Jedne noći 1939. godine, u skučenoj spavaćoj sobi malog Bruklinškog stana, prvi put će se sresti rođaci Jožef Kavalijer, sveže i čudesno izbegao iz okupiranog Praga i Sem Klejman, amaterski crtač sa velikim umetničkim snovima. Pokrenuti različitim motivima u poteri za (američkim) snom, stvoriće "Eskapistu"- strip o borcu protiv Nacizma- heroju za milione obespravljenih širom sveta.

Eskapizam ili bežanje iz nemogućih situacija- omaž Hariju Hudiniju, majstoru izlaženja iz bezizlaznog, nekoj vrsti superheroja na prelazu između dva veka čija ličnost i delo su bili duboko urezani u psihe sanjara tog doba-jeste dominantan motiv romana "Neverovatne avanture Kavalijera i Kleja". Beg od tragičnog kraja pod čizmom Hitlerovog režima, beg od lanaca nasleđa neizvesnog finansijskog stanja, beg od sopstvenog erosa, beg od samog sebe i straha da nikada nećeš biti dovoljno dobar.

Uspeh "Eskapiste" nosi u sebi priču o uspehu u velikom biznisu. Put od skromnih početaka do kancelarija na najvišim spratovima Empajer stejt bildinga, na vrhu sveta u centru sveta, popločan je plemenitom ambicijom i lošim namerama. Kompromis je zlatni ključ čitave priče. Ako želiš da se baviš onim što voliš, moraš da uradiš nešto zbog čega ćeš do kraja i samog sebe da prezreš. Nekada ni to nije dovoljno. Hoće li tvoj junak u narednom broju smeti da Hitleru raspali šamar zavisiće od trenutne spoljne politike.

A položaj stripa kroz te ratne godine, kao i njegov istorijat, pokazuju da je reč o mediju koji jeste bio nekakav jezičak na kulturološkoj vagi, između književnosti, radija i novinarstva, naizgled lagana zabava ali kada pogledate dublje uviđate svu majstoriju umreženosti umetnosti i pisma kao eha trenutnog društvenog stanja.

Treba biti iskren, pored kolosalnog talenta nužan je i jednako gabaritan ego za stvaranje ovakvog dela. Majkl Šejbon, vrhunski prozni stilista, dao nam je veliki roman- fizički i sadržajno. Osećaj za duh vremena, poznavanje prilika, sintaksička izvedba u kojoj dolazi do niza amplituda, rezultat su iscrpnog istraživanja i zanatske izvrsnosti.

Kao čitaoci rezervišemo određeni stepen tolerancije za klasike, što je godina objavljivanja dalja, više smo spremni da se pomučimo. Hajde da isti entuzijazam primenimo na nešto iz našeg vremena, jer kada se bude svodila književna istorija dvadeset-prvog veka, "Kavalijer i Klej" će bez ikakve dileme i formalno dobiti status koji već danas uživa- kapitalno delo.

I knew that this was, essentially, a love letter to the Golden Age. That's what drew me to the book in the first place. And all of those sections are really fantastic. It sure seems like Chabon is knowledgeable about the subject, and certainly loves it. The behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a (fictional) classic comic hero is huge fun for a comics fan to read.

I did not entirely expect Chabon to give my heart so thorough a pounding. Between Joe losing his family, one at a time, while powerlessly safe himself and Sammy's conflict between being himself (that is, being a gay comics writer in the 40s and 50s) and being "normal", parts of this book had me an absolute wreck. (Protip: When you know the audiobook you're listening to has a major dose of heartache coming, try to listen to it on the way home from work, instead of on the way there.) I think what made this all so effective is the way Chabon chose to tell his story. He uses simple, direct language and just writes what happened. I had become so connected to the characters that I didn't elaboration to feel what was happening to them.

The ending was ambiguous, which was fine by me. Is it a happy ending? Maybe. I want these characters to be happy. But there are enough loose ends and questions that I can construct my own theories about what will happen, after. I like that.

