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.
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."
"Part memory, part memoir, part truth, part lie whatever it is it is very entertaining. By turns poignant, educational, and outright funny. It is a look at relationships between family and friends. The author says it's a collection of 40 years of stories and basically life. We all can relate to these truly great stories one way or another. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. More Please!""
"I related to his family stories, especially the ones about family business. My family were Hungarian Jewish immigrants, but it felt like I knew his relatives and his friends. Laugh out loud funny"
"When the world is going crazy around us, having a book and author one can turn to who can open us up to deep belly laughs is nothing short of golden. I have passed this book along to my partner, who grew up in an East Orthodox, Syrian household, but has since embraced Jewish traditions. While every short story is priceless onto itself - and the characters amazing snapshots - the one called "Mother" specifically rang his bell. Filled with snippets of Arabic and foodstuffs (prepared like "in the Old Country"), it has been a treasure we have been able to share.
Just two words...READ IT!"
"Zevy's short stories are hilarious and make you feel like you know him – or at least you know someone like him. He's relatable! Stories of family, friends, poker, golf, music and more – his collection has something for everyone. His mix of fact and fiction will keep you guessing, but according to Zevy, we should never let the truth get in the way of a good story. A great summer read and an excellent book club choice!"
"I loved the characters in this book. With each new story, we meet another crazy friend or family member. The author generously shares his experiences and there is always a funny twist at the end. Mr. Zevy uses crisp, quick dialog to create an authentic slice of life.
His parents are Egyptian Jews who settled in Toronto. We see the way they acclimated to their new life.
The description of the foods and family gatherings were particularly interesting to me.
If you enjoyed David Sedaris, you will enjoy this book."
"Incredibly entertaining! I read one story after another. As soon as I put it down, my husband grabbed it. Rather than fight over it, we read it aloud to each other. A great way to spend an afternoon."
"Hey, Aaron ol' man, I enjoyed your stories... especially the lies."
"This book had me chuckling from the start. There was a lot of Jewish culture, written in an almost innocent voice. I knew these characters and how they reacted to the wold. Relatable fun, even if you aren't a member of the tribe."
"I found this collection of short stories to be a nice break from the format of most books and novels I've been reading."
"Very cute stories with a Jewish flair."
"Funny in places, enjoyed his perspective. Would be interested in other books. Rated this as a collection of short stories not as a novel - perhaps details of some stories may stick with me. I think it's probable. Would not place this in great literature category but was not looking for that anyway."
"The first part of the book, was filled with wonderful stories, some exaggerations and excellent points about life and living. They were based to some extent on the life of the author, a Jewish man who grew up in Toronto. The key themes were universal, applicable to so many growing up in North America in the 70's and 80's.
The second part of the book was comprised of totally fictional stories. It was entering a different realm, albeit interesting and engaging.
All in all, a pleasant read which brought laughter, nostalgia and perhaps a few tears."
"I am so glad I stumbled across Mr. Zevy on Kindell. I love the meandering stories, the understated humor, the fact that he obviously doesn't allow the truth to get in the way of a good story. BTW, I only gave you 4 stars to keep you humble, keep you striving for that next hole in one."
"This book is easy reading and very funny. Free on Kindle. Short stories."
"I laughed my way through the Kindle version of this book! I found it on the Amazon unlimited list while I was looking for a travel book, and I'm certainly glad I didn't scroll past. If you're in the mood to read someone's memoirs in short, hilarious chunks, try this book."
"This is a very light and entertaining short story book. The author describes many funny situations and stories. It's hard to tell if the stories are fictitious or, they actually happened."
"In Not Book Club Material Zevy proves he is a master of the comedic form. These stories are brilliant vignettes spanning countries and decades, linked by family and culture—heartbreaking and hilarious at once, they will leave you wishing these characters were your own family and friends."
"If you're looking for a fun read, which you can put down and come back to, time and time again, without losing your place, then this collection of short stories is for you. Lots of Jewish humor and self deprecation. Very enjoyable."
"I enjoyed the stories and the humour. Lovely collection so much fun to read. Sorry that it ended so fast"
"I love this book. Aaron Zevy, I adore this book! When writing can make you laugh out loud, it has succeeded masterfully. I love dry humor that sounds serious (spellcheck says serotonin, which is actually a byproduct of reading this book) and this book is perfect. I'm going to buy a hard copy just in case the entire digital world disappears.
