chadkoh's review against another edition
5.0
An exotic and delicious mishmash of genres: noir detective pulp, SF alt history, magical realism, social commentary, political thriller... Chabon captures you with familiar characters and hyper-realistic detail, all while introducing the strange and otherworldly (at least to me): messianic Judaism. It is a work that has you double-guessing the old adage that "the truth is stranger than fiction."
nrschultz's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was okay. I like the setting of Sitka, Alaska as a temporary Jewish homeland, but even that didn't get enough explanation. There were hints of an alternate end to WWII scattered throughout, but they weren't the crux of the book, even though I would have found them extremely interesting. A good down-on-his-luck detective story, but nothing special enough to make it exceptional.
wyemu's review against another edition
5.0
I found the premise for this novel fascinating, set in an alternative reality where the Jewish people were offered sanctuary, after the events of the Second World War and the collapse of Israel, in the wilds of Alaska. Throw in a murder, a broken detective with personal problems, a closed society who refuse to talk, orders from above to drop the case and you've got yourself a crime novel. Chabon has created a true noir thriller which fits perfectly into the genre and rivals Chandler for it's style. Some of the Jewish cultural and religious references lost me a little but this didn't impact of my enjoyment of this novel. I though that the unusual setting was beautifully set-up and created a unique situation that Chabon used to perfection. I can't wait to read more from this author and would love to see another novel with Detective Landsman, although perhaps the beauty lies in this being a one-off.
stephenvhenn's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I picked this up at a little free library. On the surface, this should have been a great book. Yet, Chabon's writing style got in the way. Too many flourishes, too flowery language, and not enough focus on plot. Terribly slow moving, the only reason I kept on was to uncover the mystery and was disappointed in that too.
natesea's review against another edition
3.0
This is an enjoyable detective novel. Chabon's writing is rich in mood and language - very noir. The first half or three-quarters of the book are more engaging than the last, which brought my overall rating down from 4 stars. I did like the book, though. It has great use of language, and an interesting plot. The ride to the end just wasn't as fun as the climb to the peak.
siobhanward's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
I'll be honest - this book was hard to understand, and I have at least a small knowledge of Yiddish. Obviously I can't actually understand it, but I'm familiar with a lot of the words and phrases used in the book and even then there were parts that were way above my head.
The idea of the book was cool and there were some interesting plot elements, but I found it very hard to keep track of who was who and what was going on.
The idea of the book was cool and there were some interesting plot elements, but I found it very hard to keep track of who was who and what was going on.
bsonrisa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
carolynf's review against another edition
4.0
Marlow-esque cop in a Alaskan Jewish colony tries to solve a murder before the colony is dissolved in 2000.
christiek's review against another edition
4.0
Chabon is an excellent author. I love his similes and metaphors. I enjoyed in this book stepping into an alternate present time. What would have happened if Jews had not established a foothold in Israel? Interesting speculation. I would have loved this book, except I am not much a fan of the detective genre, and it took me over 100 pages to become absorbed by the book.
jilljac's review against another edition
Listening to the audiobook and found it hard to follow the various names and places. Alternative history made it difficult to conceptualize. Might be more enjoyable if read in print. Has a particular sense of humor that didn't resonate with me.