50 book challenge: #49.

#49: Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen's Union. The novel's originality of concept is praiseworthy, but the execution was quietly annoying, and a little half-baked. The plot moved slowly, too slowly if the idea was to mimic a Chandler novel. And there seemed to be too much overwritten description: all very artfully done, but seeming like the product of a writing workshop exercise ("O.K., now your main character, this Landsman fellow, meets a scrappy Alaskan bush pilot. Bring the bush pilot to life in 150 words.") In other words, every character introduction was accompanied by a very inventive description of clothing, quirks, facial features, etc., but how is that enhancing my enjoyment of the story, or necessary to it? Maybe my expectations were too high.