Mr. Chabon is super cool and you get to read all about it – “Telegraph Avenue” by Michael Chabon

“Telegraph Avenue” by Michael Chabon, Published in 2012

I will begin by saying I have not read anything else by Mr. Chabon but I do know he is beloved by the critics.  Here is the thing, it is okay to not like something by a beloved author (hey, critics I am talking to you).  Sometimes they mess up and just write something that is sub par. Sometimes they really mess up and write something awful. And sometimes I think they write a bunch of crap just to see if everyone will buy it.   Mr. Chabon, I bought your book. You are welcome.

Reading this book was much like listening to a song when the lead guitarist gets some solo time and it starts out okay but after about 5 minutes you say, with that irritated head tilt, “really?”  The somewhat main characters own a retro vinyl store on Telegraph Road, how “High Fidelity” of them.  I think the point of the record store is just so Chabon can showcase his obscure knowledge of music.

Most pages in this book are so dense, I would read a paragraph, get up, do a couple of things, come back and try again.  Do I really need a two page description about how to cook greens perfectly? No sir, I do not. My subscription of Bon Appetit has that covered.

Some of the characters were very interesting but the work I had to do to get to the story itself was just too much. And so I quit. After two hundred pages. What happens with Gwen’s baby? No idea. Does the record store close? No clue. Does Archie get stabbed by his business partner? I hope so.  But I guess I will never know. And I am okay with that.

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