finished 06.28.08

After reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay I wasn’t sure if I was a fan of the book or a fan of its author, Michael Chabon. I just knew I liked it.

After reading The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, I knew I was a fan of Michael Chabon’s writing, because I enjoyed this book just as much as Kavalier & Clay, if not more. Sure there are a bunch of Jewish customs and Yiddish words and slang that I didn’t get, but the story made me want to look things up to understand it more. Also, in many cases, when they use a word over and over you start to understand what it is from the context of the sentences. About 3/4 of the way through the book I realized that there’s actually a dictionary in the back of the book, but by then I didn’t really need it.

This book, at its most basic, is a murder mystery in a “what-if,” non-existent scenario of a world. Throw in a down-on-his-luck, flawed Detective Landsman as the main character who is lovable despite his faults and you got me. I’m a sucker for for a murder mystery with a messed up hero.