Comments on: Short Book Review: The Yiddish Policemen’s Union http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/ by Jane Austen Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:05:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: doombot » Shit. Yes. http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/comment-page-1/#comment-50704 doombot » Shit. Yes. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:16:26 +0000 http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/#comment-50704 [...] to Variety, Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen Union (which I read a few months back) is being made into a movie by none other than the Coen brothers (whose latest movie, No Country [...] [...] to Variety, Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen Union (which I read a few months back) is being made into a movie by none other than the Coen brothers (whose latest movie, No Country [...]

]]> By: doombot » Short Book Review: Gentlemen of the Road http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/comment-page-1/#comment-38654 doombot » Short Book Review: Gentlemen of the Road Thu, 08 Nov 2007 16:46:15 +0000 http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/#comment-38654 [...] may seem like I’m on a Michael Chabon kick, reading this so soon after The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, but I knew nothing of this book until I saw it mentioned in Chabon’s Wikipedia entry. [...] [...] may seem like I’m on a Michael Chabon kick, reading this so soon after The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, but I knew nothing of this book until I saw it mentioned in Chabon’s Wikipedia entry. [...]

]]> By: Jason http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/comment-page-1/#comment-35832 Jason Sun, 21 Oct 2007 01:22:28 +0000 http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/#comment-35832 I think the narrower scope you're describing is what made me feel like <i>Wonder Boys</i> was just better written than <i>Kavalier and Clay</i>. (Or maybe I was just unimpressed that the rest of the country was discovering that comics were neato through prose fiction.) I think I walked away from those books feeling like Chabon probably had a knack for genre fiction, and does a decent job with emotional realism (or whatever you call it), but I wasn't really impressed by his attempt to overlay them. I think the narrower scope you’re describing is what made me feel like Wonder Boys was just better written than Kavalier and Clay. (Or maybe I was just unimpressed that the rest of the country was discovering that comics were neato through prose fiction.) I think I walked away from those books feeling like Chabon probably had a knack for genre fiction, and does a decent job with emotional realism (or whatever you call it), but I wasn’t really impressed by his attempt to overlay them.

]]> By: Dan http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/comment-page-1/#comment-35741 Dan Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:47:49 +0000 http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/#comment-35741 Interesting that you bring up the homosexual angle. I was reading Chabon's <a href='' rel="nofollow">Wikipedia entry</a> before this, and it said that he "was mistakenly featured in a Newsweek article on up-and-coming gay writers." But, yes, there is at least one gay character in the book, though it's more incidental than anything else; most of the sex takes place "offscreen." My recollections of <em>Kavalier and Clay</em> are dulled by the seven years since I've read it. I'll say this: this book is far less epic in scope than <em>K&C</em>, which I think makes it feel <em>tighter</em>. The main action, with the exception of a few flashbacks that fill in details, takes place in about a week. And for me, much of the attraction of the book comes from its hard-boiled roots; I spent much of the earlier part of this year on a Raymond Chandler kick, and Chabon does a good job of channeling him for large parts of the story. I don't know what, if anything, turned you off about <em>K&C</em>, so I can't say for certain that <em>Union</em> is the better book, but I had a hard time putting it down. Interesting that you bring up the homosexual angle. I was reading Chabon’s Wikipedia entry before this, and it said that he “was mistakenly featured in a Newsweek article on up-and-coming gay writers.” But, yes, there is at least one gay character in the book, though it’s more incidental than anything else; most of the sex takes place “offscreen.”

My recollections of Kavalier and Clay are dulled by the seven years since I’ve read it. I’ll say this: this book is far less epic in scope than K&C, which I think makes it feel tighter. The main action, with the exception of a few flashbacks that fill in details, takes place in about a week. And for me, much of the attraction of the book comes from its hard-boiled roots; I spent much of the earlier part of this year on a Raymond Chandler kick, and Chabon does a good job of channeling him for large parts of the story. I don’t know what, if anything, turned you off about K&C, so I can’t say for certain that Union is the better book, but I had a hard time putting it down.

]]> By: Jason http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/comment-page-1/#comment-35736 Jason Sat, 20 Oct 2007 17:58:45 +0000 http://doombot.com/2007/10/20/short-book-review-the-yiddish-policemens-union/#comment-35736 But the real question is, did Chabon manage to work in some guy-on-guy action? After <i>Kavalier and Clay</i> and <i>Wonder Boys</i>, I was under the impression that was kind of his schtick. Also: I was not super impressed with <i>Kavalier and Clay</i>. Would you say this is about as good or better? But the real question is, did Chabon manage to work in some guy-on-guy action? After Kavalier and Clay and Wonder Boys, I was under the impression that was kind of his schtick.

Also: I was not super impressed with Kavalier and Clay. Would you say this is about as good or better?

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