Magic and comic books...Chabon could smell the change in the wind. I'm sure any thirty-year-old who still lives in his mom's basement would love to read this--between eight hour bouts of Call of Duty, that is.

I was very entertained in the first act. It was an immigrant story, a rags-to-riches story, even a story about death-defying magic tricks. Most boys thoroughly enjoyed comic b0oks in their youth, many wouldn't be reading books in their later years if not for that gateway to literature. Many still read comics under the guise of 'graphic novels'. So, reading about the manufacturing process, the behind the scenes, the making of the sausage, was very enjoyable. And Chabon's vivid prose, thorough backgrounding, and heavy research made the verisimilitude complete. He even included footnotes to make me think I was reading something written in the same period in which the book takes place. I started believing in the story.

The second act snapped me out of my enjoyment, though. The story became the tracking of two simultaneous love stories involving the main characters. Reading romance isn't my thing on a good day, but this seemed to drag on for a week. Or more. At it's climax, the point in which I almost dropped the book in the trash, were descriptions of the tastes in a gay relationship. Yes, the tastes. And since it was Michael Chabon writing them, it was described in vivid detail. I am glad, however, that I kept reading.

The third act, although nothing very exciting, was just as interesting as the first, and Chabon had me back into the characters and the situations. I suppose the relationships in the second act made the third more poignant, and far be it for me to suggest changes in a Pulitzer winner, but again...it was a lot.

I always like to examine a book at its nuts and bolts. I want to know what the book was ultimately about. What was the underlying theme? What was the author trying to say about life? At first I couldn't come up with anything, but then, near the end, it occurred to me: the book was about finding and accepting and profiting from an adoptive family. Whether it was in the sense of an immigrant finding a place in a new country, or a child living among adopted parents.

At the end of my edition, Michael Chabon says he is asked all the time about a sequel to this novel. While there are some unresolved issues at the end, I can't imagine a sequel being as interesting as this one. It would all feel like a thousand page epilogue, and who knows what other tastes he would see fit to tell me about? 3.5 stars.

This book won the Pulitzer award for best book and I can see why. Loosely based on the real life creators of Superman it is one of those thinly veiled works of fiction that helps show how immigrants who came to America can find the elusive American Dream by finding hope and salvation in their new country. Touching upon themes such as immigrant life, homosexuality, love and a touch of the supernatural this book is for anyone who loves comic books and want a good rousing story set during the golden age of the bastard medium of art and words. Highly recommended for anyone who hasn't read any Michael Chabon before and obviously for anyone who has read his magnificent work before

this book was given to me as a gift by a good friend, with a note saying it was one of his favourites.

not only was i fortunate to read such a wonderful story, but i feel so much closer to my friend. by experiencing what he enjoys to read, i have come to understand him so much more.

and now, whenever i think of this story, i will think about him - as both are strong, courageous, funny, and show a subtle hint of love.

↠ 4.5 stars

In The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Chabon asks one of the oldest questions asked in stories, and gives us the oldest answer. But, you know, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that because, really, the oldest answer is the right one. What’s the question? It’s the one asked by ever since man started telling stories: What is a hero? And his answer is, “It’s not the guy who goes out there with fisty cuffs and guns blazing. It’s the guy who goes out there and comes back every night to feed his wife and kid. That’s the hero.”

He’s taken all the tropes of super hero comic books, but in the end it’s not the guy with the magic, the secret lair, the girl, and the gun that’s his hero. In the end, he’s just the side-kick. It’s the other guy. The one you didn’t notice, the one with the secret identity hiding his true self. He’s the hero. He’s the one who puts aside his own life to set free the people he cares most about. That’s what heroism is about.

I love this book. I love that it’s about comic books, and superheroes, and story-telling. But most of all, I love that it’s about love and what it takes to be a real hero.

4.5 Stars. RTC.

Романът на Майкъл Шейбон ме изненада. Очаквах детайлното навлизане в света на комикс култрата, която никога не ми е била "тръпка", очаквах и навлизането в средите на Американския свят и зараждането на модерната реклама, към които пък не само ми липсва интерес, ами от които даже леко страня. Предварително очаквах допир с втората световна война и темата за евреите - все неща, от които, сякаш, съвремената ни култура е страшно преситена, аз в това число също. Но открих впечатляваща лекота и мек разказ, който оплита читателя, хваща много здраво и същевременно много топло ръката му и го повлича из света на Кавалиър и Клей.