Le fantastiche avventure di Kavalier e Clay è un libro che ti conquista fin dalle prime righe.
Il contesto – in parole molto povere – è: famiglia ebrea e storia ambientata nel mondo del fumetto americano.
Michael Chabon mescola personaggi e storie di fantasia con persone realmente esistite, prodotti (come film e fumetti) e fatti storici realmente accaduti. Ti fa sempre stare col dubbio su cosa sia reale e cosa no, ed è talmente bravo che sembra TUTTO vero.
Ci sono poi dei momenti – ripenso a uno in particolare – in cui l’autore è stato molto abile nel non fornire i dettagli di quello che stava accadendo, ma scrivendo solo cos’è accaduto dopo: in sostanza lui non è esplicito, ma si fa capire benissimo e infatti ho provato una rabbia, un malessere generale, una tristezza per quello che uno dei due protagonisti è stato costretto a fare che ero sull’orlo delle lacrime. Questa per me è stata un’ulteriore dimostrazione della bravura dello scrittore.
Ho trovato molto interessante vedere uno scorcio sul mondo del fumetto e come si è evoluto negli anni. Mi ha dato molta soddisfazione e gioia vedere due giovani come Kavalier e Clay che riescono a toccare con mano il loro sogno che si avvera. Quell’attimo in cui capisci che si sta avverando. Quell’attimo in cui dai tutto te stesso per far andare tutto come deve andare. Quel luccichio negli occhi, quella frenesia di agire, quella consapevolezza della riuscita. È stato un momento che mi ha proprio scaldato il cuore.
Ci sono delle parti che mi hanno divertita e delle parti ricche di emozioni positive. Ma non dobbiamo dimenticarci che è anche la storia di una famiglia ebrea. Negli anni in cui gli ebrei venivano perseguitati e uccisi. E infatti non sono mancate le parti che mi hanno commossa e le parti che mi hanno distrutta senza pietà facendomi piangere disperatamente.
Quante emozioni con questo libro, con questa storia, con Kavalier e Clay. Non posso che consigliarvelo!

A difficult book to review. Beautifully written, but the writing detracts from moving the story along - there is a whole paragraph about beating an egg! The characters are wonderfully drawn, but the story clunky and ultimately the impression it left me with that it was not much more than a wartime soap opera. So, a decent read, but 636 pages of purple prose that didn't end up making me wish it hadn't finished or wanting to read another of Chabon's books.

My favourite adventure with a novel so far this year. I loved it to bits.

In many ways attempting to review this novel is like thinking back through an illusionist or an escape artist’s performance of his trick and trying to work out exactly how he did it. You’re left a little baffled by the nature of the magic of the thing. Ironically for a novel inspired by magicians, there are few tricks in this novel. It features no post-modernist sleights of hand with regards structure or voice. It is straightforward storytelling at its most magical and engrossing – the plot frequently twisting with fresh surges of adrenalin. Its mesmerising power is all in the vitality and hightide imaginative reach of its story and the compelling moving humanity of its two main characters, Josef Kavalier and his American cousin Sam Clay.

The premise: Josef Kavalier’s family pay for him to emigrate from Prague to New York as the Nazis rise to power. As often was the case for Jewish families in those days the Nazi authorities kept the money but withheld the necessary papers at the last minute. Eighteen year old Joe, with the aid of his Houdini like escape artist teacher, has to smuggle himself out of occupied Prague in a coffin with Prague’s legendary Golem. He eventually makes it to Brooklyn and shares a room with his cousin Sam Clay. The way Sam initially looks after Joe and introduces him to his world and the way their bond liberates Sam is beautifully portrayed. Sam too is a great fan of Houdini and together they invent The Escapist, a superhero whose attraction to Joe is that he can vicariously use him to wage a one man war on the Nazis. Joe’s ambition now is to pay for his family to escape the Nazis. Escape is always the name of the game in this novel. (Sam has a secret he is trying to escape from.) There’s barely a single female character in this novel for 200 pages. And then Rosa Saks arrives…

The comic book theme of Kavalier & Clay has put me off reading this for years. I remember a paperback copy was knocking about in my first flat in Florence and despite the difficulty of getting hold of novels in English I still never felt inclined to read it. Comic books have no more relevance to my life than darts or bingo. I’ve never been anywhere near a film which features a costumed hero in a mask and lurid tights. Therefore I was far from sure I would enjoy this novel.

