“There was a kind of autumnal stain in the air that reminded me of the smell of leather work gloves, a high-school locker room at homecoming, the inside of an ancient canvas tent.”

Why is it great? Chabon has tapped into that greatest of sensory effects: the ability of smells to take you back to a place, a moment, a memory. The last one, in particular, works its magic on me. The mildewy smell of an old canvas tent may not be scientifically pleasant, but it’s emotionally wonderful. One whiff and I’m camping with my family by a lake, the hunting-themed flannel of the sleeping bag soft against my face, the moonlight coming pixilated through the mesh windows.