Романът наистина е мащабен. Обхваща както еврейска Прага в навечерието на войната, така и Новия Свят съвсем не само в обърнатото му към Европа крайбрежие. Поставянето на едно от началата на произведението в Прага никак не е случайно. Всеки, посещавал това средоточие на (Централна) Европа познава тайнствения ѝ аромат, средище на мистични общества, познава пълзящото усещане за забранена духовност, познава тънкия мрак, полепнал по непокътнатата каменна средновековност в сърцето на града, познава придърпването на Вълтава. Именно от там се ражда едната нишка в романа - Джо Кавалиър, или по-скоро Йозеф Ка̀валир (все ми се струва, че на чешки и-то ще е дълго, а р-то ще е рж), който се обучава в илюзорното изкуство на Худини и от когото всъщност води началото си основната нишка в целия роман - тази на ескейпизма.

Тази нишка се реализира в абсолютно всички нива на сюжета и вътрешния свят на главните герои. През бягството от войната и холокоста в Новия свят до бягството вътре в самия Нов свят, където собствените бариери очертават една метафизична смъртоносност, която след приключването на войната всъщност плъзва като чума много и се оказва многократно по-страшна и всеобхватна. Героите са изправени пред собствените си дървени ковчези, оковани в собственото си минало, от което бягат по всякакъв физически, географски и психологически начин. Самата комикс култура в щатите не без основание може да се разглежда като вътренационален ескейпизъм от заобикалящата реалност и поглъщаща безнадеждност в американското общество непосредствено преди епохата на романа.

За мнозина романът ще разкаже приказката за американската мечта - двама братовчеди, които тръгвайки от нищото с голи ръце и огромен труд над таланта си изкачват върха. Но според мен потенциалът на произведението изключително силно надхвърля това до болка познато комерсиално клише за успеха (на всяка цена) само със собствени усилия, с което, мисля, цялото ни поколение израстна. Шейбън виртуозно се впуска една от централните теми, която всъщност определя едно произведение като "литература" (както често казваше един от професорите ми по литература) - промяната на идентичността. Сякаш все по-рядко можем да се натъкнем на сполучливо заиграване с тази проблематика, която в днешната епоха на "можеш-да-станеш-всичко-което-си-пожелаеш" е едва ли не мантра за успешно писане (или неотменима съставка за печелене на литературни награди). Шейбон изгражда сътрудничеството на Кавалиър и Клей по един майсторски начин, като впоследствие ни показва психологическата основа на този тип партньорство, както и отражението му в комиксовата култура. Връзката между двамата братовчеди е толкова реална и отвъд-физическа, че напрактика те се движат като проекциите на един и същи персонаж. Този "двуипостасен", меняем и в известен смисъл андрогинен образ (въз основа на функционалната двойка водач-помощник), от своя страна, влиза в болезнените теми за бащинството и ролята, мястото и функцията на мъжа в живота и формирането на едно дете - отново ключова тема за американската култура, но пак поднесена по изключително запленителен и неклиширан начин. В проекцията си върху семейната среда този двойствен-но-единен образ се разпада, може би за това и супер героите и помощниците им никога не се се появяат в такава светлина - тя им и същностно несъвместима, доколкото предполага повторяема статичност, коренно изключваща героичното странстване (сещаме се за Одисей, за Еней и за кой ли още не художествен опит на човечеството да мисли по тази тема).

Накрая, книгата се оказа невероято преживяване, което не оставя читателя току-така да я остави, а непрекъснато го влече, дори когато леко го задушава с именна фактология от свят и култура, които със сигурност са му чужди. Тук мисля, че е мястото да изкажа адмирациите си към редакторката на българското издание, която според мен е свършила титаничен труд с бележките под линия, които никак са задъхващо много, но са съвсем достатъчно дори за човек, който няма никаква представа от историята на комиксите в Америка. Преводът е прекрасен и се чете с лекота, а книжното тяло само допълва невероятното удоволствие от литературното преключенстване.

