Adventures in Librarianing

Motherless Brooklyn
Jonathon Lethem
336 pages, published 1999


To be honest, I only found the story so-so – though I will be fair in admitting that I am not a great fan of detective novels. That being said, I would still recommend this book for it’s insights into the main character alone.

Set in the seventies, Lionel finds himself an oddity in an unkind world – a man suffering from Tourette’s before his condition has gained public knowledge. Told entirely from his perspective, the reader is exposed to the uncontrollable mind of the well meaning Lionel as he follows the clues to discover the killer of his boss and mentor.

Watching this poor man utterly incapable of maintaining control over the words he says or the manner in which he focuses his attention – and being filled with dread at the smallest things, knowing just how it will affect him - just makes one glad they are not put in such a position. 3/5