As a general rule, I don’t review most mainstream fiction here. Mainly because I don’t read a lot of mainstream fiction. Stories about dysfunctional families working to break up or overcome their particular dysfunctions don’t interest me a great deal. But I do make exceptions for writers I enjoy and that’s why I read Michael Chabon’s latest Telegraph Avenue. I love Michael Chabon’s work as he has a way with word choices that make his work feel exciting and fresh even when he’s retelling a ages-old story. But I had trouble with this book. The subject matter didn’t interest me a great deal, even though it was well told. So, let’s check it out.

Archy Stallings and Nat Jaffe are old friends who were in bands and eventually decided to put their love of music to the test and open up a used record store in the Berkeley/Oakland area. Their wives (Gwen Shanks and Aviva Roth-Jaffe) are also business partners as they run a midwife service for local women. In addition, Nat’s son, Julius, is in a bit of a relationship (the exact definition depends on who you talk to) with Archy’s son, Titus, from another woman (who he has had little to nothing to do with and isn’t aware yet that he’s in the city). Archy’s father, Luther, was a martial arts star who made the seminal Blaxploitation movie playing the cool thief Willie Strutter until he got messed up on drugs and jail. But Luther is clean and wants to restart his life by raising money for a new Strutter movie.

This cozy little gathering is thrown into turmoil by a problem birth (overseen by the midwives) that leads to a confrontation with the doctors at the hospital and a popular ex-Quarterback who wants to have a giant store in downtown that will sell used records cheaper and with better selection. The group has to deal with the ramifications of these problems an impending birth and the integration of Titus into the family. There is also history that is dealt with between Luther and the City Council member who can make or break the downtown store competition.

Overall, it’s a well told tale, but not one that I was much interested in. Chabon is a master wordsmith, but I felt that in several places it was a grind to get through. There was so much backstory that had to be brought out that it felt like a chore at times. In addition, the resolution to the problem birth storyline seemed like it was too easy and shouldn’t have caused the issues that it did bring up. I wasn’t enamored with the end of the Luther storyline either. I did enjoy the book, but doubt that I would want to re-read it. Mildly recommended.