploitation.

[Peterson Toscano · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bukiet's book began well enough but the plot got out of control. Perhaps this along with the dreadful torture rape scene is some sort of metaphor intended to reveal to the reader the oppression, corruption, and unsustainable nature of the Israeli occupation. Regardless, I found myself jerked around by the plot. Perhaps with some more editing, this could be a decent book. As it stands though, it is a flawed novel with ambitious aims.

[Nasus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written; interesting insight; way too far fetched

[Marni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coworker of mine recommended this book so much to me that he bought me a copy. He said it was a bit of a slow start but then it gets witty and crazy and is intelligent. So with my fits and spurts I read it. It was a bit of a slow start but that didnt last long. This book did require a bit of work. I had to really concentrate to follow it but once I was in the groove it flowed quite well. The problem would only occur when I put it down and picked it up again. Id have to go back a few paragraphs to refresh what was going on. My friend was right--it was very witty and crazy and intelligent. Bukiet knows more about the politics of Israel than I could ever by any stretch. His deformed, smart and funny gay speechwriter hero went through more physical crap than anyone should but kept on truckin' with humor to boot. The climax of this tale of Israeli intrigue was a total worthwhile payoff with a funny as all hell coda.

[Annamária · Rating 2 out of 5]

Próbáltam én szeretni ezt a könyvet, komolyan. De nem ment. Pedig ajánlották, a fülszöveg is "csábító" volt, és látszik is rajta, hogy az író akart valami nagyon jót, valami nagyon ütőset és egyedit, a szándék kiváló. Csak sajnos nem sikerült. Iszonyatosan lassan indul és nehezen, néha nagyon kellett figyelnem, hogy követni tudjam, ezért nem is nagyon mertem letenni, nehogy oldalakat kelljen visszalapoznom mit olvastam korábban.
Nem ajánlom olvasásra, még azoknak sem, akiknek hozzám hasonlóan elég egy könyv címében felfedezni az Izrael szót és máris viszik haza a könyvesboltból.

[Elyse Rudin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really tried to like this book. A very good premise. A blind Israeli speech writer for the man running for Prime Minister of Israel gets shot during a press conference. The question is who was the bullet intended for. I couldn't wait to get into this book but at page 112 I had to stop. I was bored with the story and characters were one dimensional. Can't like everything and I was on a roll too.

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Promoted as a dark comedy, I really didn't find any of it funny, mostly pathetic.

[Chhavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malden