Tung's review of The Final Solution: A Story of Detection
The Final Solution: A Story of Detection (P.S.) by Michael Chabon
I read this book twice in one sitting on a cross-country flight. It was possible to do this because (1) it’s short, and (2) it’s a delightful and engaging read. The story focuses on a young Jewish boy who doesn’t speak, and an African gray parrot that accompanies him who won’t stop speaking (the parrot spouts a series of seemingly random numbers). The other main character in the book – though he is not named directly – is an old and retired Sherlock Holmes who now spends his days bee-keeping instead of solving crimes. Holmes encounters the young boy and parrot at the beginning of the story, and several days later when some police detectives come asking for Holmes’ help when a man is killed and the parrot goes missing, Holmes undertakes a final mystery. There is much to like about this book: the prose is very controlled and tightly-written; the plot structure unfolds and doubles back on itself and unfolds like a good mystery should; and the character development of Holmes ...more
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