Rating: 
Summary: Nice writing, a little confused
Review: If you read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, there's a lot waiting for you: an interesting and emotionally engaging plot, good use of language and narrative, and characters that you can really get interested in.The story begins with Josef Kavalier's escape from pre-Shoah Prague to 1939 Brooklyn, in the company of the Golem of Prague. His cousin, Sammy, and he are forced to share a room, but soon become friends and partners, with Sammy's canny business sense to and Josef's classically-trained artistic ability. The adventures that follow, are a diagram of the American dream at work in wartime, and the study of two young men who transcend their own inadequacies by living through a brand new type of golem - the comic book superhero - they bring to life. All this comes with a cost - Josef arrives alone, and works night and day to rescue his brother from the impending Nazi regime. The long hours isolate Josef, and send him into an obsessive state, which gets him into regular physical danger. Sammy, who has thrived in his role as the writer, finds only hollowness in his success at writing, and buries himself in his work, only to find himself even more lonely. The thematic core of Kavalier and Clay is rock-solid: the journey of our heroes to emotional completion through the trials of isolation, displacement, and loss is very reminiscent of John Irving's Garp, or Widow For One Year. Chabon's use of the language, though sometimes a little heavy on the 50 cent words, is well-crafted and lyrical - a rare quality these days. The book falls apart with its unfocused center portion: there are "character development" detours - Josef's stint as a radioman in Anarctica, and Sammy's involvment with a celebrity. These segments come at a chapter breaks, with a non-sequitur suddenness, and both take a while to resolve. The reasoning for these detours is plain - when taken away from their golem, they find they are more desperate and incomplete than before - yet the execution and events are wordy and lack the elegance of the rest of the book. The resolution, while not surprising, is a good read, making The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay worth checking out. Yet Chabon's over-attention to detail and swerving denoument only serves to keep us away from his creations, which leaves you feeling a bit hollow yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Well Written
Review: This book took a bit to get me interested, but after this initial period, I was stuck. I read this book during a vacation and absolutley loved it. The plot is well formulated, with several twists that keep the story fresh. You, as the reader, get to watch Sammy Klayman and Josef Kavalier grow and change throughout their lives. This is a wonderful book, and I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Terrific Read
Review: First, let me say, that you don't have to be a big comic book fan to love this novel. That said, I loved t his novel. Michael Chabon has really outdone himself here. The story is wonderful and is big enough to fill the 600 plus pages in the novel. What I really loved is the writing. Chabon has so much fun with words and it is a pleasure to read every sentence. We meet Joe Kavalier and Sammy Klayman when they are in their late teens. It is pre-WW2 Brooklyn and Joe has just escaped (and daringly so) from Prague. We follow them as they create a comic book character which lifts Sammy out of the dull life he has been leading and allows Joe to follow his dream of vengeance against the Nazis who in effect forced him to escape Prague and leave the family he loves. Sammy marries and has a child, but Joe fights in the war and then disappears (but not for the reader). Their story is fascinating and wonderful. The characters are hilarious and, well, true characters. Michael Chabon has done a tremendous job. The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is funny, touching and engaging, a true delight. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK....
Review: because it will spoil every other book you plan to read in the future. It doesn't get much better than this. Michael Chabon has written such a wonderful book that will touch your heart for a long time to come. When reading this book you really get a sense that Chabon has a deep affection not only for his characters but also for the words he uses to render them. He is a master of language. This book will not only teach you something about it's characters, WW II history and American culture but you will also learn something about yourself. This is the best book I've read in a long time.
Rating: 
Summary: A love letter to the industry he grew up with
Review: Though it was years later than when this book takes place, I grew up reading comics. This book will most likely find a warm spot in the heart of anyone else who did. Its a story of struggle, dreams, loss, mistakes and adventure during the rise of the comic book. I particularly enjoyed how, like H.P. Lovecraft, Chabon weaves historical facts and persons in with the historical fiction of his novel, right down to the footnotes. It has gotten me interested in reading some of the books he cites in the Author's Note about the history of the comic book.
Rating:
Summary: Like the title says, "Amazing"
Review: An engrossing tale of extraordinary characters in even more extraordinary circumstances. The story of Czeck-born artist Joe Kavalier, guilt-ridden escapee from Nazi oppression, and his big-dreaming cousin Sammy Clay spans continents and some of the most turbulent years of this century. Michael Chabon has an admirable gift for description, not only of people and places but of emotions as well. There are beautiful turns of phrase that illuminate so clearly how characters are feeling that I couldn't help but experience those feelings along with them. And there are flashes of humor that could surprise and delight me in their simplicity and elegance. The chapters that describe issues of their comic books are lyrical pieces of prose that are so evocative you can almost see the artwork on the page. But what kept me reading was the desire to know the characters, to stay with them through their adventures. The two cousins and the third main character, Rosa, are realistically drawn with admirable virtues and heartbreaking flaws. They form a friendship that is tested by the circumstances of their lives as they try to fight their demons through the pages of comic books. An enjoyable, involving book, and one of the best I've read in a while.
Rating:
Summary: Superheroes, Houdini,The Golem of Prague...
Review: Welcome to the Golden Age of Superheroes! Fueled by imagination the team of Kavalier and Clay create the Escapist, a combination of Houdini and Superman, who battles Nazis before anyone else and becomes one of the most popular superheroes ever. Michael Chabon has recreated the world of the thirties and forties, a world populated by surrealists, escape artists, radio stars and comic books. With Kavalier, a young man who escapes the Nazi occupation of Prague, and Clay, a New Yorker who escapes from an unhappy childhood, Chabon creates an endearing team. While the book loses focus when Kavalier goes to war, the total effect is one of nostalgia looked at through the eyes of a modern writer with a love for wonderful world of comics. Besides any guy who thanks Jack "King" Kirby in his acknowledgements deserves my thanks for remembering one of comics' greatest artists.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Wonder Boys
Review: I think everyone else has pretty much summed up the plot, characters, etc., but I thought I'd add that I read Wonder Boys and didn't really like it, so I almost didn't read A.A.K.C. But, I'm glad I did, because it really is one of the best books I've ever read. Some of the vocabulary is a little heavy so keep a pocket dictionary around; and if you're not familiar with Jewish folk tales and mysticism, it might be good to read something like Gershon Winkler's Golem of Prague book or just review the golem of prague legend itself. Overall, it's the best book I've read since Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita.
Rating:
Summary: Liked it!
Review: I enjoyed this book quite a lot! It was very hard to put down! (I will not however, give away key plot points as others have done below.) Granted, Chabon is not for everyone. He requires patience. Patience well worth its rewards though. His irritating obsession with obscure words is annoying and frustrating at times - in the first 50 pages you'll come across golem, alpinism, acromegaly, cathected, brazier, necromancer, spelunking, mucilage and pogrom among others. I kept a dictionary handy at first, then I just relaxed and ignored them! (Although you will need to know "golem".) Chabon's narratives can somethimes go endlessly rambling along to the point where meaning is completely lost! For instance on page 63 you will find a sentence with 124 words! (Yes, I counted!) I also found the ending of the book to be a bit abrupt, and I was left with several lingering questions. With all this in mind though, I do recommend this book. I enjoyed this book much more than "Mysteries of Pittsburgh". The characters of Kavalier and Clay were much more real for me, and the plot was moving, exciting, unusual and just plain fascinating. I am currently reading "Wonder Boys".
Rating:
Summary: Great read!!
Review: One of the best book, that I have read in a long time, a masterpiece!!
|
