Rating: 
Summary: Wincing and Laughing
Review: I am such a big fan of Wonder Boys (ha! you thought I was going to say Kavalier & Clay, didn't you?) that I've been wanting to read this book for a while, but after I read Chabon's interview with Barbara Shoup in the craft collection Novel Ideas (I do recommend this book), I was even more inspired to buy a copy-- Chabon reports that he went into Workshop with the novel already written (though it was all but completely re-written) and, being roughly the same age as Chabon was then and of roughly the same aspirations, I wanted to see what was worthy of such praise as "solid writing" and a "brilliant first effort." I have to warn you that I just also re-read that undermining little black book called "A Reader's Manifesto" (Myers) (I definitely recommend this book), so I was on attack mode. I can honestly say that Pittsburgh had me laughing and wincing in equal amounts. First effort or not, it's a book and you don't make excuses for books that are published, best-sellers and critically acclaimed (It doesn't really help a reader of reviews to know that "this is his first book"- you're basically telling them "let's cut him some slack" and that's why you're giving him 5 out of 5 stars). Let's say the prose here is wordy and tries too hard to funny- it's like a new perm on the first day: really tight and kinked up until you sleep on it. After a while, it loosens, relaxes a little and the "style" looks more natural. That's the Chabon chronological reading experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Still figuring out the mysteries of pittsburgh
Review: first of all i read this book after reading The wonder boys, another fantasic book. I live in pittsburgh which partly made me love this book. I would be reading the book while walking down the street that Art "was" on. I was in the elbow room... ok now i just rammbling. but all in all this is a book that will always come back to you, and that's what i expect of a great book. You fall in love with the characters. They are so life like, reading the book is like talking to your own friends. This is a book that do and faithfully reread atleat once a year. And one more thing CLEVELAND!!!
Rating:
Summary: Chabon is still the best...
Review: This is the last Chabon book that I've read (even though it was his first) and he consistently proves himself a genius in my eyes. The only negative thing I ever hear anyone say about Chabon is that there's not really a plot to his books. That is not the point! He is simply a joy to read - extremely funny and moving at the same time. The story, as it is, concerns Art Bechstein: the son of a gangster. One explosive summer, he falls in with a Hemmingway-esque crowd of beautiful people. Together, they discover their "will to bigness" and have many amazing adventures together, until it all comes crashing down. I believe that this is Chabon's shortest novel. It's truly a breeze to read. Totally original and it will leave you wanting more.
Rating: 
Summary: A Worthy Start
Review: For any book, "Mysteries of Pittsburgh" is really good, but for a first novel, it's tremendous. The quality of Chabon's writing is so high, it makes me a little depressed to think I could live to be 100 and NEVER be THAT good. That being said, there are always a few minor things to complain about. The whole story revolves around Art Bechstein, son of a Jewish gangster and recent college graduate, who is spending the summer in Pittsburgh working at a crummy bookstore and going through a sexual crisis. The crisis, like "Wonder Boys" and "Kavalier and Clay" is that Art worries he might be gay and struggles with feelings for his new best friend Arthur and for his new girlfriend Phlox. My first question--and it's wholly unimportant--is why is Art working at a bookstore all summer? If he's finished school, why isn't he looking to use his degree for a real job? I know when I finished college, I didn't spend my summer loafing around, I was out there trying to find permanent employment. This whole plot of hanging around town for the summer seems more like the summer between high school and college than after college...but maybe that's just me. Anyway, the characters--except Art--are all a little odd and as has been mentioned by other reviewers, seem stereotypical. Maybe, as Art says in the end, that's the point, that he's exaggerating these people in his memory. I didn't much care for Arthur or Phlox, I wish more time would have been given to Evil Incarnate, biker/hired goon/jewel thief Cleveland. He was a lot more fun than Arthur, Phlox, and even Art who always seemed to be whining or pouting about something or other. Art especially came off as such a whiny wimp that it was really hard to believe he was the son of an infamous gangster. The ending came abruptly, arbitrarily concluding after one character plunges to his death (I won't ruin that for you readers). It comes so suddenly that it was almost like the author was bored and decided to just quit or was on such a tight word count that he had to wrap it up right NOW. Needless to say, the ending did not really satisfy me. First of all, Art's reflections about the end of the summer, after that certain character dies, should have been expanded and put in an Epilogue to separate it from the main body of the story. Second, just saying what happened for the rest of the summer without much detail, even though it was not of critical importance, looks like sloppy storytelling. That is about the only occasion when I can say that about Chabon's writing. Despite my nitpicking and second-guessing, "Mysteries" is a wonderful book. The subject matter may make some people uncomfortable, but in the end, this is a book definitely worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Coming-of-age with a twist
Review: Michael Chabon's hit the big time since he won the Pulitzer for Kavalier and Klay, but this lovely earlier book of his is also very good. Not always straightforward, sometimes confusing, often kind of depressing, always loving and charming - that's how I'd describe The Mysteries of Pittsburg. The young people populating this book are wonderfully drawn, and most of the time I felt I was being pulled right into their world as they tried to figure it out for themselves. A great little book, and a pretty fast read.
