Rating: 
Summary: Very, very disappointed...
Review: I was eagerly awaiting to read Chabon's latest novel. I am a fan of his work, but once it won the Pulitzer Prize, I was more anxious than ever. So the moment it came out in softcover, I snatched it up. The premise, of which I had already been aware, is simply brilliant: the story of two Jewish young men living in New York City during the time of the Holocaust who create a comic book superhero whose purpose is to liberate the oppressed people of the world. Every week, they symbolically beat up the Nazis, as they long to be able to do in real life.I have this to say about the book: the characters were beautifully and lovingly created. They are three-dimensional human beings and I fell in love with them. The plot is also very good, and for most of the book, I was completely captivated.
Why, then, do I give it such a poor rating? Because, after being completely in love with this book for over 600 pages, the ending let me down. Not only did it completely betray the characters and the story, but it took what is a very original story and put it into the realm of cliche. Literally, with one paragraph (the last), my love for this book was gone. I feel deeply disappointed in Mr. Chabon for his ending, which, for lack of a better word, really was a sell-out. I cared about these characters and loved these characters enough to read an almost 700-page book on them, so when I reach an ending that I find to be such a compromise and such a travesty, it ruins the entire reading experience for me. I will not spoil the ending for those who have not yet read it, but suffice it to say, that it fit more into the mold of a B-movie melodrama (i.e. Stella Dallas comes to mind) than the awe-inspiring book I had read up to that point. I am convinced that Mr. Chabon could not figure out the proper way to end his book, and so took the easy way out. In so doing, I believe, he did a grave injustice both to the character of Sam Clay and to his adopted son, Tommy. Before I read the last chapter, I was ready to begin this book all over again. After reading it, I would return my copy if I could. I gave it two stars because of the brilliant writing up to the ending. Sure, it had a few flaws: Sam and Joseph, the main characters, about whose friendship the book was purportedly about, were actually in very few scenes together. For long stretches at a time, I felt Sam's character was neglected. Also, after the two do not see each other for a few years, I found their reunion scene to be surprisingly unemotional. If you hadn't seen your best friend for 12 years, wouldn't you at least give him or her a hug? I overlooked these flaws while reading the book, though, because there was so much else about it I loved so much, especially the creation of the comic book heroes, and the tale of how Joe fled from Prague, with a Golem. I also loved the way superheroes were described as golems for America.
The last chapter left me very cold, however, and made me question a great deal that I had earlier liked about the book. After reading Sam's final actions, I would question whether the two ever were such good friends in the first place. I also question the structure and plotting of the book. Is this what Mr. Chabon was leading up to all along, or is it, as I figured, a tacked-on ending from a writer desperate to finish his story? I'm sorry if this review rambles on or repeats itself, but I am just trying to verbalize just how deeply disappointed I am in this book. It will make me think long and hard about ever reading another one of Mr. Chabon's works again. I feel that he really betrayed his characters and his readers. Then again, maybe I'm wrong. He did win the Pulitzer Prize, after all. But then again, maybe that's what I dislike so much about the book. He made an ending that I'm sure the judges would have found deep, profound, and moving. I call it a compromise, and a fatal one at that.
Rating: 
Summary: A book you'll tell people about forever
Review: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay wasn't just a book about comic books - it was a book about growing up, dreaming about where you'll go - and about finding yourself in a totally different place - under circumstances you could never have imagined. This is an epic story; I read it before it was awarded the Pulitzer - and actually screamed aloud on the street when I saw that it had won. I was so pleased. This book guaranteed itself a place in history long before it won any awards. The best advice I can give you is to buy it in hardcover - it is one of those books you'll be happy you did.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just for Comic Lovers
Review: This book isn't really about comic books and the people who love them; it's a far more universal tale about the search for identity. The book focuses on people in a particular pursuit, but what book doesn't? Read this book to meet credible, interesting characters who live through an oft-neglected cultural development.
Rating: 
Summary: I can't believe this won the Pulitzer.