В известен смисъл Шейбон успя да ме покори като читател (това не ми се случва често)- дотолкова, че да искам незабавно да започна следващата му книга, която ме намери случайно вчера в една от родните книжарници, докато друга негова пътува към мен от около седмица.

I read this book a couple of years ago because it has been hyped up for years, here are a few of my observations:

- I found this in the Young Adult section of my Library, but I would not classify this as Young Adult at all. It makes me wonder how they determine that.
- I would say that I am fifty-fifty on the hype. It was an interesting story, but not totally enthralling to me. At points it drug on a bit. But, definite points for being unique!
- Overall assessment. Decent, but would I recommend it? Maybe leaning towards probably not. Since it is such a different type of story, I am not even sure what I could compare it to to try and make a recommendation.

This was so close to being my favorite book of all time but it just couldn't dethrone A Confederacy of Dunces. Before anyone gets confused, these two books are nothing alike so don't think I'm comparing them. Anyway, the story of Kavalier and Clay is one of family, loss, and self-discovery.

Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay are comic artists in New York City before, during, and after American involvement in World War 2.

The story of Kavalier feels more tied to reality. Throughout the book, he is just looking for something tangible to give his anger and frustrations an outlet. He feels guilt for being the only member of his family to escape Czechoslovakia and escape the Nazis. His success in America furthers that guilt because it should be something he shares with his family and can't even fight them as an American until Pearl Harbor.

His partner and cousin, Sam, on the other hand, supports Kavalier's fight but never feels the same burden as Joe who is not just trying to fight for and save the Jewish people, but specifically his family.

It's a whirlwind of emotions and well worth the read.

Le somiglianze tra Chabon e Pynchon ci sono, a partire dall’abilità dell’autore nello scrivere un pastiche capace di valicare i confini dei generi letterari (qui abbiamo una storia che pesca in egual misura dalla cultura popolare americana e dalla tradizione mitteleuropea, con un campo d'azione che spazia tra Praga e New York negli anni Trenta del Novecento…), fino ad arrivare all’architettura del romanzo, costruito da trame e sottotrame perfettamente incastrate tra di loro.

Chabon sceglie di raccontarci dell’età dell'oro del fumetto statunitense, ovvero quegli anni a cavallo della Seconda Guerra Mondiale, durante i quali nacquero i supereroi, attraverso due personaggi principali, Josef Kavalier e Samuel Clay. Joe e Sammy sono cugini, il primo in fuga da una Praga ormai occupata dai nazisti, il secondo già al sicuro a New York con la madre. Entrambi cercano la loro strada, cercano un modo per rivendicare il loro spazio nel mondo, soprattutto Joe, costretto ad abbandonare la famiglia per avere la possibilità di salvarsi e di salvarli. Ebrei nel 1939: nulla di più difficile per trovare il proprio posto nel mondo.
Con l’arrivo da Praga di Joe inizia a vivere anche Sammy, fino a quel momento rinchiuso in una sorta di apatia indotta da un lavoro monotono e per nulla stimolante. Joe, oltre ad essere un bravissimo disegnatore, è un escapista, un seguace del grande Houdini, un amante della magia e della fuga e Sammy ha la brillante idea di rendere queste doti dei superpoteri, dando vita al loro primo fumetto: l’Escapista. L’idea è geniale e porta loro un successo inaspettato e repentino. Dalle pagine dell’Escapista i due giovani cugini trovano il modo di creare un personaggio che sia un vendicatore degli oppressi, un portatore di libertà e, soprattutto, uno sterminatore di nazisti. Joe sfoga su queste pagine la sua voglia di vendetta, il suo odio per i nazisti, responsabili della sua fuga e della separazione dalla sua famiglia.
Ma Josef, abilissimo a liberarsi da catene e lucchetti, non è così abile a districarsi tra le sue stesse emozioni. Complici delle orribili notizie dall’Europa, Joe sceglie di cercare vendetta con le proprie mani, inscenando scazzottate contro chiunque mostri un lieve accento tedesco nella voce. La sua frustrazione non riesce a placarsi, non riesce a trovare pace o a godersi la libertà che la vita negli Stati Uniti gli ha portato: incapace di vivere una vita che sente di non meritare e, soprattutto, incapace di liberarsi dai sensi di colpa che questo comporta, Joe massacra se stesso dandosi alla fuga, arte in cui eccelle. Fugge perché incapace di accettare una vita piena di speranza, dove suo padre, sua madre e suo fratello di speranza non ne hanno mai avuta.
L’escalation della follia nazista cambierà drasticamente le sorti delle vite dei due cugini, ognuno con un fardello differente da portarsi appresso nel corso degli anni.

