Reviews

Couldn't stop thinking about how the writer is not from Sitka, how I loathe policemen, and the Israel and Palestine conflict. Once the fiction imagined Sitka was 2 million people, I felt done. Sitka would no longer be Sitka, just another metropolis. It took me out of the story. Maybe that's why authors often choose settings and places far away from their own perceived audience?

I may come back to this book another day, but for now I'm going to imagine something else.

inna_p's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

charles_dunham's review against another edition

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5.0

Chabon has an amazing ability to fully flesh a character in just a few short paragraphs. Technically an SF novel because it is set in an alternate present, The Yiddish Policeman's Union has more in common with hard boiled detective fiction. The alcoholic protagonist is tragic in his suicidal, self-redemptive pursuit of an apparent dead-end case (which, of course, turns out to be much more complex than previously believed). This is a slow read, but a rich one.

josh_fosse's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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