Amy, I started it and got a little further in, but still wasn't pulled into the story. For me, it wasn't getting better, so I bailed. I bought it because it was getting rave reviews. The alternate-history scenario was well researched and examined, but I wasn't too impressed with the actual storyline. It seemed to be taking forever to go anywhere. Maybe someone who was able to finish the book will post their thoughts.

I will keep going a bit more. But I'm still looking for some plot.

Hmmm... Reading this now, and I'm experiencing the same disenchantment with Chabon's self-indulgence. Somewhere amongst the wisecracks and overwritten similes, there's a story. Chabon's plot is buried under so many layers of descriptive showmanship, that I find I don't care enough to dig through the layers to find the story. I'll finish it. I'm over half way through it, so might as well. I also find the present tense grating.

This is a book I've been thinking about reading for quite some time, but based on the comments above, I may just give it a miss. I'll be interested to hear more opinions, though.

Interesting. I though it was absolutely terrific, a tale that worked on several levels--alternative history/ detective story, with characters, all of whom are living in the last days--future unknown--of their world that were so compelling you hoped it was the start of a new detective serial, though, of course, it couldn't be. I couldn't put it down.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have had three patrons return this to the library-one loved it, one didn't finish and one said "eh. It was okay, but I won't read anything else by this guy."

People's opinions I really repect have liked this novel. I didn't. I write off as just as just one of those novels that didn't work for me, or maybe I'm from a different culture that just wouldn't get it. However, I'd read other novels by Chabon.

I won't even correct my tyos. (Sigh!)

My first read of Chabon was Kavalier and Clay. Given my lack of interest in comic books I didn't think I'd like it, but so many people suggested it to me that I had to try it. Oh my - I was blown away by it. But since then I've been disappointed in every other book he's written. None of them held up to the magic, layers and history of that one. But I tried Yiddish Policements Union hoping it would work. It didn't. I got through 50 pages, was still waiting for a plot, was getting tired of the yiddishisms (and I'm Jewish) and decided that I found and read his best book, and probably will think twice before reading any more new ones.

Hey, glad to see this thread got picked up again.
I did make it all the way through YPU. Overall, I enjoyed it. I grew up in an area where there are a few Hasidic sects so I was already familiar with the splits among different groups. That made it interesting for me to see how Chabon played off that.

I've been a fan of his all the way back to The Mysteries of Pittsburg but I wouldn't put YPU at the top of his work. I agree, Kavalier and Clay was excellent.

Oddly, about a year after finishing the Yiddish Policemen's Union, I read Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra.

There were a number of parallels between the two books. Exotic culture (Sacred Games is set in 'real-life' Bombay however), a cop still wounded by a recent divorce, his partner happily married with two kids, a death that brings the cop into a subculture within the city. corruption. perversion of religion. organized crime.

Chabon had to create a world out of his head so he gets big points for that. Vikram Chandra created the character Gainesh Gaitonde, a crime boss, and gets a whole that of points for that monster.

I think I enjoyed Sacred Games a bit more (I posted about it elsewhere in the forum) but I will be looking forward to Chabon's next book. I find his own delight in his writing contagious.