L’abilità di Chabon nell’affrontare queste tematiche e molte altre è notevole; nulla è fuori posto e ogni argomento trova la sua ragione d’essere in un contesto che è perfettamente armonico e in equilibrio.
Chabon si muove anche con maestria tra invenzione e aderenza ai fatti storici, incastrando in un grande mosaico un romanzo che è un po’ commedia e un po’ romanzo storico, arrivando a narrarci 20 anni di storia americana, dalla Grande Depressione agli anni immediatamente precedenti la Guerra Fredda, passando, ovviamente, per la Seconda Guerra Mondiale e per Pearl Harbor, snodo fondamentale per l’entrata in guerra degli Stati Uniti, buttandoci dentro un mucchio di altre cose interessantissime: religione, amicizia, amore, omosessualità, fuga, odio, finto perbenismo, cultura pop, il ruolo di trasformazione che riveste l’intrattenimento (i fumetti, in questo caso) di massa nella vita dei singoli e della nazione stessa…
Ma la fuga rappresenta sicuramente il punto focale del romanzo e Joe ne è il principale “portatore”: escapista in fuga da un passato a cui continua a tornare con la mente e con il cuore, fino a diventarne schiavo, sgretolando la propria felicità sotto imperituri sensi di colpa, Joe deve fare i conti con un’incapacità costante nell’accettare la piega degli eventi.
Joe e Sammy ci offrono uno spaccato meraviglioso di storia americana, dove gli Stati Uniti ne escono in una duplice facciata: da una parte paiono i salvatori del mondo, ma dall’altra si mostrano ipocriti e bigotti. Chabon è bravissimo a smascherarne le contraddizioni e le ambiguità.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001.

Joe Kavalier, a young Jewish artist who has also been trained in the art of Houdini-esque escape, has just smuggled himself out of Nazi-invaded Prague and landed in New York City.

His Brooklyn cousin Sammy Clay is looking for a partner to create heroes, stories, and art for the latest novelty to hit America - the comic book.

Drawing on their own fears and dreams, Kavalier and Clay create the Escapist, the Monitor, and Luna Moth, inspired by the beautiful Rosa Saks, who will become linked by powerful ties to both men.

With exhilarating style and grace, Michael Chabon tells an unforgettable story about American romance and possibility.

عنوان: سرگذشت شگفت‌انگیز کاوالیر و کلی (ماجراهای شگفت انگیز کاوالیر و کلی)؛ نویسنده: مایکل شیبون (چابون)‬‏‫؛ مترجم ماهرخ آخوند؛ تهران، نشر نون، سال1400؛ در 704ص؛ شابک9786227566314؛ ‬موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م

داستان جالبی بود اما چندان به دلم ننشت، باید این واژه ی جالب یا (اینترسان) را نیز گشود، رمان با الهام از جادوگران نگاشته شده، ولی ترفندهای کمی در رمان وجود دارد؛ از نظر ساختار یا صدا هیچگونه دستکاری پست مدرنیستی ندارد؛ داستان در سحرآمیزترین و جذابترین حالتش تنها قصه میگوید - توانایی سحرانگیز کتاب همگی در سرزندگی و گستردگی خیال انگیز داستان آن، و نیروی انسانی در حال حرکت دو شخصیت اصلیش، «یوزف کاوالیر» و پسر عموی آمریکاییش «سام کلی» است

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 19/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Eh?

I have started reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay with certain expectations - if not great, then at least considerable. I have seen Chabon's name pop up on this site pretty often, reminding me of the fact that I have not yet read anything by him - this seemed like an obvious choice. At 634 pages it stands proudly as the author's magnum opus, and proved to be a critical darling by winning the Pulitzer in 2001. When you can, aim for the greats!

