Michael Chabon
Despite the fact that its primary plot begins as a standard whodunit, with an anonymous body and a police detective badly in need of redemption, Chabon throws enough wrenches into the machinery of the traditional detective novel to keep The Yiddish Policemen's Union fresh even after its mystery aspect goes a bit stale. Blending a typical mystery story with Jewish history and culture and a stunning alternate version of 2007, this book aims high and succeeds in bringing something new to each genre while remaining interesting to the general reader. Central to the plot is Meyer Landsman, a jaded alcoholic detective with nothing to lose...because his entire company is due to be shut down in a matter of weeks. Chabon neither rushes readers into the deep historical reaches of his alternate vision nor creates confusion by introducing complicating and obscure details. Chabon lowers the reader in gracefully and gently, providing historical information as it becomes necessary and dropping certain tidbits as effortlessly as the characters themselves would. The stunning landscape of Jewish Alaska, apparently based on an actual Congressional proposal from the outbreak of World War II, is vividly imagined and is as much of a fully functioning world as many a space colony or other imaginary universe. The Sitka Jews have a rich culture and a vibrant language whose idioms come out even in the supposed English translation (a particularly subtle and effective touch is noting when characters speak "in American," usually when they're swearing). Nor is everything perfect in this temporary Jewish homeland; clashes with native populations, officials from Washington, and even different sects of Orthodox Jews are common and add depth to this rich world.
Chabon doesn't waste this intense and detailed setting for even one moment. He manages to intertwine the pressing issues of the Sitka Jews almost effortlessly into Landsman's own history and experiences, using only as much authorial privilege and ridiculous coincidence as can be expected in any mystery. The fact that his partner has specific ethnic connections or that his father plays chess add to the depth of the character and the only egregious incident of convenient placement is when Landsman's ex-wife steps into the picture and initiates a predictable subplot. For the most part, Landsman is a well-developed and rounded character, if rendered flat to genre readers by typical character traits and development. He functions well enough to maintain intrigue and personal connection as the plot slowly unfurls and reveals much deeper and more sinister intentions than first appear. The major twists in this story showcase Chabon's talent for seeing the greater picture and for imagining the likely consequences of certain actions, as well as a knowledge of Jewish history and the real-world developments in Jewish culture. Despite the fact that the turn events take is absolutely fantastic, it seems frighteningly real and possible even in our own world, a vividness that stems from what is no doubt a keen self-awareness of this book as a definitively post-9/11 novel.
The writing does get a bit haughty at times, with metaphors that ring true but are horribly misplaced in this story. Chabon may be attempting to chip away at the normally flatter prose of the mystery genre, but his highly literary metaphors drag down the action and distract from the excellent subtlety shown in his re-imagining of history. It is ultimately the setting and not the characters or even the solution to the murder that drives The Yiddish Policemen's Union, but that setting is so cleverly plotted and intricately detailed that it alone makes the book worth reading despite its lapses into predictability and certain plot twists that make absolutely no sense across great leaps of logic and events. The book, then, is not without its flaws but creates a stunning alternate universe that can teach us a lot about our own in its direct and bludgeoning nods to our post-9/11 state of mind. Chabon occasionally strays into the wilderness with ill-fitting prose but is always drawn back by the centrality of the Sitka settlement and its unique and compelling history. Though this story takes place near the end of Sitka's history, I would happily welcome additions to the stories of this rich and detailed world, an alternate Alaska that would likely justify any story thrown into it and which is adeptly introduced by the interesting and far-reaching conspiracy at the heart of The Yiddish Policemen's Union.
Grade: A-
Chabon doesn't waste this intense and detailed setting for even one moment. He manages to intertwine the pressing issues of the Sitka Jews almost effortlessly into Landsman's own history and experiences, using only as much authorial privilege and ridiculous coincidence as can be expected in any mystery. The fact that his partner has specific ethnic connections or that his father plays chess add to the depth of the character and the only egregious incident of convenient placement is when Landsman's ex-wife steps into the picture and initiates a predictable subplot. For the most part, Landsman is a well-developed and rounded character, if rendered flat to genre readers by typical character traits and development. He functions well enough to maintain intrigue and personal connection as the plot slowly unfurls and reveals much deeper and more sinister intentions than first appear. The major twists in this story showcase Chabon's talent for seeing the greater picture and for imagining the likely consequences of certain actions, as well as a knowledge of Jewish history and the real-world developments in Jewish culture. Despite the fact that the turn events take is absolutely fantastic, it seems frighteningly real and possible even in our own world, a vividness that stems from what is no doubt a keen self-awareness of this book as a definitively post-9/11 novel.
The writing does get a bit haughty at times, with metaphors that ring true but are horribly misplaced in this story. Chabon may be attempting to chip away at the normally flatter prose of the mystery genre, but his highly literary metaphors drag down the action and distract from the excellent subtlety shown in his re-imagining of history. It is ultimately the setting and not the characters or even the solution to the murder that drives The Yiddish Policemen's Union, but that setting is so cleverly plotted and intricately detailed that it alone makes the book worth reading despite its lapses into predictability and certain plot twists that make absolutely no sense across great leaps of logic and events. The book, then, is not without its flaws but creates a stunning alternate universe that can teach us a lot about our own in its direct and bludgeoning nods to our post-9/11 state of mind. Chabon occasionally strays into the wilderness with ill-fitting prose but is always drawn back by the centrality of the Sitka settlement and its unique and compelling history. Though this story takes place near the end of Sitka's history, I would happily welcome additions to the stories of this rich and detailed world, an alternate Alaska that would likely justify any story thrown into it and which is adeptly introduced by the interesting and far-reaching conspiracy at the heart of The Yiddish Policemen's Union.
Grade: A-
No comments:
Post a Comment