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| Author | Michael Chabon |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Memoir |
| Publisher | Harper |
| Publication date | November 22, 2016 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardback |
| Pages | 430 |
| ISBN | 978-0-06-222555-9 (Hardcover) |
Moonglow is a 2016 novel by Michael Chabon. The book chronicles the life of Chabon's grandfather, a WW2 soldier, engineer and rocket enthusiast who marries a troubled Jewish survivor from France and lives a challenging, wandering life in postwar America. Chabon tells the story using a mixture of strict memoir and creative fiction writing. The narrator functions as a proxy for the author, Chabon.
Plot summary
The novel is about the story of the author's (Chabon) grandfather. Throughout the book, the grandfather's name is not referred to.
The story is sort of a memoir, jumping around in time. It starts with the narrator stating how his grandfather was arrested.
Reception
Sam Sacks writing for The Wall Street Journal appreciated the non-fiction elements of the novel in contrast to Chabon's other works. Sacks said, "Moonglow is a movingly bittersweet novel that balances wonder with lamentation." For The New York Times, Michiko Kakutani found that, "Mr. Chabon weaves these knotted-together tales together into a tapestry that’s as complicated, beautiful and flawed as an antique carpet. Although 'Moonglow' grows overly discursive at times, it is never less than compelling when it sticks to the tale of Mike's grandparents — these damaged survivors of World War II who bequeath to their family a legacy of endurance, and an understanding of the magic powers of storytelling to provide both solace and transcendence".
The book was discussed in January 2017 on BBC Radio 4's Saturday Review.
Moonglow was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction.
References
- ^ Scott, A.O. (November 18, 2016). "Michael Chabon Returns With a Searching Family Saga". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- "Michael Chabon's 'Moonglow' is a cunning dance with autobiography".
- Sacks, Sam (November 25, 2016). "Michael Chabon's Age of Heroes". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- Kakutani, Michiko (14 November 2016). "In Michael Chabon's 'Moonglow,' Deathbed Stories Illuminate an Era". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe; Interviewed guests: Kate Williams, Maria Delgado, David Benedict; Producer: Oliver Jones (14 January 2017). "La La Land, Manchester By The Sea, Michael Chabon, Wish List at The Royal Court, Charles Avery". Saturday Review. 09:27 minutes in. BBC. BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
- Alter, Alexandra (17 January 2017). "Zadie Smith and Michael Chabon Among National Book Critics Circle Finalists". New York Times. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
| Michael Chabon | |
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