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A review by kikiandarrowsfishshelf
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
3.0
Like a fellow reviewer, I'm not sure why this book won a Hugo. It's not a bad book; I'm just not sure I would classify it as SF.
The Yiddish Policeman's Union is the first book by Chabon that I have read. I resisted reading it because everyone was raving about Chabon, so of course, it couldn't be that good.
It might not be that good, but it's not bad. Chabon's style is like a rich, dark, chocolate pie. You know, the type of chocolate pie that demands whip cream or vanilla ice cream. You need it to blend the chocolate. Eating such a pie without the vanilla is too decadent. That is Chabon's writing. He has wonderful phrases and descriptions. It can leave you breathless.
Chabon makes good use of a little known fact of the idea of settling Jewish refugees in part of Alaska. This makes the book an alternate history. I feel, however, that parts of the book could have, and should have, been expanded more. There should have been more depth to certain aspects. While I don't truly mind the ending; it does leave many things unresolved. (But so does life, and since, good literature is suppose to make us think about life, perhaps I shouldn't complain.)
I do wish, however, that Chabon had dealt more with the shocking inicident that occurs to the end of the book. Considering the impact that such an event could have, to deal with it only a few sentences felt wrong. It didn't quite fit. It almost felt like Chabon chickened out a little there. The ending too feels that way.
What Chabon does a good job with, outside of his language, are the characters. The characters are memorable and well crafted. There is a sense of love for the characters, and a sense of examination that perhaps should have gone a bit deeper. Still, Chabon examines questions of guilt, race, forgiveness, and self in most of the characters in the book. Quite nice to see that actually.
The Yiddish Policeman's Union is the first book by Chabon that I have read. I resisted reading it because everyone was raving about Chabon, so of course, it couldn't be that good.
It might not be that good, but it's not bad. Chabon's style is like a rich, dark, chocolate pie. You know, the type of chocolate pie that demands whip cream or vanilla ice cream. You need it to blend the chocolate. Eating such a pie without the vanilla is too decadent. That is Chabon's writing. He has wonderful phrases and descriptions. It can leave you breathless.
Chabon makes good use of a little known fact of the idea of settling Jewish refugees in part of Alaska. This makes the book an alternate history. I feel, however, that parts of the book could have, and should have, been expanded more. There should have been more depth to certain aspects. While I don't truly mind the ending; it does leave many things unresolved. (But so does life, and since, good literature is suppose to make us think about life, perhaps I shouldn't complain.)
I do wish, however, that Chabon had dealt more with the shocking inicident that occurs to the end of the book. Considering the impact that such an event could have, to deal with it only a few sentences felt wrong. It didn't quite fit. It almost felt like Chabon chickened out a little there. The ending too feels that way.
What Chabon does a good job with, outside of his language, are the characters. The characters are memorable and well crafted. There is a sense of love for the characters, and a sense of examination that perhaps should have gone a bit deeper. Still, Chabon examines questions of guilt, race, forgiveness, and self in most of the characters in the book. Quite nice to see that actually.