The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel (P.S.)
by Michael Chabon
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Book Reviews of The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel (P.S.)
Book Review: One of the worst
Summary: 1 Stars
I have to admit, I was expecting a lot more from this book. I'm a big fan of alternate histories, and as Chabon's book came so highly recommended to me by a friend, I suppose my expectations were quite high.
These are my main problems with it:
1) Chabon takes far too many liberties with his lame metaphors and "creative" prose for my liking. I found myself having to re-read much of the book, trying to figure out exactly what he was trying to say. I've never been one to gravitate towards "high-end" literature, but I am myself a writer who has been lambasted by many an editor to say exactly what I mean to say, and to use words to describe things they're designed to describe. I had the distinct impression that Chabon was stretching words and metaphors to make himself sound intelligent much of the time. But it didn't work for me.
2) I could never get into the characters either, which probably had something to do with my reaction to his use of language in general. In any case, I found the most important ones to the story quite two-dimensional. They never really seemed real to me. And without seeming real, it was difficult to care about them.
3) Part of the charm of this book for some people is Chabon's liberal use of Hebrew and Jewish terminology. I can't really knock him for that, because for those who appreciate it I think this would add depth and colour to the narrative. However, taken with the points mentioned above, it made it all the more cumbersome to read.
I should mention on a side note that my wife enjoyed the book, so don't let my own review entirely dissuade you if you're into symbolic literature that is attempting to moonlight as a detective story.
Book Review: Alternate fun
Summary: 5 Stars
Remember in the old Star Trek episode City on the Edge of Forever? Kirk saves Edith Keeler and some how Earth's timeline is altered. It's not until Spock discovers that Edith was a sort of lynch pin in time, that she had to die so Earth could go on its normal way. In The Yiddish Policeman's Union, the Pulitzer-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, the always entertaining Michael Chabon, takes a real historical idea - a-pie-in-the-sky proposal in 1940 to open up the Alaska Territory to European Jews.
While Congress killed the real plan and in the book, a character named Anthony Dimond is the divergence point, Chabon takes on the classic What if scenario and spins a wonderful tale of alternate Jewish history. Added on is a glorious, hilarious Raymond Chandler style detective story.
We are introduced to Meyer Landsman, an alcoholic homicide detective with the Sitka police department, examining the murder of a man named Emmanuel Lasker in the Zamenhof, a fleabag hotel where Landsman also happens to live. Landsman notes how professional the murder looks; the man was shot in the back of the head execution-style, the gunshot silenced by a pillow. Landsman notices syringes, packets of heroin, an open cardboard chess board in mid-game, and a beat-up copy of Siegbert Tarrasch's book, Three Hundred Chess Games.
From there the novel unfolds like a flower, as Meyer navigates his way through red herrings and his failed marriage with fellow officer Bina, who is no his superior. Chabon takes us down this brilliant alternate history filled with appealing -and not so appealing -characters right out of the golden age of film noir.
A triumph.
Book Review: Smooth, Rich and Full of Symbolism
Summary: 4 Stars
Like other reviewers I bought this book after reading Kavalier & Clay.
Unlike the others, I didn't compare the two when writing the review.
It's not fair to the author, the reader or to the book as it stands up by its own merit.
The premise of the book is simple: what if Israel lost the 1948 war, the Jews were driven into the sea and Roosevelt's proposal of establishing a Jewish state in Alaska passed (I'm sure the deciding vote belonged to Storm Thurman). Thus the setting of Sitka, Alaska - a town where Yiddish is the native tongue and kosher is the law of the land - is born. The tale is weaved around an alcoholic, yet highly moral, homicide detective, his ex-wife (now his boss), his missing sister and a bunch Jewish mobsters hiding behind their religion (but which mobster doesn't).
Throw in a wannabe messiah as well and you got yourself a story.
The novel has a noir feel and smoothly moves along like an old familiar pulp detective novel, the story has some rich Jewish imagery from old Europe as well as jokes and, like the old Yiddish tales, each paragraph is crafted to be rich in meaning and thick with symbolism.
This is a good book but, for me, a slow read. Maybe the symbolism was too much, maybe I had to re-read some parts or maybe I just didn't "get" several points.
Yet, I enjoyed the novel very much.
I felt it dragged a bit in the middle, but quickly picked up. The story is interesting, the premise is brilliant. This is not just a "Jewish murder mystery", but also about Diaspora, a search for a home and a community which is being ostracized from the world.
Book Review: Late but better than never
Summary: 4 Stars
Sometime ago I promised a review of The Yiddish Policeman's Union. I realize that I have not been prompt in providing such a review. I hope my many friends will forgive the delay and accept my heartfelt apology. The prorogation was unforgivable but also unavoidable.
When reviewing a book, I think it is best to avoid the biases and conjectures that are the inevitable result of reading the book in question. Oft times I will consult the critics in order to inform my opinion. But read the book? Never!
In the case of the Yiddish Policeman's Union I thought it might be safe to abandon that simple and practical rule because I erroneously assumed that the book would be written in Yiddish. Imagine my surprise when, along about page one eighty, I discovered that I had learned to read Yiddish and had begun to comprehend large parts of the text. Of course when I broached this with my intern, she pointed out that the copy I had was written in English. (A translation I suppose, and not a good one either.) Well, I did the only thing I could honorably do. I delayed my review until I had forgotten every detail of the book.
As to the quality of the paper on which the book was printed I can make no comment as the volume has either been misplaced in my library or more likely stolen by the intern. In either case she is at fault, and I have had to let her go without references. Small loss! But I will have to forgo my plans to test the absorbance of the pages with a mixture of orange juice and Listerine (my favorite summer drink). I hope my faithful readership is not greatly disappointed.
Horace Feathers
Book Review: Yiddish Policemen's Union
Summary: 5 Stars
Michael Chabon has written a masterpiece of a mystery with The Yiddish Policemen's Union. Imagine Fargo in Alaska, with an imaginary Jewish community. In his book, Chabon has rewritten history - making the area around Sitka, Alaska a temporary homeland for the Jewish nation after (in the book) the nation of Israel has failed. In two months, this temporary oasis will revert to its former status as part of the US and all inhabitants will need to apply for permanent residency or be kicked out, facing a new diaspora.
In the midst of these unsettling events, Landsman the homicide detective faces unsettling of his own. He is burned out, living in a flop house where a dead body has just shown up. His ex-wife has just become his boss. And he's sporting serious, constant questions about what to do with his life, now that he doesn't really have a life.
To tell the plot would be to spoil the plot, so let's satisfy ourselves with the word that the pacing is slow at first but draws the reader into an imaginary world. By the end of the 1st act of the book, you are engrossed and cannot stop.
I would be remiss to not mention that there has been criticism of the book for its depiction of Jews in Alaska as criminals and as argumentative. This is fair, but one must remember this is a story where the lead is a homicide detective and the entire culture is unsettled by possibly being returned to exile.
And that's the masterpiece of the book. What would people do to discover permanence? What would Landsman do? And in this mystery wrapped within a mystery novel, Chabon presents a beautiful puzzle.