Motherless Brooklyn, by Jonathan Lethem, is equal parts hard-boiled detective novel and postmodern literature, with a narrator who is afflicted with Tourette’s syndrome.

The main character (and narrator), Lionel Essrog, is unforgettable.

The novel is fast-paced and witty, Lionel is a likeable, sympathetic character, the dialog is inventive, and — although effortless to read — there is a remarkable humanistic depth inherent in the story.

An excellent novel: recommended.