Kavalier & Clay, like so many other novels, attempts to get at the quintessence of the American dream and it does a decent job, chronicling so many of the characteristics of American cultural and political life between 1939 and the 1950s. But the real triumph of this novel is its dramatization of intimate worlds, of friendship, of sexual love, of parenting, of private obsessions and yearnings, and of the creative process - the relationship between artist and inspiration, the process and the exuberance of artistic creation, is one of its most exciting achievements. We also see the relationship between artist and the corporate world, and between artist and censorship too.

The friendship between Joe and Sam is a joy to read from start to finish, one of the most moving accounts of synergistic liberating companionship I’ve ever read. Some of Joe’s actions are questionable but because Sammy always forgives him so do we. Sammy is a kind of moral touchstone in this novel. And, as his surname suggests, he’s also the novel’s Golem, the catalyst for all the novel’s magic. It’s also him who expresses our own scepticism about comic books as high art - though in the end Chabon makes a great case for the important cultural significance of the comic book.

This is one of those novels when you sense that half the trick of writing a rich compelling novel is for the author to feel a consuming love for his characters and get to the heart of them. Chabon clearly loves his characters and this love is highly contagious. If you haven’t already read it, give it a try. It’s heartwarming and exciting and magical and utterly engrossing.

Честно казано, оценката ми се колебаеше между 3 и 4, но 3 е малко. Много повече бяха нещата, които ми харесаха спрямо тези, които лично на мен не ми допаднаха.

Големите плюсове в моите очи:
Описанията на Прага и Ню Йорк са чудесни. Харесах начина, по който Шейбон описва и представя приятелството между Сами и Джо. Чувството за хумор. Много ми допадна този епизод в романа, който се развива на Южния полюс, разказан беше страхотно. Темата за войната - засегната е по много фин начин; не беше преекспонирана, не беше пренебрегната.

Това, което мъничко ме спъна - струва ми се, че диалозите не бяха ОК; понякога ми дотежаваха комиксите и всички детайли и описания около тях, но това вече най-вероятно е въпрос и на лични интереси.

This is one of those books that I didn't realize just how much I enjoyed it until I found myself bringing it up constantly in conversation (hence the 4 to 5-star bump). Hopefully I'll find time to give it a real review soon!

Originally posted in  In Lesbian with Books



WOW!
To tell you the truth, I tried reading this book earlier last year (around March—I was supposed to bring this with me to Singapore but settled with The Eyre Affair instead) but I gave up after 3 chapters. I was having hard time adjusting to Chabon's narrative (I think he overused the comma or maybe that's just me).

I don't know how I will start my thoughts about this book because I don't want to start gushing about how great his book is, but really, this book is really amazing. I can't stop thinking about this book, Joe Kavalier, Sammy Clay, and comic books. I'm having a fiction lag. I'm having a book hang-over. I felt like I was living in the world of Kavalier & Clay and I don't want to leave it. I mean, I love comic books. I love masked superheroes. Even if I wasn't a comic reader (DC/Marvel) when I was a kid, I was obsessed playing with DC, CapCom, and Marvel superheroes in Playstation 1/2. (I'm totally in lesbians with Morrigan Aensland). This book is really an adventure for me compared to other books who have a word "adventure" on their titles but doesn't live up to its title, and it talks about comic books. This book is about two guys, a Czech artist from Prague named Josef Kavalier and a writer from Brooklyn named Sam Klayman. They're actually cousins and they are aspiring artists. Sammy was a big reader of comics that time (during 1930s, comics are pretty new) and he encouraged Josef to draw comic books. In the earlier part of the story, Josef (or Joe) was trained to be an escape artist by his teacher, Kornblum, and was able to escape to America all the way from Prague during the World War II. It's just amazing how talented this Joe Kavalier is. (My heart aches for him. Too bad, he doesn't exist in real life!). Also, with Sammy, I can feel their passion about creating comic books.

