by B. J. Novak
First published 2014
A bitter hare cannot forget his humiliating defeat. The tortoise's victory in their famous race has haunted him for years, transforming what should have been a simple contest into a life-defining catastrophe. Now the hare schemes obsessively, determined to engineer another competition that will restore his damaged pride. Meanwhile, other peculiar tales unfold in this collection of darkly comic stories. Readers discover the surprising origins behind February's unusual name and uncover unexpected truths about carrot cake's signature topping. B.J. Novak crafts these brief, twisted narratives with sharp wit and unexpected turns. Each story takes familiar elements and reveals their hidden absurdities. The hare's consuming need for vindication drives him toward increasingly desperate measures, while the tortoise remains blissfully unaware of the brewing revenge plot. These interconnected tales explore how small defeats can metastasize into lifelong obsessions.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, literary-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
15 pages · Kindle Edition · Little, Brown Book Group