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| The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel (P.S.) | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Chabon
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy Used: $4.00
You Save: $11.95 (75%)
New (59) Used (45) Collectible (2) from $4.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  292 reviews
Sales Rank: 744
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0007149832
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780007149834
ASIN: 0007149832
Publication Date: May 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Covers have some wear. Inside is clean.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A Waste of Space July 13, 2007
33 out of 46 found this review helpful
I can summarize my review as follows: This is the best-written cheesy mystery/thriller EVER.
I stayed away from reading this book when it first came out because nothing about it appealed to me. I'm not Jewish, I hate alternate history, I don't read mysteries or thrillers, and I've never been to Alaska. The only reason for me to ever read this book is my faith in the author. I sense the publisher felt the same way since you'll notice the author's name is much larger than the book's title on the front cover and spine and the back prominently talks about all his OTHER works. It's like they're saying, "Who cares what this about; it's Michael Chabon, one of the best freaking writers alive! Buy it!"
The thought that keeps humming through my brain is: whatever possessed the man to write this? To me, this is like Picasso writing a cookbook or Einstein publishing a book of poetry. It's a complete waste of talent for such a great writer to concoct something that's part a mystery that isn't mysterious and part a thriller that isn't thrilling.
If you haven't read the other reviews and such to know what this debacle is about, it's about Meyer Landsman, a policeman cut from the John McLane mold in that he generally shambles around with a hangover all the time since his marriage--to his former partner and current boss--broke up. He's woken from his stupor by the manager of the motel where he lives to investigate a murder next door. A mysterious chess-playing heroin addict has been murdered. As Landsman investigates the killing, he's drawn into conspiracies that involves Hasidic gangsters (the leader of whom is like a Jewish Jabba the Hutt), a fanatical American government that makes the current regime seem tame, and dairy cows. In this alternate universe Palestine is still in Muslim hands, having routed the Zionists in 1948, but the arrival of a Messiah--Jabba's son, who is the aforementioned chess-playing junkie--signals that it's time to bring on a new Crusade to bring on the End of Days.
As the plot continued to get more ridiculous, I kept hoping for Mr. Chabon to pull a rabbit out of his hat, but that never materialized. Instead, the end seems tacked-on and by then the solution to the mystery makes little difference, so that it's completely underwhelming.
I suppose the biggest problem I have--and I'm sure others will have as well--is the colossal shadow cast by the author's previous adult novel, the Pulitzer-winning "Adventures of Kavalier and Clay." This novel is nothing like that, except for Meyer's fascination with the World's Fair and in the grand Chabon tradition one character turning out to be gay. The most notable difference is that while "Kavalier and Clay" had a sunny optimism of two poor kids bringing a dream to life and embracing The American Dream, "Yiddish Policeman's Union" is as dreary as its Alaskan setting, mired in a world of bitterness and hatred that is perhaps a dark reflection of our current situation.
On the technical side, the writing is of course superb, beyond reproach, 5 stars, and a heap of other complimentary adjectives. It's just that this great writing is in service of a plot better suited for Dan Brown or the "Left Behind" boys. On the whole, I don't know who this novel is aimed at. Mystery/thriller/alternate history fans will not enjoy the literary style or the heaping helping of Judaism or the slow pace with almost no payoff. Literary fans will enjoy the writing style but (should anyway) find the plot trite. I suppose if you know a lot about Judaism, you can tolerate alternate history, and you liked slow-paced mystery/thrillers with almost no payoff this is YOUR book. Me, I'm going to disavow its existence.
I'm going to tarry a moment longer to put forth a theory. The victim who sets this whole thing into motion, Mendel Shpilman the chess-playing junkie, is credited as the Messiah of the Jews with allegedly magical powers of healing and so forth that makes him a superstar at an early age. But Mendel grows weary of this gift and so goes into hiding, spending his time shooting heroin and hustling chess games for money, squandering his tremendous gifts. In a way you could say the same of the author. "Kavalier and Clay" made Mr. Chabon a superstar, but ever since then he's done the next best thing to hiding in putting out a children's book, a Sherlock Holmes novella, pulp magazines, comic books, and even contributing to the story for "Spider-Man 2." And now we have a cheesy mystery/thriller. Perhaps art does imitate life and in this case that would be a very sad thing.
That is all.
 Man, That's Language May 5, 2007
25 out of 31 found this review helpful
Should anybody kvetch?
This novel has a completely original premise: that, during the Holocaust, the US created a systematic program to house Jewish refugees in Alaska and, as a result, a sizable urban community flourished there.
And, as with any urban community, there are problems: crime, sociological frictions, crime, interpersonal disconnects, crime...
