Didn't finish...

Honestly, I didn't finish this and I don't even care how it ends. That is something I absolutely never do. This was so incredibly overwritten, to the point of distraction. I couldn't stay focused on the narrative because I would get lost thinking about the ridiculous metaphors and similes, and I would completely lose the thread. Perhaps that's just the author's way, and fans of his appreciate it, but I couldn't stand it. The story in theory had nuance and intrigue, but I just could not get past the excessive descriptions. I stopped listening at the height of the climax, and a month later I still am not even curious about how it ended. It just wasn't for me.

I will say, the narrator did a great job and I would happily listen to him again.

135 people found this helpful

confusing in the audible format.

difficult to follow time and characters on th audible format. I need to either read or listen again.

13 people found this helpful

Totally hooked

Michael Chabon tells a totally believable detective story about a Jewish community in Alaska. It is told with humour - under current. I especially loved the part where our hero is dashing across the freezing cold Alaskan countryside driving a snow (I'll say) scooter in his underwear. It reminds me of the movie Fargo . Totally different characters and story, but written with the Jewish view point and character. I would love to see this book made into a movie.
The narrator, Peter Riegert was fantastic. I would easily listen to another book narrated by him. It would also be great if they did this book as a movie that he would cast as one of the actors.
I also enjoyed listening to the author's interview at the end about writing this book. It was most interesting to listen to his process. I hope he writes a second book about these Jews in Alaska. I am from Northwestern Ontario, so I got the cold and the animals and the moose dishes. Great Book!!!!

89 people found this helpful

Great narration, alternative history meets noir

What does Peter Riegert bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His gruff delivery is perfect for the hard-boiled, ever suffering detective. Classic.

Any additional comments?

A really engaging combination of alternative history and hard-boiled classic noir. In Chabon's imaginings, the Jewish diaspora is offered refuge in Sitka, Alaska, but that refuge is limited in space and in duration. Their 50 year dispensation is coming to an end and the Sitka District is soon to revert to the American government. With two months left until Reversion, we see Sitka through the eyes of Dectective Meyer Landsman. Landsman is, in the great tradition of noir, worse for wear, a functioning alcoholic, and divorced. He chews scenery with the best of them, and the dialog comes hard and fast. Here, they mystery surrounds a murdered heroin addict who lives in the same crappy, run down hotel that Landsman inhabits. But the heroin addict is more than he seems and the trail to his killer uncovers deeper plots and machinations. Chabon mixes in more than a few metaphors that will tickle the fancy of hard-boiled buffs, and the convoluted nature of the eventual solution can be forgiven because the ride to get there (full of colorful characters, cutting insight into the historical plight of the Jews, and clever details about what a Jewish enclave in Alaska might look like) is so incredibly diverting.

36 people found this helpful

Great story and voice but what's with the music?

I love the story and the narrator was perfect. The only thing that struck me as odd the whole time I was listening was the addition of music introducing certain chapters. The music felt out of place for style and was allowed to play under the narration for the first sentence or two of each chapter which was really really strange. Other than that strange stylistic choice, it was great.

50 people found this helpful

The ending. And the beginning.

First off. I thought after 1.5 hours I was gonna have to abandon ship and try another book, but something happens around hour 2 that hooks you into finishing in record time. Great alt timeline/history fiction. I enjoyed the Jewish topics immensely.

The ending tied up some loose ends but definitely not all. I hope future novels will come out to do so.

Overall 4/5

29 people found this helpful

Alternate history: kosher Alaska

Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union is an alternate history tale based on a never executed plan to resettle European Jews in Alaska in the run up to WWII. While the story itself is a police murder investigation, a more sinister plot of global proportions is in the works that the police investigator stumbles into. At the same, a plausible historical scenario is outlined as a result of this initial event.

The story is set in about the year 2000 with a deadline approaching for the expiration of the special Federal district creating some degree of tension and ambivalence. Chabon also posits the intriguing scenario of the refugee resettlement reducing the extent of the Holocaust, but also allowing Germany to concentrate more on their war effort and defeating the Soviet Union extending the war. The state of Israel doesn't survive (presumably due to the Alaskan alternative siphoning off population). At its core, this is murder mystery that is well crafted in design.

The narration is excellent with a good rendition of accented conversations that are still quite articulate and understandable.

18 people found this helpful

Good book, good story, strange audio production

I approached this book after reading and enjoying Summerland last year. I really enjoyed this second foray into Chabon's writing.

I was put off by the audio production choice to use music at random intervals throughout the book. I could find no rhyme of reason to when the music played--sometimes between chapters, sometimes in the middle. Also, the style of music--a groovy rock electric guitar--added nothing to the story and seemed out of place. There's a wonderful source of style in Jewish music and in Native Alaskan music, either of which would have been appropriate to the content of the story. Finally, the audio level of the music was high enough that it was difficult to hear the reader as the music played over his voice.

7 people found this helpful

Bliss!

This book is a joy to read...hearing Chabon's eloquent, juicy prose is, somehow, even better!

13 people found this helpful

Beyond Noir

I loved this book. Chabon's phrasing and descriptive written make me want to write again. While reading this book I found myself looking at the world around me and trying to describe it they way Chabon describes the world he creates in Sitka. I will be looking for more novels by Michael Chabon.

23 people found this helpful