Motherless Brooklyn

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem resembles a parody of a traditional noir novel. The hard-bitten private “detectives” are damaged children who have grown up into criminals, the mysterious dame is Zen Buddhist, the looming hoodlums are reassigned (and hysterically incompetent) doormen. Our hero, Lionel Essrog (aka “The Human Freakshow”) is a grim figure on a strange case, but he doesn’t suffer from alcoholism or a weakness for dangerous women. Instead, he’s crippled by the far more debilitating Tourette’s, which makes for some hilarious conversations, but also painful isolation. Lionel’s mind and speech may be fractured by his order, but he is nonetheless determined to solve the murder of Frank Minna, his beloved mentor. His quest proves to be a well-written tale with suspenseful plotting, a sympathetic protagonist, and many layers. It’s a mystery, it’s a black comedy, it’s a coming-of-age epic, it’s a tale of overcoming adversity. At it’s heart, however, it’s a painfully relevant depiction the grim effects that mental illness and neglect have on children and adults. The cracks of our society is full of troubled souls like Lionel, and we should all do our best to give them the respect and patience they deserve.