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3.29 AVERAGE
3.29 AVERAGE
Not Chabon's best, but it's still fun. And it's really short, so it's not like it'll take a long time to read. I think pretty much anything he writes is worth the time, though.
Michael Chabon tries his hand at a Sherlock Holmes pastiche and he does a surprisingly thoughtful job of it. I really enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories growing up, and, at some point, had I think read practically all of them as a kid. They're for lack of a better word, fun, and satisfying, and the duo of Sherlock and Watson rivals Don Quixote and Sancho Panza for camraderie and devotion.
Setting his story as he does well into Sherlock's retirement and second act career as a beekeeper, as well as after the death of Watson, Chabon tries to answer the question of what Sherlock means in the world of post Blitz London. And he ends up, I think, inadvertently commenting on the meaning of detective fiction in a world where we can no longer place our faith on the powers of deduction, on cherished national ideals of queen and country, and in a world where an unthinkable atrocity like the Holocaust was committed. The title, The Final Solution, is a kind of triple pun on 1) the name of the story wherein Sherlock Holmes is "killed" (The Final Problem), 2) The Nazi burecratic speak for the Holocaust, and 3) The Seven Percent Solution which is a novel/film Holmes pastiche that depicts Sherlock meeting Sigmund Freud. Combining all of these together, Chabon suggests that given our very notions of truth and certainty have been destabilized in this modern world, we can place our faith in acts of heroism, of "answering the call" as one of the characters describes Holmes as doing, well into his 89th year and well past his prime.
I will say though that story doesn't really justify it's own existence as a Sherlock Holmes pastiche written by a best selling literary fiction author, but it is a very good detective story. Chabon's essay "Inventing Sherlock Holmes" written for the New York Review in 2005 is in many ways a defense of The Final Solution and I would suggest getting your hands on it to see how a lot of Chabon's research made its way into this story (especially the figure of the suspicious boarder, the illict romance, and the idea of popular entertainment well made).
Setting his story as he does well into Sherlock's retirement and second act career as a beekeeper, as well as after the death of Watson, Chabon tries to answer the question of what Sherlock means in the world of post Blitz London. And he ends up, I think, inadvertently commenting on the meaning of detective fiction in a world where we can no longer place our faith on the powers of deduction, on cherished national ideals of queen and country, and in a world where an unthinkable atrocity like the Holocaust was committed. The title, The Final Solution, is a kind of triple pun on 1) the name of the story wherein Sherlock Holmes is "killed" (The Final Problem), 2) The Nazi burecratic speak for the Holocaust, and 3) The Seven Percent Solution which is a novel/film Holmes pastiche that depicts Sherlock meeting Sigmund Freud. Combining all of these together, Chabon suggests that given our very notions of truth and certainty have been destabilized in this modern world, we can place our faith in acts of heroism, of "answering the call" as one of the characters describes Holmes as doing, well into his 89th year and well past his prime.
I will say though that story doesn't really justify it's own existence as a Sherlock Holmes pastiche written by a best selling literary fiction author, but it is a very good detective story. Chabon's essay "Inventing Sherlock Holmes" written for the New York Review in 2005 is in many ways a defense of The Final Solution and I would suggest getting your hands on it to see how a lot of Chabon's research made its way into this story (especially the figure of the suspicious boarder, the illict romance, and the idea of popular entertainment well made).
Laurie King is the only person who can write about Sherlock Holmes now-- everyone else contradicts her, so I don't really like them. That said, this one was pretty good, although really lightweight, with a fairly simple/disappointing solution. I read it because I liked Gentlemen of the Road so much, and I'd say I still like that one better, but Chabon will be on my must-read list from now on.
It's been a while since I've read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, but from what I can remember Michael Chabon remains faithful to the original.
I love the idea of this book. An aging, retired Holmes (not named, but obviously him) now resides in the country and tends to his bees. A mystery surrounding a mute boy and his talking parrot peek the old man's interest and well...the game is afoot.
I thought it was interesting to see Holmes as an old man. He struggles to keep his body moving and must weight the dangers of crossing his living room against the advantages of answering the door. He hates that someone can get the drop on him. He also struggles to keep his legendary sharp mind together and panics whenever his mind lapses.
It is a short, fun little read.
I love the idea of this book. An aging, retired Holmes (not named, but obviously him) now resides in the country and tends to his bees. A mystery surrounding a mute boy and his talking parrot peek the old man's interest and well...the game is afoot.
I thought it was interesting to see Holmes as an old man. He struggles to keep his body moving and must weight the dangers of crossing his living room against the advantages of answering the door. He hates that someone can get the drop on him. He also struggles to keep his legendary sharp mind together and panics whenever his mind lapses.
It is a short, fun little read.
Lovely story of a boy and a bird involved in a mystery.
Eighty-nine-year-old bee-keeping Sherlock Holmes comes out of retirement investigate a murder and the disappearance of an African gray parrot, owned by a nine-year old mute Jewish refugee. Brief and beautifully written. Recommended.
The sad and funny story of an Hebrew child, his parrot, the secret service and an old aged "Sherlockian man", in 1944. My first Chabon that won't be the last. What I liked more, a part from the story, were his descriptions, I definitly want to read more of his works.
La triste e allegra storia di un bambino ebreo, il suo pappagallo, i servizi segreti e un uomo che poteva essere la versione anziana di Sherlock Holmes ambientata nel 1944. Il primo libro di Chabon che leggo e non sarà l'ultimo. Quello che più ho apprezzato sono state le sue descrizioni oltre alla storia, mi piacerebbe proprio leggere qualche suo altro libro.
La triste e allegra storia di un bambino ebreo, il suo pappagallo, i servizi segreti e un uomo che poteva essere la versione anziana di Sherlock Holmes ambientata nel 1944. Il primo libro di Chabon che leggo e non sarà l'ultimo. Quello che più ho apprezzato sono state le sue descrizioni oltre alla storia, mi piacerebbe proprio leggere qualche suo altro libro.
I really enjoyed this, being a Sherlock Holmes fan. The aging detective's confrontation with his own mortality introduces, for me, a new way of looking at an energetic and well loved literary hero. And the chapter in the parrot's perspective was especially interesting. A nice, short read. One of my favorites of Chabon's.