Rating: 
Summary: More epic than X-Men
Review: If you're a fan of the super hero, those who run around in their long underwear knocking the bastions of evil to their knees, then read Kavalier & Clay. If you're a fan of wonderful prose, of simple descriptions in fluid and poetic words, again, read Kavalier and Clay. This brilliant and beautifully written novel takes a slice of the most interesting years of the century, the Golden Age of comics from 1938 to 1953, or the years leading to and through World War II and the beginning of the Baby Boom, and gives you a lesson in U.S. and funnybook history that is personal and deeply felt. The book gives you an idea of the lives and thoughts behind the minds that create and love comics, and this gives a good look into who we are now. Read it. It's wonderful.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it if you haven't
Review: "Kavalier and Clay" is Chabon's most ambitious and (probably) best work. It accomplishes to do what so many contemporary novels fail to do: entertain. The 1st third is smoking. Chabon nails comic books and magic like an expert. I was a bit disappointed though that he later abandons this bread-and-butter. The writing is florid and fantastic. Chabon's humor is very smart.
Rating:
Summary: Another Hit for Mr Chabon
Review: I have loved reading everything Michael Chabon has written since I bought The Mysteries of Pittsburgh on a whim. This book is everything the professional critics have said. Mr Chabon has laid out a wonderful fictional history. He has clearly researched the comic book genre and learned its beauty well enough to mimic it and show it respect.
Rating:
Summary: They seem to just get better...
Review: Recently introduced to Chabon, i read all of his books, in order, in a short period of time, and the scale is upward. Which may paint an inaccurate picture. *All* of his books are great, and Kavalier and Clay keep that upwards movement going.The tale is exciting, and sad, and happy, and just plain wonderful. I see pieces of characters from previous works in Rosa, such as Phlox from Mysteries. Everything i enjoy in Chabon's work is brought to the full light of day, in a grand fashion. from start to finish, the process of reading this, jumped to the top of my priorities. Family, work, daily duties such as eating and sleeping tossed aside to make room. The only negative i can report is the sadness on discovering this book, like all before it, comes to an end eventually. There is no requirements for enjoyment of this novel, other than a desire to be entertained and a desire to be inspired to think and feel your own life as is displayed by Kavalier and Clay.
Rating: 
Summary: Stately
Review: After the first-person adrenaline rush of "The Mysteries of Pittsburg" and "Wonder Boys", Michael Chabon guns for the epic big-statement novel and the results are mixed. There are beautiful passages (the mute relationship between Clay and his muscle-man father)but overall the narrative seems dwarfed by the historical events this novel travels. As I read "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" I kept thinking about Martin Scorcese who abandoned the kinetic and unique style from "Taxi Driver" and "Mean Streets" to reach Oscar fame with "The Age of Innocence" and other spiritless movies.
Rating:
Summary: Far exceeded my expectations
Review: "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" works on so many different levels. It has the thrills, action and pacing of a comic book, yet also has the beautiful language, fully developed, memorable characters, and moving, non-manipulative drama of the finest literary novel. It is rare to see excitement, sadness, history, and humor mix so seamlessly together. I hesitate to write too much about the plot, because this is the type of novel where if you learn too much about the fate of the characters ahead of time, it will ruin much of the fun in letting yourself get absorbed in the suspense of the novel. There are so many things done right in this book that it seems like a disservice to not try to mention as much as I can about its qualities. Chabon is able to include in this novel the history and development of the comic book, Jewish mysticism, mid-20th century American culture, the Holocaust, US involvement in WWII, Houdiniesque escape and magic, all without ever letting this researched information interfere with the flow of the story. It is also rare to read a novel where the setting is so vividly created for the reader. A large part of my enjoyment of the novel, aside from the story itself, was using Chabon's prose as a guide to transport me to New York during the middle portion of this century. This may be the one of the first enduring literary works of our new century.
