Michael Chabon (2004)
131 pages
I really wanted to love this book, but it just left me flat. The writing was terrific but the story (mysterious mute refugee boy and his even more mysterious number-reciting parrot) didn’t grab me like I thought it would.
The central character is retired super sleuth Sherlock Holmes, though he remains nameless; Chabon referring to him instead as “the old man.” I’m not a Holmes fan by any means, so it wasn’t enough to enthrall me or get my knickers in a bunch because Chabon took liberties with the Holmes mythology. I wouldn’t know one way or the other.
Oh well, I still look forward to Chabon’s next book. His writing style is always a pleasure to read. You can feel you mind expanding as you read his adept use of the English language. [***]
