Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: Being a fan of comic books, this served as a great little history lesson. Aside from that, it was an incredible story. The depth of Chabon's storytelling, character development, and plot is unbelievable. I was so enraptured by this story that I almost read the entire book on a plane ride from NY to LA. When I fininshed the book I almost wanted to cry because I could not see myself ever writing like that.
Rating:
Summary: The Great American Novel
Review: Kavalier and Clay is the best book I have ever read. I savored every syllable of it with a smile plastered on my face; Chabon is a truly gifted writer. Just when I thought I had him figured out, he would surprise me in so many ways; Wonder Boys was similar in that aspect. But where Wonder Boys is a brilliant novel, it doesn't even begin to compare to Kavalier and Clay.
I really cared about the characters. Their actions caused me to laugh, to smile, even to shed tears. I don't often cry, but Joe and Rosa's situation transformed me into an overemotional child. Even now, as I write this, the thought of Kavalier and Saks makes me cry.
Chabon creates sentences that are so gorgeous, one would think he sold his soul to Satan; or he studied writing for years. Perhaps he is merely a natural talent. That is the most logical deduction. I would like to know how he became such fantastic writer; I hope to one day achieve a fraction of his success. Until then, I will be eagerly awaiting his future works. Read this book! It will change your life.
Rating: 
Summary: Extra! Extra! The Escapist Tops the Charts!
Review: After reading a title like The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, one expects intrigue and suspense, superheroes and villains, lush rainforests and Arctic tundra. This novel gives the reader all that and more. Set in World War II era New York, this book details the life of a poor New Yorker Samuel Klayman, and his adventures with his cousin Josef Kavalier, a Jewish escape artist from Prague. They band together in the epic struggle of finding a job and bringing home a paycheck, not to squander it on their own wants, but to provide a means of saving their families. Sammy wants to treat his mother to the luxuries that hey never had, Josef wants to use the money to save his Jewish family from the war, and The Escapist, a comic book hero inspired by their own wishes and desires, spanning the globe from evil jungle fortresses to underground Antarctic bases, wants to free from the world from the bondages of tyranny and injustice. As the cousins grow and they become more successful they begin to lose track of the ideals that once ignited their passions, providing a source of conflict and angst that the characters must learn to cope with.
This novel covers a wide range of topics that the reader may not be familiar with: Jewish heritage, the birth of the comic book industry, homosexuality in post WWII culture, and the sacrifices of sanity that accompanies being stranded in Antarctica for six months. This novel is easy to understand, but still stimulates readers on an intellectual level. Told with splendor and confidence, this novel will entertain, or at the very least inform, a wide range of readers. Though not what some would call a "short" novel, Kavalier and Clay is divided in to many short chapters, allowing the reader to tackle the book for anywhere between five minutes and five hours at a time. Upon completion, a reader many find that they have redefined exactly what a great novel is supposed to be, I know I did.
Rating:
Summary: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Review: This boook details the lives two cousins live in New York City during the time of World War Two. Sammy Clay is a boy who lives with his mean mother and works for a local advertising company drawing the ads. Josef Kavalier is a young man who looks up to Harry Houdini and has been trained in the art of "Escape". Using these skills and his familys fortune, he escapse Prague and the Nazi army to live with his cousin Sammy in America. The cousins find a bond in Comics, and when Sammy learns his cousin has been taught at a prominent art school, the boys team up to create the character "The Escapist." The rest of the story follows them trying to get their comic published and the lives they lived afterwards. Because they are Jewish and this is the time during WW2 the war is used as a backdrop throughout the story, and eventually has one of the boys going to fight in the war.Overall the book was very enjoyable read up until a certain characters "lifestyle" is revealed, which I personally found to be a little "untraditional". Some people may not care about that sort of thing so if you enjoy comic books, and things of that nature, I highly reccommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: Wow! No words can describe the intensity of this book. After almost 650 pages, the reader feels like a part of Chabon's work. In the beginning, Joe Kavalier escapes from Hitler's rule in Prague and moves to America to live with his cousin, Sammy Clay. Between the two of them, they discover an amazing talent for writing comic books. The plan is for them to sell the comics, make money, and pay to free Joe's family from Hitler's dictatorship. Now, I don't want to give too much away, but I can say the book is worth reading. It touches upon subjects we can all relate to; questioning our own identity, homesickness, and most importantly, freedom. The Escapist, the comic book hero created by Joe and Sammy, and based on the unusual capabilities of Houdini, was made with the idea that anyone who put their mind to it could accomplish what it was they wanted, mainly escaping Hitler. Joe maintains the hope that his family is still alive, and uses the Escapist as a means to convey his feelings. The way Chabon describes Joe's feelings lured me in as the reader. I felt like I was Joe and everything in the book was taking place around me. If you are either looking for an emotional, plot-twisting book, or you are a comic book enthusiast, I highly reccomend The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I hope you enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: A Must For Fans of Comic Books and Graphic Novels
Review: I kept thinking that Michael Chabon must have been looking over my shoulder. My partner and I are the creators of "4 Corners", and the process by which Chabon describes the birth of a comic character is so real that it's frightening. I read the book first, and yes, I had trouble putting it down; after loaning my copy to my partner, he couldn't put it down either. You know a story is good when you become so engrossed that you don't want to stop reading.
Rating:
Summary: Start spreading the news...
