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A review by mschlat
Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands by Michael Chabon
4.0
One: everytime I read Chabon, I feel like I need a dictionary nearby. (Arrant? Lambency?)
Two: the borderlands in the subtitle refer often to writing between and along the dividing line of literary fiction and genre fiction. There's discussion of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, Ben Katchor's comics, and Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials books. I liked, but wasn't overwhelmed by, Chabon's takes on the dangers of becoming a genre writer and the need to reclaim the idea of literary entertainment.
Three: the essay that connects the rise of Sherlockania with the current prevalence of fan fiction is top notch and gave me more insights into both than I've had in a long time. (The essay on Norse mythology is also quite good.)
Four: the essays at the end are more about Chabon's history as a writer and the influences on some of his novels. These I loved sheerly for the "behind the scenes" feel. The last essay (taken from an performance he repeated several times) speaks directly to the themes of Moonglow (although at the time the essay was written, I'm not even sure he had started that novel).
An uneven but fruitful read and probably of most interest to those who are Chabon fans already.
Two: the borderlands in the subtitle refer often to writing between and along the dividing line of literary fiction and genre fiction. There's discussion of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, Ben Katchor's comics, and Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials books. I liked, but wasn't overwhelmed by, Chabon's takes on the dangers of becoming a genre writer and the need to reclaim the idea of literary entertainment.
Three: the essay that connects the rise of Sherlockania with the current prevalence of fan fiction is top notch and gave me more insights into both than I've had in a long time. (The essay on Norse mythology is also quite good.)
Four: the essays at the end are more about Chabon's history as a writer and the influences on some of his novels. These I loved sheerly for the "behind the scenes" feel. The last essay (taken from an performance he repeated several times) speaks directly to the themes of Moonglow (although at the time the essay was written, I'm not even sure he had started that novel).
An uneven but fruitful read and probably of most interest to those who are Chabon fans already.