What I like about this book is that Chabon paralleled the story with the creation and history of comics—during the WWII, the Golden Age, and the Dark Age. See, during that WWII, the Americans are searching for something that will take them away from the reality that is the war and their need of someone who will save them. Masked superheroes became a hit to them during the 1930s and that was the time Sam and Joe created their brainchild, the Escapist. Inspired by Houdini (and Kornblum), the Escapist (or Tom Mayflower/League of the Golden Key)'s main purpose is to fight tyranny and free the oppressed. It is said to be a reflection of Sam and Joe's escape from their past (well, more of Joe's because he wants to kill some Nazis using the Escapist to avenge his family left in Prague). The Escapist became popular that time along with Superman. Since they were noob in the industry, they were slow to realize that they were being exploited by their employer, Empire Comics/Sheldon Anapolis. They continue to create comics such as The RadioMan and Luna Moth. (Okay, this book has too much adventures I can't write them all here).

My favorite part of the book is about Joe Kavalier's escape from Prague and all his training to be an escape artist and a magician. I very much want to be like one! It looks so cool when you can entertain people just for the fun of it.

I think this book really deserved the Pulitzer Prize it won and also because Chabon's way of describing comic books into words? Man, this guy is a genius. He even incorporated significant people, events, and history in the story! (Which made the book feel like it's REAL, that I must find the real Joe Kavalier and marry him... oh dear, here we go again.) I should get his other books and read them. (I can't call myself a Chabon fan when I only read one book!)

It makes me sad that I finished this book. I wish Chabon continued writing Joe and Sammy's stories (especially Sammy's! I'm curious what happened to Sammy after deciding to be a—SPOILER—fairy). I think if Chabon continued writing their stories, I will never ever get tired of them.

Comic Book Fact #1: During the Dark Ages, a psychiatrist (or maybe a psycho) named Dr. Frederick Wertham accused comic books to have violent effect on American teenage/children readers that caused an increase in juvenile crimes in America. He even wrote a book, Seduction of the Innocent, saying that comic books are dangerous to be read by children, which led to comic book burning, inquiry of the US Congress, Senate hearings, and the creation of Comics Code.

Comic Book Fact #2: See the real Joe Kavalier & Sam Clay in the comic industry!

Comic Book Fact #3: the Escapist series is real. Chabon, why are you so cool?

Comic Book Face #4: I wrote about comic book history a year ago for a client overseas (so if you find it somewhere online under another name, probably that's my client). I enjoyed writing it because the topic is so interesting. You can read it here.

I'm shamelessly obsessed with this book and I will soon read the untold stories of Kavalier and Clay and get the copies of the Escapist series.

3.5 stars

"The magician seemed to promise that something torn to bits might be mended without a seam, that what had vanished might reappear, that a scattered handful of doves or dust might be reunited by a word, that a paper rose consumed by fire could be made to bloom from a pile of ash. But everyone knew that it was only an illusion. The true magic of this broken world lay in the ability of the things it contained to vanish, to become so thoroughly lost, that they might never have existed in the first place."

Joe Kavalier is an amateur magician living in Czechoslovakia during the rise of Hitler. His Jewish family saves enough money allowing Joe to make a daring escape to freedom and his American family. He leaves behind his loving parents, a grandfather, and a beloved younger brother; but they promise to soon follow and reunite with one another once again. After a harrowing journey, Joe eventually lands in Brooklyn where he is taken in by his aunt and his cousin, Sammy Klayman. Thus begins a new adventure into the world of comic books as the two pair up to realize a dream – that of producing their own comic book hero, The Escapist. The Escapist takes on the role of single-handedly challenging the Nazis in order to rid the world of this evil once and for all. Never once does Joe forget his own heart’s desire – to rescue his family from the terror that is seeping into Europe.