The story centers around a "hard-boiled" Jewish detective who is trying to solve an unusual murder and manage his personal life, too.
Men are inherently lonely, and hard-boiled detectives exemplify that lonliness. In this book, protagonist lonliness is taken to a logical extension, but what makes this really funny is the author's masterful use of Yiddish/American/Alaskan language combinations to produce some really funny puns.
He sets a new record for metaphor and simile, too. Since I love Hammett, Chandler, et al, this book was a joy to read.
One piece of advice: since the narrative is very compelling you might be inclined to read it quickly. Resist that temptation: slow down and enjoy!
excellent frozen Noir with a side order of kvetching May 2, 2007
19 out of 40 found this review helpful
In 1948 with the collapse of Israel, the question of a Jewish State is temporarily resolved when Alaska becomes the homeland for the Diaspora Jews. However, the agreement is that this is not the Promised Land as the Alaskan Settlement Act authorized a sixty year lease. In two months, the Reversion occurs raising the question what to do about two million Alaskan Jews.
Sitka police detective Meyer Landsman relies on alcohol to keep him from going over the edge. His marriage died alongside the abortion of their birth defected fetus while his sister died in a plane crash. His sleuthing skills no longer are keen as he does not care whether he solves a case or not.
Shocking even himself, a murder in his dumpy Hotel Zamenhof awakens the once dedicated cop inside of Landsman as he goes for one last piece of glory knowing he will be unemployed once the reversion is implemented. The victim Emanuel Lasker was a harmless heroin addict who played chess; no apparent motive surfaces as to why he was executed. Even more surprising is his former wife and suddenly current boss have reentered his life and he has been promoted the police chief for the final sixty days. Still Landsman allows nothing to intervene in his uncovering the identity of the culprit; that is nothing except some hazy rumor that his sister was murdered instead of dying in an accident.
This interesting alternate history police procedural frozen Noir provides a fascinating spin to the twentieth century issue of the Jewish homeland. The kvetching levels are stratospheric as fears of being abandoned again lead to the historical chosen mantra "It's a strange time to be a Jew." Landsman is an interesting character who finds redemption in the murder investigation. Though a conspiracy takes away from the prime theme of what if the Jews were placed elsewhere, readers will appreciate this innovative thriller.
Harriet Klausner
Zevel (that's Garbage in Yiddish) May 27, 2007
19 out of 59 found this review helpful
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon, is a fiction book that's appropriate for bathroom reading, for which it was picked up. It's currently #4 on the NY Times Best Seller list (Hardcover Fiction).
The book starts out with an unpleasant alternate reality premise... the Israel war of independence was lost, the Jews in Israel were booted out, the refugee's of the Holocaust had no where to go, and the US set aside a small territory as a temporary Jewish haven. In Alaska.
Which has little to do with what the story is about, but sets a weird background for an average dirty grimy detective story. A down and out police detective, he's a drunk, he's divorced, he's living in a hotel who's other occupants are all petty criminals, finds a neighbor who's been murdered. And naturally, he investigates.
But the background, a modern day Jewish refugee camp ala the "Palestinian" refugee camps of Lebanon (which are their own cities), gives the author an opportunity to insult, make fun of, and especially degrade, zionists, orthodox Jews, chassidic Jews, and Judaism in general.
It's a world that's the seedy side of Brooklyn, but 100% Jews. It's language of the 'hood', but with all 'hood' terminology replaced with Yiddish words.
And, as far as I can tell, it's primary purpose is to show that zionists are plotters and thieves, chassidim are criminals and fools, orthodox Jews are ignoramuses, oh and that chassidim are either criminals or fools (or occasionally both). (Yes, I know I wrote that twice.) Special mention is made of the foolishness of belief in Moshiach and manipulation through messianic fervor.
Besides all that, the style of writing is poor, making the book a difficult read besides being an unpleasant one. Unfortunately, it's a quality printed book. Unfortunate, because otherwise it would be useful as either scrap paper or toilet paper.
Rating: Zevel (that's Yiddish for Garbage). But it's #4 on the NY Times Bestseller list.
Disappointing... June 18, 2007
18 out of 29 found this review helpful
One thing I truly hate to do is give up on a book. In fact it's rare that I do, but unfortunately, I gave up on this one after about 115 pages. I simply could not get into the story (and this was after trying to read it for 5 days.) One reviewer mentioned that the author should consider a yiddish dictionary for those, like me, who are yiddish-challenged and I have to agree. There were so many words that I was unfamiliar with that it made it that much harder to get into the story. Truly a disappointment since I had really looked forward to reading this. An interesting premise that just didn't work for me.
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