Book Review - FictionMotherless Brooklyn (1999)
by Jonathan Lethem
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award
Well... that was a disappointment. Mind you, it wasn't a particularly bad story, but it seemed to fall short of expectations. Lionel "Human Freakshow" Essrog. Orphans. Tourettes Syndrome. Mobsters. Murder. Mystery. How could this have gotten so boring?
First, I feel I must give credit where credit is due. Lethem's depiction of the Tourettic Lionel an awesome achievement. Of course, being relatively ignorant on the subject of Tourettes Syndrome, I am not qualified to confirm whether or not the depiction of a Tourettes sufferer was generally accurate, but Lethem definitely presented a complex and rich view of life with a disability... although at times I was a bit skeptical of the characterization. It almost seemed like he was so used to his disability that he was totally fine with it. No self-pity or frustration. It's like he's just accepted it. Is that realistic? Especially because he's so astute and observant. He notices when others start to feel disgusted by him or simply see him as a free source of pitiful entertainment. Yet he doesn't complain.
Anyway, a decent story, but I had to really work to get through this. Bored out of my mind most of the time... not recommended. Some points added for being well-researched though. B-/C+
