John Wilson reviews The Yiddish Policemen’s Union:
The Yiddish Policemen’s Union is the best new novel I’ve read so far this year, and I won’t be surprised if it wins another Pulitzer or some comparable recognition. It is also a deeply frustrating book…
I gave this book 50 pages before giving up on it. Of those 50 pages, about 45 were exposition. I’m sure it eventually gets interesting, but I find that I’ve got less and less time for self-indulgence like this. Still, I heard Chabon speak a couple weeks ago, and he’s both very interesting and an honest-to-God nice guy. I really love his horror stories, “In the Black Mill” & “The God of Dark Laughter.”