Product Description

Brilliant novel by the much-acclaimed Michael Chabon, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. In the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay", prose magician Michael Chabon conjured up the golden age of comic books; intertwining history, legend, and storytelling verve. In "The Final Solution", he has condensed his boundless vision to craft a short, suspenseful tale of compassion and wit that re-imagines the classic 19th-century detective story. In deep retirement in the English countryside, an 89-year-old man, vaguely remembered by locals as a once-famous detective, is more concerned with his beekeeping than with other people. Into his life wanders Linus Steinman, nine years old and mute, who has escaped from Nazi Germany with his sole companion: an African grey parrot. What is the meaning of the mysterious strings of German numbers the bird spews out -- a top-secret SS code? The keys to a series of Swiss bank accounts perhaps? Or something more sinister? Is the solution to this last case -- the real explanation of the mysterious boy and his parrot -- beyond even the reach of the once-famed sleuth? Subtle revelations lead the reader to a wrenching resolution. This brilliant homage is the work of a master storyteller at the height of his powers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36264 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Review
'It takes a steady hand to appropriate the world's most famous detective, but Chabon has chutzpah to spare.' Independent 'Chabon gives the reader a tantalising taste of what he's capable of.' Andrew Roberts, New Statesman 'Chabon's gift as a writer is the fatal facility to make anything pleasant in the telling, and "The Final Solution" is further evidence of that talent.' Daily Telegraph 'His thoughtful, intricate prose pays handsome tribute to all those 'tec stories and sleuth yarns!"The Final Solution" is an evocation of the addictive properties of detection and an elegy for its glory days.' Word Magazine 'On par with the best, most tightly written sections of Chabon's last novel, the marvelous "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay"!exceptional.' New York Times Book Review 'One of the best-written American novels published this fall! an experiment by a master.' The New York Sun

Daily Telegraph
'...this lyrical and soulful novella sees Chabon revisit the subject of wartime refugees...[of] his Pulitzer Prize winning work...'

Sunday Times
'Chabon's prose is as polished as one might expect from such a gifted literary magpie'

Customer Reviews

Not a novel, not a short story.
Although highly recommended by a friend, this book didn't quite hit the mark for me. It seemed to lack purpose and the ending was kind of cute, but not satisfying.
The story revolves around Linus,a young Jewish refugee and his close companion, a grey parrot. When the parrot is stolen, the plight of the lonely young boy touches a spot in an old, retired, detective's heart, and he agrees to search for the bird.
I loved the idea of the parrot who spouted endless lists of apparently random numbers and the old man, an ageing Sherlock Holmes in his retirement cottage. But there didn't seem to be a lot else.
It was an easy read, but would have benefitted from being longer so we could really get involved with the characters.

excellent Holmesian pastiche
It's clever to combine the flourishing sub-genre of Holmesiamn pastiche with the Holocaust, and Chabon makes a good fist of it. The retired beekeeeper is now utterly forgotten and painfully ancient (Chabon describes the ravages of time wonderfully) but the mystery about the parrot who speaks long sequences of numbers is less satisfying. More a long short story or novella, it will leave some readers frustrated. Having said which, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Beautifully written
Every sentance in this short book has been lovingly crafted - it is short but a joy to read and very clever. The references to the great detective are affectionate and in keeping with the man himself as you might imagine him to be.

If your average formulaic detective story is junk food, this deserves a couple of Michelin stars. Don't read it if you just want another vapid potboiler!