So what's the big deal? The book has an engaging premise: it opens in Prague of 1939, where a Jewish teen named Josef Kavalier is fascinated by Harry Houdini and studying the art of escapology to prepare for the biggest trick of his life - flee the Nazi horror which slowly begins to surface in Czechoslovakia. After forming an ingenious plan and successfully carrying it out, Josef arrives in New York City to live with his cousin, Sammy Clay. Although things are awkward at first, the boys quickly hit it off when Sammy discovers Josef's artistic talent and lands him a job as an illustrator at Empire Novelty Company - Josef rebrands himself as "Joe" to sound more American. It's the Golden Age of Comic Books; after the enormous success of Superman the company wants to jump on the bandwagon, and is willing to let both boys prove themselves. The Kavalier & Clay duo creates a new character, The Escapist - an anti-fascist superhero who can perform amazing feats of escapology to fight crime, with Sammy writing the stories and Joe illustrating them. Although The Escapist achieves immense popularity, the boys lives are not free from trouble and worry - with Joe frantically trying to get his family out of Prague and Sammy struggling with the question of his own identity.

Chabon's love for the comic book is obvious: Joe's escape from Prague is a heroic attempt which could well find its place in a graphic novel - the theme of escapism is present throughout the book: Joe's literal escape from certain doom and later from his own demons, the character of the Escapist, escaping reality through reading, etc. Chabon's novel is a paean to comic books - set in their Golden Age, a period which has seen the rise of heroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America...Chabon's characters face the realities of publishing world at the time - they are mercilessly exploited by the publishers and shunned at by the reading public, as their work is seen as immature fun for children. The creation of The Escapist allows Chabon to have his character ponder what makes superheroes "tick", and their creative energy and joy of creation reflect the author's own enjoyment and love for the subject.

The bad thing is that it overshadows almost everything else. There are so many fascinating topics in this book which are barely glossed over and given the most cursory treatment. Josef is a Czech Jew - but you would never guess that if it wasn't explicitly stated. Although the novel opens in Prague during the war, it could be set anywhere in eastern/central Europe - it's only set in Prague because Chabon wants to employ the local legend of the Prague Golem and incorporate it into his work as a clever way for his character to flee the country. The Czechs are wonderful people with a specific and unique culture and a long and interesting history, and their mountainous country is gorgeous (I had the pleasure of visiting it last year so my memories are especially fresh). I have read Czech and Slovak fairytales and fables when I was a boy. There's so much more to the country and the people than the legend of the golem - unfortunately, in this novel an entire nation has been reduced to background decoration for the opening act and discarded afterwards. After Joe's arrival in New York City, nothing more is made of his Czechness and he doesn't even experience any struggle with adaptation to the new country, typical for new immigrants - although he was not happy about leaving Prague for "unimaginable Brooklyn" he adapts to the U.S. literally overnight, and is ready for enormous success the next day - making the character look flat and lifeless.

Last year I've read David Benioff's enormously entertaining book titled City of Thieves (reviewed here), set in Leningrad during the German occupation - the deadliest siege in history. Benioff's book has a great sense of place and is compulsively readable - he's a screenwriter by profession and he knows how to use tension and sustain pacing, and at the same time create memorable characters and an engaging narrative, holding true to an outlandish premise but not rendering the whole book flat. That's not the case here - Joe's escape is a small section at the beginning which ends almost immediately after it starts. Joe initially arrives in San Francisco from Japan - but the possibility of an adventure in imperial Japan (and Stalinist Russia before it - have to get to Japan somehow) is completely dropped, as if Chabon couldn't muster the energy to fully develop the possibility of his own creation.

