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tboyd22 's review for:
The Yiddish Policemen's Union
by Michael Chabon
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.