A very funny yet tragic book, a unique work in the history of Israeli literature and one of only a handful ofworks that relates to the great humoristic tradition of Eastern European Jewish literature in Hebrew and Yiddish. Highly recommended.' - Yaron Peleg, Kennedy Leigh Lecturer in Modern Hebrew Studies, University of Cambridge 'The first few episodes of Petty Business bring Honoré de Balzac’s César Birotteau to mind . . . but Pinkus chooses wisely not to show its protagonists in their fall. . . . [It] is not the grand novel about the end of Israeli petit bourgeoisie but a depiction of its last few moments of grace, and it is a wonderful depiction.' - Motti Fogel, Achbar Ha’Ir '[A] decisive literary victory, a real celebration . . . the precise observations of Philip Roth, the grotesque wildness of Hanoch Levin, and the sharp melancholy of Ephraim Kishon. . . . A humorous novel that is motivated by empathy rather than sarcasm and manages to be both entertaining and deeply moving.' - Omri Herzog, Ha’aretz 'A refreshing, realistic portrayal of the city of Tel Aviv and a rare depiction of middle-aged, petty bourgeois characters who don’t usually findtheir way into Israeli fiction' - Philip Hollander, assistant professor, Center for Jewish Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison