Almost the Truth: Stories and Lies is a collection of memoirs, short stories, and recollections which crackle with wit, brazen sentimentality, and unfiltered self awareness.
The stories blur the line between fact and fiction leaving the reader wondering what is real and what is not. Characters from the short stories pop up in family recollections and friends make guest appearances in the short stories. These crossovers become increasingly compelling as the more you read the more you realize these seemingly stand alone pieces are inter connected.
There is a tip of the hat to the curmudgeonry of Larry David, self deprecation of Woody Allen, and self awareness of David Sedaris, but Zevy’s voice and humor is unique and very much his own.
After all, you shouldn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Please find below a 3-story sample from the collection.
Aaron Zevy, an Egyptian Jew, has proven that the ancient Chinese were dead right. But don't let Zevy's humour foo you; there are serious bells ringing in these stories. Advice to reader: enjoy the book, but think twice about being seated next to Zevy on a long flight.
But this book, consisting of 34 tales, isn't exclusively autobiographical. A man named Harold Goldfarb headlines a series of hysterical stories...
Zevy writes in an easy-going style which is both polished and seemingly improvised...
Complementing the author's humor is earnestness, particularly when writing about his charming parents...
Heartfelt and droll tales which blend autobiography and fiction.
Almost the Truth: Stories and Lies is uniformly one of the more creative, satisfyingly reads of 2020. Readers who enjoy wry humor and life observations that depart from any anticipated pathway will delight in Aaron Zevy's collection, which is often politically or culturally incorrect in delightful ways.
To read Zevy is not only to get lost in his often hilarious and unexpected tales, but to be given a front row seat on the nature and art of storytelling itself.
His imitable voice is hilariously self-deprecating, vivid, and splashed with surprising moments of intimacy."