Summary: Eitan “Croc” Einoch is a thirtysomething, not terribly introspective Tel Aviv resident who suddenly finds himself lauded as a national hero after narrowly surviving three terrorist attacks within several days. Fahmi Sabih is a pensive twentysomething Palestinian in the West Bank who belongs to the terrorist cell responsible for the attacks. The two characters alternate as narrators in Assaf Gavron’s new darkly comic novel, Almost Dead, his first book translated into English. Writing with humor and empathy, Gavron examines the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of these ordinary lives. He spoke with Vox Tablet host Sara Ivry about the Israeli response to Almost Dead, anxious commutes during the Second Intifada, and the pleasures and pains of translating Philip Roth, J. D. Salinger, and his own work. Gavron will be participating in the PEN World Voices Festival, and in book readings across the country, this month and next. Your browser does not support the audio element.
