Muck

[Muck is] the story of the Book of Jeremiah by way of Atlantic City; it's a tale of cosmic conflict and very small-scale, very human thwarted ambitions--and it's often bitingly funny. --Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review In Muck . . . Burstein brilliantly and movingly superimposes [the prophet] Jeremiah's poetic imprecations against the Israel of his time and the strange trajectory of his career, as described in the biblical book named after him, on Israel's present-day travails. It could easily fall flat, but in Burstein's hands it is both hilarious and appalling. --Gabriel Josipovici, The New Statesman Israeli writer Dror Burstein's novel Muck turns all the way back to the Babylonian conquest of Judah, updating the scriptural story of Jeremiah . . . An absurdist blending of ancient and contemporary details . . . in the kvetching style of Joseph Heller. --Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal Influenced by such masterworks as Philip Roth's scabrous Sabbath's Theater, Joseph Heller's satirical Catch-22, and the modernist works of Thomas Pynchon, [Muck] is alternately hilarious (dig those talking dogs) and gripping in its treatment of the power of words. Ultimately, Burstein delivers page-turning suspense that gains resonance through its relevance to contemporary Israel . . . a dazzling and dizzying triumph. --Kirkus, starred review A surreal and searing story. --Vol. 1 Brooklyn Burstein manages to wrest Pynchonian satire from biblical eschatology, and his narrative is frequently funny . . . The prevailing sentiment, as Jeremiah's warnings go unheeded by his fellow light-rail commuters, is an all-too-familiar sense of anxiety about an uncertain future. --Brendan Driscoll, Booklist Gritty realism intermixes with historical allusion, allowing [Muck] to function on several levels. The transmogrification of ancient events into a modern context creates a gripping world of hyperrealistic abandon. --Henry Bankhead, Library Journal