Moonglow (novel)
Book by Michael Chabon
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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.[1] The narrator functions as a proxy for the author, Chabon.[1][2]
| |
| Author | Michael Chabon |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Memoir |
| Publisher | Harper |
| Publication date | November 22, 2016 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardback |
| Pages | 430[1] |
| ISBN | 978-0-06-222555-9 (Hardcover) |
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."[3] 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".[4] In the Sunday New York Times Book Review, critic A.O. Scott wrote, "Whatever else it is — a novel, a memoir, a pack of lies, a mishmash — this book is beautiful."[5]
The book was discussed in January 2017 on BBC Radio 4's Saturday Review.[6]
Moonglow was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction.[7]