Rating:
Summary: A remarkable summer in Pittsburgh
Review: Chabon's style, the unique details he decides to reveal about his characters and their adventures left me feeling as if I too had spent that summer wiht Art and his friends. I cannot think of another novel that drew me so close to the characters. I became delighted when the characters were happy, and quite upset when the characters did something stupid or hurtful towards one another. A remarkable book. You don't need to be a fan of Chabon to enjoy this novel. You just have to be willing to be moved and entertained as you spend a summer in Pittsburgh. Some of the other reviewers see this book as a preview of great things to come. It may be, but it is as good as his later works; just different.
Rating:
Summary: Glimmers of future greatness
Review: In this debut novel by Michael Chabon, we get a good book that hints at the future of his writing and such novels as Wonder Boys and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. While not up to the caliber of those later works, it certainly has its merits. Mysteries of Pittsburgh is the story of Art Bechstein and the summer after his college graduation. His distant and domineering father is a mob accountant who is unsatisfied with his son's direction in life; the summer of the story will add no new closeness between the two. Art spends the time partying and being seduced by his friend Arthur and a girl named Phlox; Art's own self-doubts push him in one direction, then another. Meanwhile, another friend, the wild-living Cleveland, is interested in a life of crime and sees Art and his family connections as a path in the right direction. The novel itself is essentially plotless, just a summer-in-the-life tale. While not great, it is entertaining in places and is a worthwhile read for Chabon fans. Others may enjoy this book, but it is mostly of interest for those who want to see what Chabon wrote before he hit it big.
Rating:
Summary: SPARE US
Review: One hesitates to review this book even in cursory fashion. It is about far too personal subject matter-a kind of sexless sexuality-for any review to escape the flaws of subjectivity. Only one character appeared in this reader's mind, young Bechstein, while the others were but charcoal sketches to reveal to readers the overly sensitive, grossly immature character of this college grad. That a writer could involve himself so deeply in this character and become like a flasher, exposing his genitalia to the public, is rather unusual and amazing. It was like grinding ground glass into the open wounds of being human. One learns far more than one wants to about this character's transfixation with his own penis. Bechstein is blown up by his own male petard.
Rating: 
Summary: not so good
Review: The chapter titles in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, ... were alluring to the fullest when I first flipped through the pages before reading. I also examined the cover of the book and focused on the words "the acclaimed New York Times bestseller." I thought, if this book could have the New York Times not only stamp their approval but also put the fancy word "acclaimed" in the sentence, then by golly I was sold. Judging a book by its cover was my new motto.
The level of ease of reading the book was child's play ...Soon after breezing through a few chapters, however, the child's play also became a child's book. Suddenly, and occurring too often in my maturing stage of life now that I think about it, I felt like I was in sixth grade. The easy read was just that, an easy read. Instead of some type of depth, Michael Chabon took the readers along a 297-page book that could probably be explained and done with in two minutes.
Rating:
Summary: A Coming of Age
Review: It is not common for an emerging writer to generate a great deal of attention for their first novel, but Michael Chabon received just that for his novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburg. Although not as critically acclaimed as some of his later works, in particular his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, this novel has received a lot of attention from critics since its release in 1989.
This book clearly portrays his skills as a writer as well as his knack for creating vivid, life-like characters. This book also displays his tendency to be somewhat verbose throughout certain junctures of the story and other weaknesses in his writing that are improved upon in his later works. Overall this book is a wonderful example of a skilled writer who is coming of age.
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