Review: The only reason I finished the book is so I could feel qualified to write a review, and express my distaste for the writing. My impression is that Mr. Chabon has an overly developed verbal capability, but has nothing of any substance to say. The plot and character interaction were juvenile, the writing style overly embellished, and the book was much too long. Finishing it was a truly painful experience. The Pulitzer has lost all credibility.
Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous language, witty fiction with tears in laughter
Review: I got a very mixed feeling after finishing this wonderful book.
On one hand this fiction itself was like a comic book, fun and fast, sometime fancy and fantastic. On the other hand it was a sad story indeed. To be simple, this book talked about how two genius teenagers endured the WW2. Timespan of this book was more than 10 years. During this period so many things happend, some were controlled by themselves (their creation Escapist, their feats on the Golden age of Empire Comic), but a lot of time they were only shaped, could not help but, and changed by the surrounding. The plot and the skill were quite excellent-- The whole 600+ pages just surrounded a word "Escape". In a sense, owing to the war-time and their personalities, each charater in this book tried their own way to escape the reality. But in fact they could do nothing but were inevitably altered by the time and the era. The only "charater" who really escaped was the Golem, in the form of a box of sand (how ironic). The struggle and the helplessness of human, in my opinion, was the most memoriable part of this story. And The story was so vivid-- In fact I browsed the searching-engine for many times during my reading session, in order to make sure if the statements in this book was real, or only fictitious. Both two main charaters were quite real and almost tangible. The image of Joe and Sam were very strong. And Chabon's language was so extraordinary that the beautiful words and sentences and paragraphs poured toward me all through the book. In fact the language in this book maybe was the most beautiful one among many books I've read in recent years. BTW, this book testifies the high standard of the Plitzer award. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Heartbreakingly beautiful
Review: This book is written with such poetry and punch. I couldn't put it down, and thought about it long after I finished it. Michael Chabon uses breathtaking imagery to transport readers to Prague, New York, the barren Antarctic, and into the hearts and minds of his characters. I'm not even a comic book fan, but I found myself riveted by the storylines. This book is for anyone who appreciates an incredibly-written story. This is the most beautifully written book I've read in a very long time. Quite deserving of its Pulitzer!
Rating:
Summary: A rare character-driven novel
Review: Don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you this book is about the comic book industry, or New York, or WWII. It's about the characters first and foremost. And don't listent to those who say it is a rambling epic with no big theme. It has a very simple and beautiful theme of the choices we make in life to escape from the world, others, and ourselves. I have not encountered such robust and real characters since Anna Karenina. And the author's style is unbelievable, it lets the story shine through, but when you look back you realize how much care it took to do that. There's something special here if you look for it, or rather feel for it.
Rating:
Summary: kavalier & clay: a great book...
Review: kavalier & clay: a great book to read. i loved it. definitely not a book to read within one sitting, but it is well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Utterly fantastic
Review: Kept debating whether to spend my time with this book: a number of impressive awards (they don't come much bigger than the Pulitzer); but a story about 2 comic book artists? How interesting can that be? After the first 3 chapters, I was completely hooked. So many themes interwoven into the plot. And, the plot is anything but boring. Far more than a story of 2 comic book creators, this is a story of WWII, the Holocaust, and bigotry of all types. Incredible and highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: You have to give this book some thought
Review: The funny thing is that as I started to write a very negative review then I began thinking more and more about the story. It kind of snuck up on me, but now I realize I really did like this book. When I first finished reading it I did not like it at all, this was a couple of days ago. Once I started to really analyze the story, however, I realized how well it truly works. There are parts that I would have chosen to emphasize and develop more than the author had. For example, the Gollum, there was so much potential there and nothing was really done with it. It also was just depressing at times. I just did not like at all what happened with the brother (I am trying not to give too much away in this review). About half way through the book it started to wander. I felt that it really started to drone on and on. I couldn't help but wonder where the heck the author was taking me. If, however, you suffer through that part you actually get to a pretty good conclusion. Just remember it may take a bit of time and thought to appreciate the story. Overall I would think the book is worth a read. In fact, of all the Pulitzer winners I have read this ranks up there as one of the better ones. The prize was well earned by this author.
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