Motherless Brooklyn

Rating:
Summary: Good Book-Good Actor
Review: if i was not a Edward Norton fan i would have never know about this book. I heard that he will star in this, he will be awsome, can't wait to see how he portrays a guy with torrets. But even if you are not a fan, read this book anyways it is a good way to pass some time, and enjoy it too. Some parts are dry, a tad slow, but most are very enjoable. the language is what gives this book a unique flare. i love books in first person. this is a really good book, i highly reccomend it.

Rating:
Summary: riveting
Review: Well I've never reviewed a book before but I just had to say how much I enjoyed readin this book. Without giving the plot away all I can say is do yourself a favor and read this book, I mean this actually ranks right up there with Salinger's 'Catcher in the rye' or Brauner's 'Love songs of the tone deaf' for lyrical, poignant, and honest writing. This is a heck of a good book.

Rating:
Summary: Motherless Brooklyn
Review: I have been invited to join a book club with my daughter-in-law. Primarily 18-20 years younger than myself. This is the first book. And I am now debating not going to the book club. this book was boaring, tedious and a large waist of words. There is no start and no end. And everything in between is disjointed. Jonathan Lethem is a much better writer than this. This appears to be something he threw together to meet a deadline with a publisher.

Rating:
Summary: A BROOKLYN SCREAMING FOR LOVE
Review: For those of you looking for a great mystery book, this isn't the one. While there is some detective work going on and a murder to be solved, this is just the background to a bigger and better story. Lionel Essrog, the narrator of the story, has suffered with Tourette's Syndrome his whole life. Not that it has been much of a life....when we meet him he is an orphan living in the St. Vincent's Home for Boys in Brooklyn. He and three other orphans become Minna's Boys, running errands for Frank Minna a local crime boss. Essrog's Tourette's tics become endearing to the reader and when he is ticcing off the names of the people in the group and is trying to come up with a total of 6 (his tic number for the day), he is unable to do so. With Frank Minna and the 4 orphans it only adds up to 5. But Lionel hasn't added in the biggest character in the group -- BROOKLYN. Lethem's descriptions of Brooklyn are unparalleled. Everything takes place at the foot of a bridge or in a storefront or at 5AM when the merchants are just waking up. As he's driving over the Pulaski Bridge, I'm right behind him. I'm not sure if someone who isn't familiar with Brooklyn would like this book as much as someone who has strong ties to this borough. Jonathan Lethem describes these orphans as part of "Motherless Brooklyn," children living in Brooklyn without mothers. I'm sure it's intentional on his part that after finishing this book, the reader gets the feeling that it is Brooklyn who really needs a mother -- it's a city without nurturing or love. It's screaming out not to be motherless any longer.

Rating:
Summary: A "Can't put down" read!
Review: Jonathan Lethem has cratfed a book that transcends the crime fiction genre! He has created a colorful cast of characters that hold your interest from page one to the last word. Lionel Essrog, the Turetic lead character, is at times master sleuth and at other times, bumbling detective! Grab an egg cream, sit out on the stoop and enjoy this book!

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent novel
Review: MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN was my favorite book of 1999 and I read an average of book and a half a week (give or take). I hope Jonathan Lethem gets every award due him in addition to the National Book Critics Circle award. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating read...
Review: Lionel Essrog's self driven attempt at detective work is only secondary to the real interest MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN holds. Lethem's writing is so smooth! The story itself is enjoyable and a bit different, but I found myself enthralled most of all with the manner in which words are woven to create the tale.

Rating:
Summary: I would put a quote on this book
Review: "A book as compulsively satisfying as the Tourrette's-induced poetic, yearning character is. Both modern noir, and elegant fiction, this book cannot be put down."

Rating:
Summary: A story worthy of Murder She Wrote only.
Review: Why is Motherless Brooklyn hailed as such a great book? I suppose it is because the story is told so effortlessly - Letham is a natural storyteller - and the narrator of the story is a true original. It is a fun read - I defie anyone to not be entertained by this book and see it through to the end. But when examined on it's own, this is not the piece of modern literature it is held up to be. It's only when held in the context of Letham's other works that you can make those judgements. I don't believe this is any way to judge a book and so for me, it falls far short of being a serious work. I know there are people that will say that I'm 'not getting it' but personally I don't think there's much here to get. In the end the story reads like the storyline of a weekly TV comedy/drama - if ever there was a book begging a TV series adaptation it's this one. Sure it's fun, but so is Buffy The Vampire Slayer and to be honest this story is a little closer to Murder She Wrote. Wait for the paperback and take it on holiday.

Rating:
Summary: Promising, yet disappointing
Review: I went to my local library to borrow this book and was disappointed to see that approx. 100 people were on the waiting list before me. At the same time, I was impressed by the book's popularity and decided that I must read it immediately. I must admit that the book was a let down. I found the characters, with the exception of the main character, Lionel, to be boring, and the dialog tedious. One thing I enjoyed about the book was how Lionel, a man suffering from Tourette's syndrome, was portrayed as a person and not a "freak." Mr. Lethem did a wonderful job getting into Lionel's head. However, it just wasn't enough to save the book. I thought that the plot was too weak and the ending too abrupt. And none of the characters seemed at all transformed by their experiences. The book is, if nothing else, a good character study of a man suffering from Tourette's syndrome. If Mr. Lethem would have concentrated on Lionel's character, rather than making the book into a mystery, I am sure that my rating would have been higher.