by Jonathan Lethem
Classic detective story with a main
character afflicted with Tourette's syndrome.
Reviewed by: A.J. Kohn
About A.J. Kohn
‘Motherless Brooklyn’ is a classic detective story
with one major twist – the main character has
Tourette’s syndrome. In other hands this concept
could have gone awry, but Jonathan Lethem creates a
dynamic mystery while giving the reader an engaging,
eye-opening education on a misunderstood disease.
Using Brooklyn as his canvass, Lethem introduces
Lionel Essrog, an orphan ‘freak show’, who along with
three other boys are taken under the wing of Frank
Minna, a local low-level wise guy. The four boys grow
up under his tutelage, performing a variety of odd and
vaguely shady jobs, and ultimately become ‘Minna Men’,
employees of a pseudo detective agency disguised as a
limousine service.
Lionel’s world is turned upside down when Frank is
murdered, setting into motion a classic whodunit full
of suspense, betrayal and plot twists. The plot is
somewhat intricate, yet connecting the dots isn’t
difficult but, as it should be, is rather enjoyable.
Lethem’s writing is clean and crisp but also rich and
evokes the sights, sounds, smells and overall feeling
of those New York neighborhoods.
The plot grounds and propels the story. However, it
is the mental gymnastics of Lionel, his tics and
verbal jabs, which fill the book with awe and humor.
You can’t help but learn quite a bit about Tourette’s
syndrome, and it is at once fascinating and hilarious.
Yes, Lethem plays some of the symptoms for laughs,
but affectionately, with a full understanding of the
condition.
This is not a light treatment of the subject where all
you’re exposed to are bursts of expletives intended to
tickle the funny bone of the average teen. Whether it
is his obsession with eating White Castle hamburgers,
a compulsion to tap a person’s shoulder a specific
number of times or his plight of pet ownership, you
begin to get a glimpse of what it is like for Lionel
and all those afflicted with Tourette’s syndrome.
‘Motherless Brooklyn’ is a well-written onion peel of
a story that breaks the usual detective genre with a
distinctive voice and provides a satisfying payoff.
Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Motherless Brooklyn
Copyright © by A.J. Kohn, 2002
Reviewed by A.J. Kohn:
-- Motherless Brooklyn - by Jonathan Lethem
-- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - by Douglas Adams
-- Stranger Passing - by Joel Sternfeld
-- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - by Michael Chabon
-- Bloodsucking Fiends - by Christopher Moore
-- The Long Rain - by Peter Gadol
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