Rating:
Summary: Hope, Despair, Empire State Building, Comic Books
Review: This is one of the great reads of 2000. Mixing the early history of the comics with a tragic tale of the loss of a family, Chabon weaves an engrossing tale. The cameos by some of the great comic book names of the Golden Age adds flavor to this tale of 1930s New York City. But the book is driven by the roller coaster of hope and despair that is Kavalier's life -- as he is literally transformed into one of his own characters.
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Summary: Comics are just the tip of the iceberg
Review: This is a very different World War II novel, a story that spanstwenty years in the lives of two cousins, collaborators in severalsuccessful comic strips. Joseph Kavalier is a Jewish exile, an escapeartist who has used his wits to evade persecution. He arrives in NewYork to live with his cousin and aunt in New York. Almost instantly,the two boys click and a strong partnership begins. The ideas ofSammy Clay and the artistic talent of Joseph foster the profitableidea of "The Escapist." As the partnership grows, so doesthe list of characters including Luna Moth, a heroine based onJoseph's love interest, Rosa Saks. Of course, the two young men findthat most of the fruits of their labour end up in the hands of theirboss and his cohorts who own the rights to the characters. Thisintellectual enslavement is only one of the many reasons readers willfind themselves rooting for Sammy and Joseph. The comic strips,however, are only the tip of the literary iceberg in Chabon'smasterpiece. Joseph and Sammy are both wrestling with internaldemons. Joseph finds that his hatred of Germans sometimes overwhelmshim and the tragedy that he experiences later in the novel compels himto take drastic action as he enlists in the armed services andsubsequently abandons his loved ones. His decision ultimately affectsSammy and Rosa as well. Sammy on the other hand, refuses to face someharsh realities about himself... Chabon has created sharp, edgydialogue and personable characters. His use of imagery is startling.Sammy and Joseph are two of the most compelling characters in recentmemory: their actions evoke pity, anger, and support. Theirrelationship reflects a tenderness and an implicit connection. The endof the novel is both elegiac and heartwarming. Weighing in at over sixhundred pages, Chabon's latest is a speedy, enthralling read.
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Summary: Chabon Draws A Brilliant & Moving Book
Review: With Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon will finally get all the attention he so richly deserves. The book is a feast for the imagination, and spectacularly written.A young Jewish man, Joe Kavalier, uses his fascination and dedication to the art of magic as a means to escape from German occupied Prague.He arrives in New York City, and with his cousin Sam Clay invents The Escapist; a comic book super hero who fights villians heavily based on Hitler. This is America in the forties, when Superman had just become a hit, and young boys everywhere were eagerly waiting for the next issue to see what would happen to their caped crusader. What follows is their rise in the comic book industry, as well as battles with their own personal chains that lead them to their ultimate destinies. Chabon's canvas merges fact with fiction, and the characters interact with Salvador Dali, Uta Hagen, Stan Lee, Orsen Wells, and the great Harry Houdini among others. That only makes his characters so much more real as you read it, it's easy to forget it's fiction. If you're looking for the type of book that creates a detailed world with artistry in the writing, and a moving collection of characters, this is the one.
Rating:
Summary: An Epic & Brilliant Novel!!
Review: This is a stunning novel about the adventures of two boys who write comic books during what was known as the Golden Age of comic books in the 1930's. This book about Joe, Sammy, and Rosa and their lives spans continents, eras, and many years of love and much hardship. The details of their lives is written in such beautiful language it makes you feel you are living in this time period. I have never been so involved in what I was reading as I was in this book, all 636 pages of it. It's a long story but one you will think about long after you have finished it. The characters you will never forget. So I guess I am saying Michael Chabon is a brilliant writer, who can certainly capture the attention of his readers. He has a florid way of writing and I really enjoyed that. I was never a great reader of comic books, but you don't have to be to enjoy this book. I could go on and on about the story, but you just have to read the book description for that. It's all there. I would highly recommend this wonderful book if you have the time to read it. You'll find yourself staying up late till you reach the last chapter. What a great movie this would make. I really enjoyed Michael Chabon's other three novels, but I think this is his best yet.
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