Green Reads: Books to Lounge By

Published September 17, 2007

By Suzanne Lunden

First things first. As a UVM senior and an English / History major, I am fully aware of (at least) two things:

1. In a few short weeks, the campus green could very well be buried under three feet of snow, rendering it distinctly un-lounge-able.

2. For many of us, even this early in the semester, the thought of finding the time to lounge anywhere with any sort of non-required reading is just plain ridiculous.

But don’t despair! This week’s book, at least, is fast, fun, and entertaining — perfect for that Friday afternoon Greyhound ride to Boston. In his latest work, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, Michael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and Wonder Boys (also a fantastic film starring Michael Douglas and Robert Downey, Jr.), delivers a triple threat punch of detective mystery, quirky love story, and revision of post-WWII history.

The story centers on Meyer Landsman, a booze-hound detective, recently divorced and generally detached. Landsman emerges multiple times throughout the book in nothing but his tighty-whities and somehow does not come off as too ridiculous. His investigation into the murder of a heroin addict (who just might be the Messiah!) in a hotel room quickly spirals into chaos as threats of dislocation and global terrorism suddenly emerge.

Anyone with a passing interest in the current situation of the world will find this novel compelling and the twist ending both terrifying yet not terribly surprising. Chabon’s political agenda is clear, but he wonderfully tempers his administration-bashing with humorous insights into, among other things, daily life in Alaska, the wild world of chess, and the many malignant activities of the Jewish mafia. From the English nerd perspective, Chabon’s unexpectedly lovely sentence structure is unparalleled, and his metaphors are somehow wonderfully clear and evocative in both English and Yiddish.

So, celebrate a belated Rosh Hashanah this week (or next spring), and check out Chabon’s latest. If nothing else, you’ll learn a lot about chess and how to do heroin, you’ll even augment your Yiddish vocabulary three-fold, at least— all scholarly pursuits, I promise.

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