Anyone seeking an insightful work of fiction concerning World War 2, the Holocaust and antisemitism will also likely be disappointed. These characters seem to live in an America of complete religious tolerance - somewhat surprising in mid 20th century. as I felt as if the whole background of war was employed because it's a big subject, which is likely to appeal to readers and critics alike (not to mention the Holocaust). It feels exploitative; I was born in a city destroyed during the war and in a country which it damaged beyond repair. My primary school is located on the street named after a member of the underground resistance, who was caught by the Gestapo and put through extremely brutal and torturous interrogation - just a few streets away from where I'm typing these words. He was liberated after a brave attack on the car which was transporting him to prison, but died from injuries inflicted upon him by the Gestapo. People put flowers and light candles under memory plaques, and the streets fill with them - schoolchildren regularly do that to commemorate those murdered by the German soldiers. Joe Kavalier seems to be made a Jew and escape the Holocaust only to have a semblance of personality - after all, how could one call a Holocaust survivor dull?

In 1943 Betty Smith wrote A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which is also set in New York although a bit earlier - in the early 1910's. Smith's beautiful book did not win a Pulitzer - it did not win any awards - but remains a timeless classic and a timeless portrayal of the struggles faced by an immigrant family in the Brooklyn borough of Williamsburg. I doubt that any reader would be able to not care for Francie Nolan, the protagonist; Smith effortlessly paints a vivid and detailed picture of Brooklyn and its inhabitants with care and compassion as she herself grew up poor in Williamsburg, making Chabon's portrayal of New York look like a cheap imitation.

The relationship between Joe and Sammy resembles the traditional relationship between the Hero and the Sidekick, and since Batman will always be cooler than Robin Sammy gets pushed into the background, and even when Kavalier is not on the stage he always plays the main role. And then there is....the fact that Sammy is gay - the struggle with his sexuality is so insignificant that it's barely noticeable, and comes out (get it? ha ha!) as tacked on as yet another big subject to cross of the list - New York? Check. Jewish characters? Check. World War 2? Check. The Holocaust? Check. What did we forgot? Aaaah, a gay character! Check.). It seemed to me that these characters were not done justice; the ideas of these characters are great, not so much the characters themselves. There's too much melodrama, and not enough depth. It's especially evident in the fact that they're contrasted against the even more unremarkable background characters, who move in and out without greater significance.

It seems to me as if Michael Chabon wanted to have two worlds in this book: a real world and a comic book world, but didn't quite know how to mix them and achieve a compromise and resorted to an either-or: a real world (complete with footnotes) when it comes to comic books, the seriousness of being an artist and all the joys and frustrations that come with it, being trapped in a creative ghetto of a form looked down upon, but applied the comic-book simplified and generalized approach to almost everything else, concluding with a sudden and anti-climatic ending. It's almost as if the author's pen started running out of ink early into the project, and he had to dilute it with water - lots of water - to be able to continue to write: the resulting pages include sections which are sharp and clear and some which are almost transparently thin. The result if a short and readable would-be novel, which somehow became an overly long and often plodding book resembling an old circus performer, long out of practice: while it can still manage some entertaining stunts, in the end it loses balance and stumbles on its own legs, falls down and lands flat on the ground and doesn't really know what happened.

...ovvero, l'elogio dell'arte della fuga

Fuggire non è necessariamente un'azione passiva e vigliacca, una resa, un abdicare.
Fuggire può essere l'atto di liberarsi dalle pastoie di una società che costringe, limita, soffoca...
...oppure, la fuga, può realizzarsi nel prendere le distanze dai propri sogni dal momento in cui diventano dolorose sensazioni d'impotenza.

Sam Klay e Joe Kavalier sono cugini che nascono e crescono in due continenti lontani.
Il loro incontro è dovuto alla fuga di Joe dalla follia nazista che ammorba il vecchio continente.
La dimensione che li unirà per la vita è quella del mondo dei fumetti dove trasferiranno speranze e paure.
L'evasione dalla realtà in un mondo di strisce colorate diventa così una fantastica avventura in quello spazio dove tutto è possibile...anche che Adolf Hitler sia preso a pugni dall'eroico Escapista.
Uno spazio, quello dei fumetti, che permette di liberare forze nascoste dentro di sé:

"io credo nel poter della mia immaginazione"

Un romanzo che tiene incatenati per più di 800 pagine.
Amore, sesso, amicizia, paternità, maternità...tante emozioni nel microcosmo di due ragazzi che diventano uomini entrando a far parte della Storia.

"Dimentica da dove stai fuggendo. Riserva la tua ansia al luogo verso il quale fuggi."