Arnon Grunberg

First

True

Judith Maltz in Ha'aretz on Philip Roth and The Mossad:

"The book was promoted as a work of fiction, but at the time of its publication Roth insinuated that his connections to the Mossad were not necessarily a figment of the imagination.
In an interview with The New York Times, the author insisted that the book was true. “As you know,” he said, “at the end of the book a Mossad operative made me realize it was in my interest to say this book was fiction. And I became quite convinced that it was in my interest to do that. So I added the note to the reader as I was asked to do. I’m just a good Mossadnik.” “The Counterlife,” published in 1986 and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, was his first novel to be set, at least partially, in Israel. Nathan Zuckerman – the fictional writer and narrator often described as Roth’s alter ego – is sent to Israel at a certain stage of the story to try to talk sense into his brother Henry, who has thrown his lot in with the settler movement."

Read the article here.

I've always been intrigued by authors who happen to be spooks as well. Once upon a time in Sidney an Irish writer told me a fascinating story, but unfortunately I cannot remember the details.

In an interview with an Israeli newspaper I claimed in jest to be working for the Mossad. The newspaper couldn't print it, even certain feeble jokes are off-limits.

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