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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
This guy can turn a serious phrase. Almost makes me wonder if I should be reading the Picard scripts rather than just watching the show and listening to dialogue. Similes and metaphors galore.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
At the behest of my Jewish partner I took up the book, as I was told it would be a gripping read and that I would "learn a lot." Boy did I learn a lot! I know essentially nothing about Hasidic Judaism, and only slightly more about Alaska, and found that this book indeed opened up many rabbit holes of Wikipedia searching on the side about the former (not the latter, unfortunately, Alaska is not as interesting as learning about Yiddish words for electronics).
In the beginning I found the book to be a little slow, I was a bit lost and at one point, maybe around page 70, I was want to give up the book for something less florid and within my wheelhouse of cultural familiarity. I am very glad that I stuck with it, as the book really picks up and I found it on its whole to be well written, funny, and gripping. If you are like me and don't like putting a book down when it's getting good, then you will read the back half of this book in one sitting.
I give it 4 instead of 5 stars because the beginning did feel a bit like trudging through snow, but otherwise not of my other qualms are significant enough to bring up to anyone else besides my partner, who lovingly and enthusiastically answers his partners questions.
At the behest of my Jewish partner I took up the book, as I was told it would be a gripping read and that I would "learn a lot." Boy did I learn a lot! I know essentially nothing about Hasidic Judaism, and only slightly more about Alaska, and found that this book indeed opened up many rabbit holes of Wikipedia searching on the side about the former (not the latter, unfortunately, Alaska is not as interesting as learning about Yiddish words for electronics).
In the beginning I found the book to be a little slow, I was a bit lost and at one point, maybe around page 70, I was want to give up the book for something less florid and within my wheelhouse of cultural familiarity. I am very glad that I stuck with it, as the book really picks up and I found it on its whole to be well written, funny, and gripping. If you are like me and don't like putting a book down when it's getting good, then you will read the back half of this book in one sitting.
I give it 4 instead of 5 stars because the beginning did feel a bit like trudging through snow, but otherwise not of my other qualms are significant enough to bring up to anyone else besides my partner, who lovingly and enthusiastically answers his partners questions.
this book is amazing. i got derailed reading it because life happened to me but i haven't loved a book so much in a long time. the prose is beautiful, i love the way it's stylized, i love that the narration calls people "latkes." it's also a really beautiful exploration of jewish identity, what it means to be jewish, diasporic, transient yet rooted in place and tradition alike, completely at the legal and political whims of your host country and in uncomfortable conflict with other ethnic minorities in the region. i think the alternate history that michael chabon presents in this book, where the zionists lose the war of '48 and are violently expelled from palestine, resulting in ashkenazi refugees being placed in alaska instead and maintaining shtetl society, is totally believable (and in so many ways, preferable). tbh i did not finish the last ~50 pages of this book solely because my life got in the way and i moved on, but looking forward to rereading when i have the time. so many bits of this book made me cry, it was written so tenderly and thoughtfully. really enjoyed this one.
Interesting as a concept but the execution is slightly disappointing. Recommended only for hardcore fans of Jewish culture.
This was another book on an ALA recommended reading list. I had some serious trouble getting in to this book. Something in the descriptive language and possibly the Yiddish, made it a struggle for me to get into the flow at times. Eventually, I did get into it and enjoyed the exploits of the main character. Don't know if I'd recommend it to all full-fledged gentiles, though!
I enjoy Chabon's prose and turns of phrase more than the actual stories but both Chabon books I've read have been overall enjoyable and engaging.
And now, I will read everything else Michael Chabon has written.
I wanted to love this book. I suppose that was a bad way to set about reading it. In theory, everything about it was perfect for me, and I'll admit that it was a good story. There was something missing though. For the first hundred pages or so I felt very connected to the characters, and then it was like they were stolen away. It might improve with a second read.
The idea that Michael Chabon is a great writer is nothing new, but the language and style of this book make his skills shine even brighter. While the pacing of the book started off a little slow, it quickly drew me in to this alternate universe of Alaskan Jewry, Yiddish slang and incredible characters.
Others have pretty much said it all. This book deals with complex themes of faith, mental health, family, home, and corruption. Its characters have depth and personality.
My biggest issue is that this book is incredibly overwritten. Every once in a while, there’s an absolutely gorgeous sentence. Or a laugh-out-loud joke. But a large amount of the prose felt like a slog.
My biggest issue is that this book is incredibly overwritten. Every once in a while, there’s an absolutely gorgeous sentence. Or a laugh-out-loud joke. But a large amount of the prose felt like a slog.