There is much that I liked about this book. The budding friendship between the two cousins, Joe and Sammy, is nothing short of heartwarming. The historical pieces are engaging and informative. I loved the adventurous bits – Joe’s escape from Prague, some nail-biting scenes involving small-scale terrorism, a formidable venture into the lonely and treacherous landscape of Antarctica, as well as Joe’s various magic performances and displays of escape. I genuinely cared what happened to each character in this novel. Even the world of comic books didn’t turn me off… at least not right away. I enjoyed learning about the creative process and this unique form of art. The world of comic book publishers, editors and marketing was interesting. Then, it became too much for me. I would start to lose interest as the narrative would jump from the real life story of Joe and Sammy to that of their comic book characters. I was never a big fan of comic books; as a child, only occasionally would I sit in front of the screen to see which villains Wonderwoman or Superman or even the Wonder Twins were busy fighting for our sake. When the Marvel movies appear on my television set on a fairly regular basis , I slightly cringe and remove myself from the room with book in hand. That is sort of how I felt for parts of this book... just get me out of this and into another book for a bit. But then, Chabon would thankfully switch gears and I was fully immersed once again. I was able to quickly savor the last quarter or so of this book and enjoyed the introduction of Tommy into the story. The ending was quite fitting, in my opinion.

To be honest, I have been putting off writing this review simply because I really don’t want to criticize the incredible feat that this author has accomplished with this book. I recognize his talent, his love for the comics and for his characters. The writing, when I was engaged, was superb. However, I felt I needed to express my personal hesitation with this book and explain why it took me so gosh darn long to get through it! Don’t write this one off – it’s definitely a worthy book. You will just need to decide what works for you and your personal reading taste before you commit yourself to this fairly lengthy read. I would most certainly like to try another Chabon novel (this was my first), and welcome any suggestions!

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabonis such a wonderful book that I was sorry to finish it. I read as slowly as I could, savoring the words, the characters, and the story, but sadly I finally finished it.

Joe Kavalier is a Jewish refugee from Prague who dreams of bringing his family to America and saving them from Hitler. He is also a trained escape artist, in the tradition of Houdini (also Jewish). He lives with his cousin, Sammy Clay, in Brooklyn. Together (with Sammy as the idea man and Joe as the artist) they begin creating a comic books series, aptly titled "The Escape Artist." Comic books are a new art (?) form in the 1930s and they pitch their idea to their employer, a businessman specializing in novelty items.

The series is a huge success but Sammy and Joe reap only a small percentage of the rewards. What follows is a history of comic books in the United States, the Holocaust and World War II, into the 1950s with its paranoia and American dream suburbs. And at the heart of it is love-sexual and family.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a richly satisfying book on many levels. Chabon is a formidable writer and he transported me into his world in a way that rarely happens for me since I've grown up.

I hope if you haven't yet read it, you will do yourself the favor of reading it soon.

Очарователна книга, която в определен смисъл изобщо не ми напомня творчеството на Марк Твен.
Нещо повече - Шейбон, също като Микеланджело (или беше Роден?) успява да премахне всичкия излишен материал от историята, която разказва, и да остави само интересната част - при все солидния си обем, "Кавалиър и Клей" се чете буквално на един дъх. При това е и доведено до крайност ПНК - "Показвай, не казвай" (юху, който сънува ПНК-та да вдигне ръка!, LOL) - и Шейбон е постигнал чудеса в опита си да не интерпретира това, което показва; да не тласка (поне осезаемо) читателя към чувства и изводи, а да го остави сам да изживее и премисли случващото се. Даже малко се е престарал в опитите си да не влияе на читателите си.
Още не мога да повярвам, че се е получила такава прекрасна книга от наглед скучния, досаден и мрачен сюжет за , на практика, страданията на евреите, Втората световна война и онези по-невинни времена на Американската мечта... Петте звезди обаче са напълно заслужени; определено се записвам фен на Шейбон и ще се запозная по-отблизо с неговото творчество.
Благодарна съм на тази книга, нейния автор и, разбира се, българското му издателство и преводача му за удоволствието, което ми доставиха.

Това е една от най-хубавите книги, които съм чел.

Припомня ти какво е да мечтаеш и как понякога това е всичко, което има значение.

От това, което прочетох бих се обзаложил, че Майкъл Шейбон е широкоскроен човек, високо интелигентен и знае как да поднася интелигентността си по дружелюбен начин. Иска ми се да го поканя на обяд и да си говорим 3-4 часа.