Wednesday, May 02, 2007

2007 book 58

Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union
You know how sometimes, when you've been waiting FOREVER for something, and are all excited about it, when you finally get it, it's just not as good as you thought it would be. Well, that is not at all the case here! I read an excerpt from it in some journal or another a couple months ago, and have been waiting with bated breath ever since, and it managed to exceed my expectations. So, nu, what is the book about? I guess people are making a big deal about it being an alternate history murder mystery, but the alternate history stuff is just a really wonderful and elaborate backdrop to a story that is straight-up noir. In this version of the world, Israel never became a state, and the Jews instead were granted temporary custody of a large chunk of Alaska. Of course there's the usual trouble with the land's previous inhabitants, not the mention the 60 years the Jews were granted to live there is about to expire. In the midst of all this, a cop named Meyer Landsman is called to the scene of a murder in his own hotel building. Also, his ex-wife is now his boss. I mean, it's the awesomest noir ever!

Anyway, this story is not in the least anti-Semitic, so whoever said that it was is clearly on crack. Like there have never been Jewish mobsters before--come on, there was a whole CLASS about Jewish mobsters at Penn State (I never took it). Weirdly, I feel like Chabon really tried to keep the Yiddish in check to make the novel more palatable and understandable to his non-Jewish readers. There are a few words that crop up a lot, but half the time he's called kugel "noodle pudding", so clearly there's some self-censorship going on. I mean, that's not important to the story at all, I just thought it was interesting. The whole world of the novel is steeped in Jewish culture, at any rate.

Can you guess that I'm giving this an A+ and an automatic spot on the year-end best list? Gosh I love Michael Chabon!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hearing all this talk of the new Chabon release makes me a little sad…

A year ago, I would have been thrilled and probably obtained an advanced reading copy. He’s been my “favorite” author since I first read his debut novel THE MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH back in the early 90s.

But I can no longer support the work of an author who has no regard for the story and characters that put him on the literary map.

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a film version of MOP coming out later this year… Written and directed by the guy who brought us DODGEBALL, in which he’s CHANGED 85% of Chabon’s original story.

And the sad part is… Michael Chabon himself APPROVED of the script! WHY would he do this? I can only think of one possible answer: $$

If you are a Chabon fan, esp MOP, I suggest you do NOT see this movie. You will be sadly disappointed at the COMPLETE removal of the gay character, Arthur Lecomte, and the fabrication of a romantic love triangle between Art Bechstein, Jane Bellwether, and a bi-sexual Cleveland Arning.

And really, what is MOP without the presence of Phlox Lombardi? Alas, she’s barely in it.

Alicia K. said...

I dunno, random internet dude. Mysteries of Pittsburgh is an ok book, but it's not really worth all your weird outrage. Also, this is the second time you've spammed my blog bitching about this movie, so give it a rest already.

PS. Dodgeball is a GREAT movie!

pinky pinkerson said...

heh - we usually called kugel noodle pudding at my house, growing up. but we did call it kugel, too.