The story about the Angel of Death was hysterical."
"This was an entertaining read of snippets from a "normal" life."
"A collection of short stories, I laughed my rear off on some of them. Schwartzman's is probably my favorite of the stories, but there were plenty of others that caused me to laugh out loud. Well worth the read…"
"Thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories, at times chuckling out loud. Excellent storyteller that makes you wish you were listening to these in person over a cup of coffee, or a plate of lasagne."
"Funny short stories. I like these because they are about the author, true and/or made up, and have same characters through out the book. Easy read."
I just finished this book. As a Canadian Jew with an Egyptian Jewish mother (from Cairo, she left in 1964), I wanted to extend a giant thank you to the author. Other than The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit, there's so little literature that tells the stories I heard growing up. I can't wait to pass it along to my mother.
These were the stories I grew up with, although my mother never managed this amount of humour in telling them. Most people have no idea that there once was a thriving Jewish community in the Middle East and North Africa.
We need more of these books!
Such an enjoyable book, it took me back to my childhood. So funny and delightful, I would highly recommend.
This is a vey enjoyable book that will give you many hours of pleasure. Highly recommended.
"As a non Jew but a person who has had many Jewish friends, I found this book so enjoyable. I laughed out loud several times at the dry humor and entertaining stories of the author. Delightful!"
"I'm not Jewish but there's no denying that a culture that old has picked up a lot of flavors moving from place to place, absorbing suffering and buffering, irony and ability with melanges of meaning in humor and word play. The author's family is Egyptian Jewish which was a flavor I hadn't yet met, and I enjoyed stories of their own little tribe with the Tribe, diet specialties, lots of Arabic and French salted into their vocabulary.
The humor was dry and droll.
I liked it and would read more from the author"
"What I love the most about Schlepping Across the Nile is joy and love the author feels towards his family. Zevy unabashedly describes the funny quirks of family members and the dynamics between them. In "Silver Tweezers" we learn about his Dad's hobby of stamp collecting, from the point of view of a little boy, watching in awe. We see what it feels to be an outsider parent in Jaffa Oranges, where Zevy's father carpooled for the soccer team and didn't even try to feign interest in the sport. I enjoyed the hilarious details of Zevy's failed blind dating experiences in Cesar Salad. The last story is a beautiful tribute to his Mom, who is lovingly described and admired for her ability to keep up with modern technology, even though she wasn't quite sure of the difference between Facebook and FaceTime.
I highly recommend this book of delightfully funny and cleverly written short stories. They all come from the heart, which makes them authentic and relatable."
"This is my first book from this author and I am excited to read more. Aaron is quite simply hilarious. What a sensational sense of humor. Readers will really enjoy laughing out loud and often. Bravo! Lots of fun."
"A fascinating collection of humorous stories about the author's exiled Jewish Egyptian family. It was nostalgic for me because it brought back memories of my friend from seventh grade whose parents were Egyptian Jews. My friend's bar mitzvah was an extravaganza never before witnessed by our Ashkenazi group of friends. I will look for more books by Zevy."
"As I read this book, my face developed muscle spasms from grinning so hard. Occasionally, I would inadvertently let out squeals of delight. Then there were outright chortles ( I never use that word, but it just seems to fit). People looked at me strangely, I was actually approached a couple of times with offers of medical assistance."
"I probably related to this because my wife of 40+years is a Sabra whose father was from Egypt and mother from Morocco. Why she married me I'll never know as I am a vanilla American Jew with about as much belief as this author. Unlike him, however. I never had a Bar Mitzvah, know almost no Hebrew, and often feel as if I am an imitation Jew."
"Really enjoyed this book. Full of tales about his family, growing up in Dollard Des Ormeaux (where I too live my teen years) and the foibles of being a single man, amongst other topics. You won't be disappointed."
"Delightful short stories explaining a family history not far from many I know. Highly recommended read."
"Wonderful book full of interesting and funny stories that were so easy to relate to. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover!!!!!"
