Motherless Brooklyn

I enjoyed this character-driven thriller so much.

The mystery itself was nothing special; crooks being crooks to each other.

But Lionel Essog's narration, watching him work things out, tell us his story, and struggle with his condition very compelling.

It was something to see the way other characters reacted to his moments, his quirks and outburst. Most people are annoyed or repulsed. It was odd how few people had any empathy. I know Brooklyn's a tough place, but damn, I do live in Queens. His issues in participating in the accepted way in most social interactions caused other people to underestimate.

He was a very intelligent and thoughtful character.