The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

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  List of essential factors that makes a novel awesome:
  1) a happy love story that leaves you with a tragic knot in your stomach: check.
  2) a little kid crying: check.
  3) brotherly love: check.
  4) historically accurate depictions of:
  4a) an occupation: check.
  4b) a war: check.
  4c) the suburbs: check.
  4d) Bohemia: check.
  4e) New York City: check.
  5) magic: check.
  6) falsifying of magic: check
  7) elitist pop references to:
  7a) Salvador Dali: check.
  7b) Andy Warhol: check.
  7c) Rene Magritte: check... (show more)

  List of essential factors that makes a novel awesome:
  1) a happy love story that leaves you with a tragic knot in your stomach: check.
  2) a little kid crying: check.
  3) brotherly love: check.
  4) historically accurate depictions of:
  4a) an occupation: check.
  4b) a war: check.
  4c) the suburbs: check.
  4d) Bohemia: check.
  4e) New York City: check.
  5) magic: check.
  6) falsifying of magic: check
  7) elitist pop references to:
  7a) Salvador Dali: check.
  7b) Andy Warhol: check.
  7c) Rene Magritte: check.
  8) offensive use of language such as:
  8a) "Jujitsu" for proof that there are Jews in Japan
  8b) "unknown fishboy inside Rosa" for fetus
  9) meta-stories: check.
  10) homosexuality: check.
  11) rape scenario with an officer: check.
  12) deception: check.
  13) regret: check.
  14) strong female characters: check.
  15) subtle critiques of exploitation: check.
  16) cultural illuminations: check.
  17) hot consensual sex: check.
  18) sacrifice: check.
  19) wit and humor: check.
  20) a tear-jerking letter: check. (show less)

   

   

  by Tia Katrina Canlas on Mar 31, 2009 at 09:57PM

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  I'm not sure what made this book Pulitzer-worthy. As a fan of Golden Age comics, I found much of the history of comics from the creators' point of view interesting, but an equal amount seemed to meander into minutiae. The story moves from great setting to great setting, but nearly every scene left me feeling like Chabon left something out.

  The one exceptional scene was Josef Kavalier's war service and the tragic events of the Antarctic station where he was stationed. That proved to be the... (show more)

  I'm not sure what made this book Pulitzer-worthy. As a fan of Golden Age comics, I found much of the history of comics from the creators' point of view interesting, but an equal amount seemed to meander into minutiae. The story moves from great setting to great setting, but nearly every scene left me feeling like Chabon left something out.

  The one exceptional scene was Josef Kavalier's war service and the tragic events of the Antarctic station where he was stationed. That proved to be the only scene I didn't feel was either cut short without fully exploring everything it had to offer or--on the other hand--swamped with unnecessary embellishment.

  That said, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a perfectly serviceable novel and will be of particular interest to comic fans and those interested in alternate histories, but to declare it one of the greatest books of its time seemed a bit hyperbolic. (show less)

   

   

  by Jake Bell on Mar 29, 2009 at 11:06PM

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  Is this review helpful? yes no
   
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