Oy Vey! This Book is Very Different

Review by Leah Stratmann September 6, 2007 Issue

It probably helps tremendously to either be Jewish or very familiar with Jewish culture when reading The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon. Chabon is a gifted writer and winner of the Pulitzer Prize who has created a truly unique story and characters with this book.

In this alternate world, Sitka, Alaska was given to the Jews after the atrocities of World War II and the early failure of the Jewish state in 1948, but only for 60 years. This was prior to Alaska becoming the 50th U.S. state and in two months time, the “lease” held by the Jews will expire, so the “frozen chosen” will either have to flee or hope to get a coveted green card.

Such is the power of this fantasy world; I double-checked to make sure it was imaginary. It all seemed possible as the author clearly did his research on the power players of the era. Still, this is a difficult read for those unfamiliar with chess, Yiddish terms, and for those wishing for a detective story to zip along at warp speed. It is prose driven, rather than dialog driven, with plenty of time for richly detailed descriptions of the area.

The protagonist of the story is Meyer Landsman, a perpetually gloomy superior detective who drinks and smokes too much, lives in a fleabag hotel and who is still in love with his ex-wife. His partner is also his cousin, a massive half Tlingit Indian, half Jewish man who honors the Jewish portion of his heritage.

The first third of this book is slow going, even though this is a mystery story at its heart. Landsman is called upon to look into the execution style slaying of a junkie living in the same hotel as the detective. The only clues are a chessboard and the fact that the victim was not using his real name. As things change in the detective bureau, Landsman is ordered by his new chief—his ex-wife—to file the case in the circular file, but Landsman can’t let it go.

First he seeks clues to the real identity of the victim by circulating his photo to the Jews who gather to play chess. Not only did the victim use a pseudonym at the hotel, he has many other names among the chess players.

In defiance of a direct order, but believing they now know the identity of the victim, the pair of detectives wander into an area of Sitka wholly controlled by a Jewish crime family who have more or less replicated the neighborhoods of eastern Europe from whence they came. It is here the book picks up speed. It is rather slow throughout the first third of the book, but the descriptions and the desire to find out what happened keeps one reading, or not, depending on the person.

This book has been on the bestseller lists for months, driven in part, I suspect, by the previous works of this author. Although it is well worth investigation for the beautiful prose and inventive story constructed by Chabon, you will either stick with it or drop it in frustration. Other books by the author have probably produced the same kinds of ambivalence. While I loved Wonder Boys, (also a good film) I could not become engaged with Chabon’s most famous work, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. One thing is quite clear: Chabon’s books do not fall into easy categories and he is not coasting along on an earlier reputation.

If you are looking for something out the ordinary, try this book. It isn’t a quick read, but there is a definite sense of accomplishment when you finish and the story and resolution of the mystery is more than satisfying.

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, 414 pages, HarperCollins and available from local libraries and booksellers everywhere.

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