A Fine Madness: A Novella in Stories and Other Mad Stories - Paperback

by Jeffrey M. Feingold (Author)

Another fine book from Meat For Tea Press.

Jeffrey M. Feingold's A Fine Madness is a witty, amusing, and sometimes surrealistic collection of stories. Many deal with men's illusions about women and themselves. He has fun with the names of towns like Mundaine, Chicken Bristle, Grubsky. He catches perfectly the conversational style of his characters. A collection that made me smile frequently. I found it a fast and enjoyable read.

- Marge Piercy, author of Woman on the Edge of Time, and He, She and It.

When you enter the cosmos of these short stories, some of which comprise a novella, It is not unlike experiencing the Marx Brothers on steroids. Feingold's carefully-controlled insanity belies some serious, universal issues: our need for love and affirmation; our attempt to find meaning in God's seemingly random injustice; our search for answers without a clear formulation of the questions; the need for Jewish assimilation as well as the importance of identity; the waning of desire and love. The antic devices are rich in images: a hair ointment, much like Andersen's red shoes, that can't stop working; magical tattoos that appear and disappear on a man's buttocks; a blender brought by the devil that can predict infant gender and restore a balance in the universe by switching polarity. The reader is treated to a madcap universe in which serious truths are explored lovingly and brilliantly. A treat!

- Linda Kraus, author of Listening to the Silence, and Popcorn Icons.

"Once there was a man, named J, who wrote caustic stories about humorous, brave, and sour-sweet characters, miming, mimicking and mocking the torn-up search for love that equals all human beings. This book is an invitation to genuinely laugh while questioning if what is meant to be is always meant to be. Deep, itchy, and definitely... hirsute."
- Fabiana Martinez, author of 12 Random Words.