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Yiddish Policemen's Union, The

By Michael Chabon

(87)

| Others | 9780007150939

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Book Description

The brilliantly original new novel from Michael Chabon, author of 'The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay' and 'The Final Solution'. What if, as Franklin Roosevelt once proposed, Alaska -- and not Israel -- had become the homeland for the Jews after World War II? In Michael Chabon's Yiddish-speaking 'AlyContinue

The brilliantly original new novel from Michael Chabon, author of 'The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay' and 'The Final Solution'. What if, as Franklin Roosevelt once proposed, Alaska -- and not Israel -- had become the homeland for the Jews after World War II? In Michael Chabon's Yiddish-speaking 'Alyeska', Orthodox gangs in side-curls and knee breeches roam the streets of Sitka, where Detective Meyer Landsman discovers the corpse of a heroin-addled chess prodigy in the flophouse Meyer calls home. Marionette strings stretch back to the hands of charismatic Rebbe Gold, leader of a sect that seems to have drawn its mission statement from the Cosa Nostra -- but behind Rebbe looms an even larger shadow. Despite sensible protests from Berko, his half-Tlingit, half-Jewish partner, Meyer is determined to unsnarl the meaning behind the murder. Even if that means surrendering his badge and his dignity to the chief of Sitka's homicide unit -- also known as his fearsome ex-wife, Bina. 'The Yiddish Policemen's Union' interweaves a homage to the stylish menace of 1940s film noir with a bittersweet fable of identity, home and faith.It is a novel of colossal ambition and heart from one of the most important and beloved writers working today.

7 Reviews

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  • 1 person find this helpful

    It's a strange time to be a Jew

    Despite a few stereotyped characters (the Chandleresque smart and alcoholic protagonist and his though buddy, plus a plethora of ever-scheming Jews) I liked this novel. I'm not a big hard-boiled fan, so I took a while adjusting to the pace. This is a story about loss (past and future), redemption, h ... (continue)

    Despite a few stereotyped characters (the Chandleresque smart and alcoholic protagonist and his though buddy, plus a plethora of ever-scheming Jews) I liked this novel. I'm not a big hard-boiled fan, so I took a while adjusting to the pace. This is a story about loss (past and future), redemption, hope and the pain of being forced to be something you don't want to be.

    The unusual "alternative history" setting and the Yiddish humour that permeates the novel, set it apart from other pulp stories and make it a nice read. An Yiddish glossary at the end of the book would have helped anyway, as it's not so obvious that "sholem" (peace) is the gun! And while I knew that the "shoyfer" is the ram's horn blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the fact that this is the way the detectives call their cellphone wasn't readily understandable!

    All in all, a good novel

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    Luciferasi said on Apr 24, 2009 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • It took me awhile to come around to this offering from Michael Chabon. I think part of the problem for me was its position as a Hugo and Nebula award winner. I was expecting something with a slightly more science fiction bent to it. Instead I got a very well realized alternate history and pulp de ... (continue)

    It took me awhile to come around to this offering from Michael Chabon. I think part of the problem for me was its position as a Hugo and Nebula award winner. I was expecting something with a slightly more science fiction bent to it. Instead I got a very well realized alternate history and pulp detective story.

    While the story starts right in with the primary murder case, it took me awhile to get hooked in to the story. There are places where the narrator tends to ramble a bit in a stream of consciousness sort of way, which had a tendency to bog the story down in spots.

    The building of the alternate history and the Jewish settlement in Alaska is superb. The imagery and feel for the Sitka setting were extremely well done and in the end is what kept me reading, even when things slowed down developmentally.

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    Braydin said on Mar 18, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

  • Very readable cross between alternate reality sci-fi and detective genre piece.

    A whiff of parody at several points - the description of the yiddish 'godfather' leader of the orthodox Verbover gang is definitely over the top.

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    huntch said on Oct 10, 2008 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

  • The unusual location and the witty dialogs make the book worthy of consideration. Characters are less surprising and the plot frequently fades away for pages. Native English speakers and Yiddish experts (quorum non ego) might find it a brilliant linguistic experiment.
    All in all, a pleasant rea ... (continue)

    The unusual location and the witty dialogs make the book worthy of consideration. Characters are less surprising and the plot frequently fades away for pages. Native English speakers and Yiddish experts (quorum non ego) might find it a brilliant linguistic experiment.
    All in all, a pleasant reading.

    Is this helpful?

    Luca said on Jul 21, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • I wanted to love it, the conceit of Jewish exile in Alaska was so thoroughly imagined and his writing (as always) was clever and inventive, but as a whole the book just wasn't compelling. But maybe it just seemed that way because of my high expectations. Which is interesting considering that it's, ... (continue)

    I wanted to love it, the conceit of Jewish exile in Alaska was so thoroughly imagined and his writing (as always) was clever and inventive, but as a whole the book just wasn't compelling. But maybe it just seemed that way because of my high expectations. Which is interesting considering that it's, in part, a book about a messiah who can't bear the expectations that come with the role. Hmmm, I might have to rethink my opinion...

    Is this helpful?

    Kip said on Sep 8, 2007 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

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