{"product_id":"the-pets-9781940953298","title":"The Pets","description":"\u003cp\u003eDark, scary, and unbelievably funny.--\u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe best short novel I've read this year. . . .Small, dark, and hard to put down, \u003ci\u003eThe Pets\u003c\/i\u003e may be a classic in the literature of small enclosed spaces.--\u003ci\u003eBarnes \u0026amp; Noble Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBack in Reykjavik after a vacation in London, Emil Halldorsson is waiting for a call from a beautiful girl, Greta, that he met on the plane ride home, and he's just put on a pot of coffee when an unexpected visitor knocks on the door. Peeking through a window, Emil spies an erstwhile friend--Havard Knutsson, his one-time roommate and current resident of a Swedish mental institution--on his doorstep, and he panics, taking refuge under his bed and hoping the frightful nuisance will simply go away.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHavard won't be so easily put off, however, and he breaks into Emil's apartment and decides to wait for his return--Emil couldn't have gone far; the pot of coffee is still warming on the stove. While Emil hides under his bed, increasingly unable to show himself with each passing moment, Havard discovers the booze, and he ends up hosting a bizarre party for Emil's friends, and Greta.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn alternately dark and hilarious story of cowardice, comeuppance, and assumed identity, the breezy and straightforward style of The Pets belies its narrative depth, and disguises a complexity that grows with every page.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBragi  lafsson\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of several books of poetry and short stories, and four novels, including \u003ci\u003eTime Off\u003c\/i\u003e, which was nominated for the Icelandic Literature Prize in 1999 (as was \u003ci\u003eThe Pets\u003c\/i\u003e), and \u003ci\u003eParty Games\u003c\/i\u003e, for which Bragi received the DV Cultural Prize in 2004. \u003ci\u003eThe Ambassador\u003c\/i\u003e, available from Open Letter, was a finalist for the 2008 Nordic Literature Prize and received the Icelandic Bookseller's Award as best novel of the year. Bragi is one of the founders of the publishing company Smekkleysa (Bad Taste), and has translated Paul Auster's \u003ci\u003eCity of Glass\u003c\/i\u003e into Icelandic. He is also a former bass player with The Sugarcubes, the internationally successful pop group that featured Bj rk as the lead vocalist.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJanice Balfour\u003c\/b\u003e studied literature and Italian at the University of Iceland. In addition to Bragi  lafsson, she has translated two collections of short stories by Gydir El asson.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Open Letter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/10\/2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781940953298\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 157\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.50lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.50d","brand":"Bragi \u0026#211;lafsson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40292640227509,"sku":"9781940953298","price":11.01,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_d621a295-6cca-4f72-8df8-733fc68a6a4f.jpg?v=1624333066","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-pets-9781940953298","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}