THE FINAL SOLUTION/THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN’S UNION

January is Michael Chabon month, and I am enjoying it greatly so far. I kicked off with a novella called The Final Solution, which imagines a very elderly Sherlock Holmes (though his name is never mentioned) unraveling a mystery in the 1940s. As the title cleverly implies, the Holocaust overshadows the story and its central mystery. This was a slam-dunk for me, as I’ve read a lot of Holmes stories recently and also greatly enjoyed Julian Barnes’ novel Arthur & George, in which the “Arthur” is Conan Doyle; I also tend to be fascinated with the ’40s. I would highly recommend this bittersweet little book, and the only reason I didn’t give it four stars is that I kept wishing it was longer.

Now I’m nearly halfway through Chabon’s newest novel, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, which I can only describe as “Jewish Raymond Chandler in Alaska.” It’s set in an intriguing alternate-history version of the world, has an alluringly mysterious plot (nothing grabs me like a mystery, honestly), and is wonderfully written. Even the descriptive asides make me sit up and take notice. I’m exhilarated. Most of what I read is pretty good, or at least decent, but I’d almost forgotten what it’s like to read something really good.

After this, I may read one of Chabon’s short-story collections, Werewolves in Their Youth, but I’m kind of itching to reread both Summerland and Wonder Boys, two books I remember really loving. (I also loved Kavalier and Clay, but it’s too long for me to realistically tackle in half a month. I did not love and will not be rereading The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, though I’m tempted to take a peek and see if it still bears a striking, disappointing resemblance to The Secret History, which as an adolescent favorite still holds a very cherished place in my heart.) Chabon’s awfully prolific, though—I could also read his swashbuckling serial Gentlemen of the Road, his early short-story collection A Model World, or the two anthologies he’s edited for McSweeney’s. Guess I’ll just see what I feel like. But regardless, I have a hunch it’s going to be a good year for reading.