"Zevy's latest story collection, Radio Daze, guides us into the bizarre and esoteric world of vintage radio collecting. At turns hilarious, crude and surprisingly warm, these stories veer off into all sorts of unusual directions, from unearthing odd morsels of twentieth century history, to navigating the endlessly entertaining mishaps of friendship and family dynamics. As in all of Zevy's stories, the voice is what counts. Zevy writes with an inimitable style, deceivingly breezy, at once streetwise and neurotic, brimming with hubris and reeling with self-effacing humour. You can gobble these stories up, but they stay with you; after you finish the collection, you'll find yourself longing for its company, like an old friend. That's the beauty of these stories. Lingering behind all the caustic humour and the unrelenting drive to collect -- to attain the unattainable -- there is an undeniable tenderness. Whether he intends to be or not, Zevy is a poet of friendship, of the small pleasures of human connection that make life worth living. Radio Daze takes the reader into the world of vintage radios, but more importantly, the writing is vintage Zevy."
"Radio Daze is a collection of short stories tied together by the author's newest hobby, which is collecting unique, retro radios. He buys some of them on Ebay and finds others in the strangest of places. He gets joy out of taking people on tours of his collection, whether they want to see them or not! As usual, Mr. Zevy loves to poke fun at himself and his collection of characters, mostly friends, golf buddies, and members of his family.
I really enjoyed reading the stories about his adventures at his country club. One story finds him buying a radio in Miami. He calls it "the Little Havana episode of Antiques Road Show." Then there's a scene where he's eating lunch at his club and a few nosy tennis ladies strike up a conversation. The author spoofs it with his usual way - tying it to his Dijon Yellow radio collectors item.
Good light reading entertainment when you want a good belly laugh."
"These short amusing stories are a bit like good appetizers. You think you will only have a couple and the next thing you know, you have finished the tray."
"Great book! Highly recommended if you enjoy irreverent humor or if you are a collector. I finished the whole book in one day at the beach. If Ron's life is anything like what is depicted in this book, it should be made into a sitcom. Would give Larry David a run for his money."
"Very few people would consider old radio collecting an addiction but it is.
Ron Zevy approaches collecting old radios as a treasure hunt. Sometimes the radio is the treasure and sometimes the relationships along the way are the real find! Always, the experiences are funny adventures and you don't need to have any knowledge about old radios to be able to relate!
Told in short, easy-to-read vignettes which you can finish before your first cup of coffee. Each mini odyssey has as its namesake a particular radio but the stories are really about rekindled youth.
If you happen to be an old radio aficionado, or recognize some of these old beauties, it's an extra treat to discover how each tale is connected to a certain radio."
"This is my introduction to Mr. Zevy & I don't know why I had never discovered him. Who knew I wanted to know about old radios? I read the book totally believing that he really was the character in the book. Now I don't think he is but that's OK. It still seems that way to me. Hilariously entertaining & I'm fairly familiar with the Jewish narration so it's great too. I love the descriptions & pictures of the old time radios. I'm going to have to pick some other of his writings to explore."
"These stories are a pleasure to read, with moments that are so laugh-out-loud funny you'll want to recite them line by line to others. Even if you don't consider yourself a radio collector (or a collector of anything for that matter), you'll want to read them again and again. They're that good."
"I love the author's style of storytelling. It's a fun and informative book. Highly recommend for all collectors, new or old."
"I approached reading Aaron's book as a lifelong radio hobbyist. His interest in the topic of collecting radios is certainly something any collector of just about anything will resonate with. His stories in pursuit of his amazing collection are both funny and informative. Regardless of if your interest is radios or any other collectable obsession, you will find a kind hearted and funny friend in Aaron. Highly recommended. This book would make for a light hearted Beach Read or something to enjoy by the fire on cold Winter nights."
"Just a good read by Mr. Zevy. A talented author! I highly recommend his enjoyable book."
"How does a 72 year old genteel gentile woman from the southern U.S. become so infatuated with a foul-mouthed Canadian Jew? He is witty, he is laugh-out-loud funny, and Lord, can that man tell a story! Even when there isn't that much of a story to tell. Carry on, my friend. Hope to be reading much more from you."
"This is the second book l've read by this author on a recommendation. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the first (Schlepping Across the Nile) because it's hard to find a good fit with contemporary fiction. I loved this book, there are some truly great stories (again, hilarious, sad, fun) and characters here and I will be reading back through the author's list this year."
"Rarely have I laughed so much let alone while reading a book. The crafty writing style, the witty plot twists and the overall “almost” relatibility is a perfect recipe for a good throne reading! Or anywhere else i’m sure."
"The Chronicles is another hoot with different topics and hilarious stories. Zevy is full of stories and his method of telling them is very entertaining. A great read."