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A review by jaminup
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
3.0
The world and history around the Sitka District that Chabon creates is reminiscent of the book itself: slow to develop but intriguing and engaging when you take the time to really sift through it. While the main premise of "The Yiddish Policemen's Union" is a murder mystery, it feels more like an exercise in world building, with a plot thrown in to keep you engaged. Chabon's alternate history diverges at 1940, and leaves us with a world wildly different from our own, while still being familiar. My issues with the book can be boiled down to: Michael Chabon can't help but get in his own way.
The book is enjoyable, but the pacing feels all wrong. Instead of developing a gripping plot right off the bat, Chabon spends the first quarter of the book in endless metaphor and simile describing everything and every interaction. While the writing is good, it gets to be so excessive that at times you forget what is actually happening in the moment because its been too long since he actually told you. By the time the plot really starts to come together enough to finally feel like an actual mystery book, you're about half way down. I found myself caring a lot more about the history of the Sitka District and the changes to world history, because for most of the book the murder mystery feels anecdotal.
But by the end, the plot does come together and the mystery feels satisfactory as a central plot. It speaks to modern politics, and the hopes and dream of both Zionists and Evangelicals. It touches on greed, nationalism, piety vs. zealotry, and finding one's place in a world that feels entirely hostile to your mere existence.
The book is enjoyable, but the pacing feels all wrong. Instead of developing a gripping plot right off the bat, Chabon spends the first quarter of the book in endless metaphor and simile describing everything and every interaction. While the writing is good, it gets to be so excessive that at times you forget what is actually happening in the moment because its been too long since he actually told you. By the time the plot really starts to come together enough to finally feel like an actual mystery book, you're about half way down. I found myself caring a lot more about the history of the Sitka District and the changes to world history, because for most of the book the murder mystery feels anecdotal.
But by the end, the plot does come together and the mystery feels satisfactory as a central plot. It speaks to modern politics, and the hopes and dream of both Zionists and Evangelicals. It touches on greed, nationalism, piety vs. zealotry, and finding one's place in a world that feels entirely hostile to your mere existence.