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A review by grahamiam
Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands by Michael Chabon
4.0
This is a really fun collection of musings that cover Chabon's life, Chabon's work, the work of others, and the structure of Literature (with a definitively capital L) as a whole. Lots of resonance here, especially with the parts about it being a big disservice to readers and writers that quote unquote literary fiction and genre fiction are so segregated. Also the last essay about the nature of truth and how difficult (or, in this instance, I think "tricky" would be a better word) of a subject it can be.
Disagree with his assertion that "The Turn of the Screw" was the "best [ghost story] of a good two dozen he [Henry James] produced during the heyday of the form." James's shorter stuff worked so much better for me, including the ghost story "The Jolly Corner." Was not a fan at all of "The Turn of the Screw."
My only complaints about this collection are that 1) most of the essays feel a little shallow, like he cuts off too abruptly and 2) he spends too much time giving details about his main subject and not enough time explaining the connections to his asides. Even in the cases where I knew who he was referring to in an aside, I sometimes didn't see the connection.
Disagree with his assertion that "The Turn of the Screw" was the "best [ghost story] of a good two dozen he [Henry James] produced during the heyday of the form." James's shorter stuff worked so much better for me, including the ghost story "The Jolly Corner." Was not a fan at all of "The Turn of the Screw."
My only complaints about this collection are that 1) most of the essays feel a little shallow, like he cuts off too abruptly and 2) he spends too much time giving details about his main subject and not enough time explaining the connections to his asides. Even in the cases where I knew who he was referring to in an aside, I sometimes didn't see the connection.