The Dog that Talked (About the War)
Bizarre figures people Epstein’s distinctive imagination. The characters in The Dog that Talked (About the War) include biblical heroes, prophets, madmen and modern-day wizards. Like fairies, they are endowed with a tranquillity that defies the mundane, conventional and safe. Epstein is not concerned with psychology, but with metaphysics and the mysterious flux of time and identity. His characters seem to transcend the fear of death. Each story in this collection is like a legend that has been floating in space and stumbled upon by chance. “The Italians” opens with an Israeli diplomat’s visit to an unidentified Russian city, where he hopes to find a book his grandfather published there. But there is an unexpected twist in the tale, and the story ends with a legend about one of the city’s ancient bridges. The Israeli, the book and the grandfather are left in limbo.
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“ Epstein has an imagination and a world of his own, as well as a personal style....In a unique and original manner, he returns the story to its sources: myth and legend. ”
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“ Fantastic gothic tales written with wisdom and a sure hand. ”
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“ Epstein's language is clear and clean, and attains moments of lyricism.”