Jesse Eisenberg

The actor and playwright presents a collection of humorous, moving, and inventive stories that explore the ridiculousness of modern-day life.

& Other Stories

Bream Gives Me Hiccups

Jackie Cunningham

Fantastic collection of short stories. Fans of BJ Novak's collection from last year will enjoy this.

"Taking its title from a group of stories that begin the book, [this collection] moves from contemporary L.A. to the dorm rooms of an American college to ancient Pompeii, throwing the reader into a universe of social misfits, reimagined scenes from history, and ridiculous overreactions"--

James Paden

I didn't know what to expect from Jesse. The stories were definitely unexpected. I found them amusing, but not hilarious. It's been a long time since I've read a comedic book. This wasn't my particular cup of jam.

Prisoner 1: I'm sick of it here. I have dreams, man. I wanna travel up the coast, fall in love with a Babylonian woman, and then stone her to death when she menstruates.

This is the kind of thing you're in for in Bream Gives Me Hiccups. It's stories and reviews and emails and phone conversations about how weird and lonely people are. It is like one inch away from being too precious in its winking at itself but it works somehow. There's a sort of lonely hollow feeling in each of these characters that make you feel like they could (and probably do) exist in the world. It's a fast read, it's a good read.

B.H. Pitt

A very fun read. Eisenberg has a very particular brand of wit that shows sharply on the page. I enjoyed some sections more than others, which is to be expected in a book of short stories such as this, but overall I give it high marks.

I would love to see a novel type work from him in the future.

Bream Gives Me Hiccups & Other Stories

Reviews