Helpful Score: 8
Interesting little tale with a fitting play on words, considering the setting of World War II London.
This somewhat recentâand shortâoffering from one of this generation's finest was tightly spun. But as Chabon himself said in current interviews about THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION, he tends to overwrite. At 113 pages or so, I can imagine this book would have been shorter with a more relentless swipe at the prose.
I still enjoyed this little book. A lot.
I can't wait to read TYPU.
This somewhat recentâand shortâoffering from one of this generation's finest was tightly spun. But as Chabon himself said in current interviews about THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION, he tends to overwrite. At 113 pages or so, I can imagine this book would have been shorter with a more relentless swipe at the prose.
I still enjoyed this little book. A lot.
I can't wait to read TYPU.
Helpful Score: 4
Fascinating tale based on a retired Sherlock Holmes character and a Jewish refugee child with a puzzling parrot who recites only sequences of numbers. Unlike a Conan Doyle tale, the mystery is not tied up in a neat bow at the conclusion of the novel. Some horrors cannot be deduced from the facts uncovered and extrapolations of their meanings.
Helpful Score: 3
a very nice, short read. I love the older detective stories, Sherlock Holmes and the like, and this was an interesting angle on the genre.
Helpful Score: 3
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author has created a charming homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective. All of his fans will want to read this story, which picks up with the once-famous detective, now 89, living in retirement and keeping bees. When a 9-year-old mute boy with an African parrot happens by his cottage, you just know a mystery will follow. Beautifully done. Mr. Chabon, please write more.
Helpful Score: 3
This was a quiet, contemplative mystery regarding a missing parrot who may know some secret information. While the mystery itself was not that engaging, I did enjoy reading about Sherlock Holmes in his retirement years and how taking care of bees became a solace to him after years of detection.
