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A review by elhugh
The Feral Detective by Jonathan Lethem
3.0
Oh, to able to give a book 7 out of 10!
I think it's fair to say that Jonathan Lethem has become an increasingly Marmite author over the years. Even his fans can get very different reactions from different books. Reading the opening sections of 'The Fortress of Solitude' was one of the most thrilling reading experiences of my life. Conversely, slogging through 'You Don't Love Me Yet' was absolutely not.
I am far from alone on that count as its sub 3 Goodreads average score attests. 'The Feral Detective' isn't faring much better on here hovering on a far from respectable 3.02 (weirdly, while an individual score of 3 is fine an average Goodreads score of 3 is just terrible).
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would have loved to have given it a score that would do a tiny bit to bump up its average. And I would have if I could have awarded it 3.5 stars. Many reviewers choose to round up or down and clarify the half mark in the first line of the review. That's cheating though!
'The Feral Detective' is Lethem's return to the detective novel 2 decades after 'Motherless Brooklyn' and is satirical noir romp set on the cusp of Trump's presidency.
Despair at the incoming age of the orange tyrant and the divisions in America that are both causes of and caused by the age of Trump are the main targets of Lethem's ire. It's a funny book too. It's pretty flawed too. The narrative convinces as neo-noir but doesn't convince as a mid 30s New York woman coming to the ends of her tether in the Inland Empire and the sex scene is just not good.
Lethem paints his picture with broad strokes and it would be difficult to miss the message. He provides no answers because there aren't any yet.
So, a book I enjoyed and would happily give 7 out of 10 to but not a 4 star book. Sadly then, even though I enjoyed it I have ended up bringing its average down by another smidgen. Sorry.
I think it's fair to say that Jonathan Lethem has become an increasingly Marmite author over the years. Even his fans can get very different reactions from different books. Reading the opening sections of 'The Fortress of Solitude' was one of the most thrilling reading experiences of my life. Conversely, slogging through 'You Don't Love Me Yet' was absolutely not.
I am far from alone on that count as its sub 3 Goodreads average score attests. 'The Feral Detective' isn't faring much better on here hovering on a far from respectable 3.02 (weirdly, while an individual score of 3 is fine an average Goodreads score of 3 is just terrible).
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would have loved to have given it a score that would do a tiny bit to bump up its average. And I would have if I could have awarded it 3.5 stars. Many reviewers choose to round up or down and clarify the half mark in the first line of the review. That's cheating though!
'The Feral Detective' is Lethem's return to the detective novel 2 decades after 'Motherless Brooklyn' and is satirical noir romp set on the cusp of Trump's presidency.
Despair at the incoming age of the orange tyrant and the divisions in America that are both causes of and caused by the age of Trump are the main targets of Lethem's ire. It's a funny book too. It's pretty flawed too. The narrative convinces as neo-noir but doesn't convince as a mid 30s New York woman coming to the ends of her tether in the Inland Empire and the sex scene is just not good.
Lethem paints his picture with broad strokes and it would be difficult to miss the message. He provides no answers because there aren't any yet.
So, a book I enjoyed and would happily give 7 out of 10 to but not a 4 star book. Sadly then, even though I enjoyed it I have ended up bringing its average down by another smidgen. Sorry.