Review: "...Kavalier and Clay" is a sprawling novel that merrily weaves its way through the early 20th century and across the globe from Prague to New York to Antarctica and back to New York (which is after all, the center of the known universe...). It follows the lives and careers of the eponymous heroes as they make their way through life, love, hate and men in tight costumes with young impressionable side kicks. I found the characters remarkably sympathetic and incredibly well -developed, and the storytelling itself enchanting and gripping - it's a cliché, but I really couldn't put this book down! The book is also brilliantly researched, at times reads like a history lesson on the American attitude to the "crisis in Europe". It's funny, it's heartbreaking, it's absorbing, it's thought provoking and it's educational. I think readers of all ages will get something from it and I'd highly recommend it to anyone.
That said, I did have a few issues with the way it was written. The writer develops a habit early on of dropping bit of information about the future direction of the novel into the text. While this makes the book compelling, it also comes across as being gratuitous and unnecessary - like something you'd expect from a TV show just before the commercial break. Once or twice would be excusable, but Chabon peppers the book with these "accidental slips" or cliffhangers or what have you. Yes it makes you want to read on, but it made me develop a certain resentment toward the writer for taking advantage of my curiosity- it's not a TV station, I wasn't going to touch that dial...
The other main failings of the book revolve around the characters that Chabon isn't - the gay jew and the sexy artistic female character are nowhere near as well written or believable as the pugilistic and headstrong artist who wants to change the world and wears his heart on his sleeve. The homosexual encounters in the book (as another reviewer noted) are particularly poorly written, almost glossed over, and as such don't fit with the rest of the work's meticulous attention to intimate detail. I'd also say that Rosa's love for Joe is similarly poorly dealt with.
However, having vented these quibbles I feel I can rest, and once again reiterate my admiration of this book and whole-heartedly entreat those who haven't read it to do so without hesitation!
Rating:
Summary: Escape from ordinary novels
Review: K&C is a multidimensional achievement: it is a buddy story, a love triangle (of sorts), a war epic, and an "only in America" story of freedom, repression, and economic boom and bust. But ultimately, at its core, it is a story of escapism and the many ways in which people choose to or choose not to escape from aspects of their lives. Chabon has many worthwhile thoughts to communicate to readers. He covers topics such as mid 20th century social mores, life in New York City and the flight to the suburbs (a thinly fictionalized Levittown), the creation and impact of comic books, the artistic and creative process, the meaning of family, the scourge of Nazism and the affect of World War II on civilians, Jewish religious tradition, magic, government persecution, and the clash between labor and capital in the economic sphere. Chabon's writing is well informed and intelligent, and he manages to cover these topics in a very entertaining style. My issues with K&C are minor, the primary one being that I wish Chabon had run the novel through the distiller one more time, to reduce its volume by 25 percent and make it even more intense. I found the portrayal of Clay's sexuality to be lacking, since it omitted any significant depictions of pleasure in his few furtive relationships (contrast this to the depictions of Kavalier's relationship with Rosa). And the plotline is a bit fainter and harder to follow at times than it needs to be. K&C is definitely a (but not "the") Great American Novel, and is recommended to anyone who enjoys a meaty tome with a plentitude of ideas to ponder.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking adventures in NYC
Review: This book is a work of art. Every young (and young in heart) reader, will find this book very interesting. I admire the research work that was done by the talented author Michael Chabon. There so much to learn from this book: about the history of the Jewish community in Czecoslovakia prior to WWII, about WWII itself, about living in NYC in the 30's, 40's and 50's. Of course, this book is also like an encyclopedia for funny-books history. Those who have ever visited or lived in NYC, would find the book even more interesting, since major part of the story takes place in the big apple. The amazing story is full of surprises, wonderful unexpected moments, misteries and magical adventures. I couldn't get my hands (and my eyes) off the book. Absolutely, work of art!
Rating:
Summary: Maybe not the "Great American Novel" but it sure comes close
Review: Another reviewer on this site refers to this book as a recent attempt at the "Great American Novel" (in a good way) and he is right on the mark. This novel is part history lesson, part love story, and part little guy makes good. Samuel Klayman and Josef Kavalier, are Jewish cousins who first meet when Josef moves in with Sam and his mother after escaping from Nazi-occupied Prague. Joe, a magician and escape artist, has managed to be smuggled out of Poland in a most surprising and interesting way. Soon, they are working together in the fledgling comics industry and manage to strike gold when they create the Escapist, a sort of super escape artist. The story leads us through their lives as they ride out the golden age of comics and Josef goes off to war, leaving behind the woman he loves who, unbeknownst to him, is pregnant with his child. The war changes Josef and when he fails to return, Sam presses on, trying to continually make a living in an industry that was almost squeezed out of existence in the 1950s. Sam also must deal with issues of his homosexuality, as he maintains an appearance of a straight, married man, while facing potential scrutiny from McCarthy area politics. Throughout the book, historical figures and events are intertwined in the lives of Sam and Josef so seamlessly that one could easily believe they were actually living, breathing people who existed at that time. I am a huge fan of novels that successfully interweave historical fact with fictional characters, and Chabon succeeds like few others have in this task. And that is just the tip of the iceberg on this great, often humorous novel that in many ways is Chabon's thank you to the comics of his youth (take a look at some of the individuals he credits for inspiration in this book). On a side note, I have read that The Escapist and, possibly, the character of Josef, are based somewhat on Jim Steranko, a comic book legend who actually was a performing escape artist before working in comics. Steranko was also the inspiration for Jack Kirby?'s (and if you do not know who Kirby is, you probably have never picked up a comic book) Mr. Miracle, a character who came on the comic scene in the seventies and was known as the ?"Super Escape Artist." Sure this book is rather lengthy, but every page is entertaining and its well worth the trip to its somewhat bittersweet, but happy, ending. I cannot recommend this book more highly.
|
