WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE
The beloved, award-winning “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” a Michael Chabon masterwork, is the American epic of two boy geniuses named Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay. Now with special bonus material by Michael Chabon.
A “towering, swash-buckling thrill of a book” (“Newsweek”), hailed as Chabon’s “magnum opus” (“The New York Review of Books”), “The … “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” is a triumph of originality, imagination, and storytelling, an exuberant, irresistible novel that begins in New York City in 1939. A young escape artist and budding magician named Joe Kavalier arrives on the doorstep of his cousin, Sammy Clay. While the long shadow of Hitler falls across Europe, America is happily in thrall to the Golden Age of comic books, and in a distant corner of Brooklyn, Sammy is looking for a way to cash in on the craze. He finds the ideal partner in the aloof, artistically gifted Joe, and together they embark on an adventure that takes them deep into the heart of Manhattan, and the heart of old-fashioned American ambition. From the shared fears, dreams, and desires of two teenage boys, they spin comic book tales of the heroic, fascist-fighting Escapist and the beautiful, mysterious Luna Moth, otherworldly mistress of the night. Climbing from the streets of Brooklyn to the top of the Empire State Building, Joe and Sammy carve out lives, and careers, as vivid as cyan and magenta ink. Spanning continents and eras, this superb book by one of America’s finest writers remains one of the defining novels of our modern American age.
“NEW YORK TIMES “BESTSELLER
Finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, and “Los Angeles Times” Book Prize
Winner of the Bay Area Book Reviewers Award and the New York Society Library Book Award
Named one of the 10 Best Books of the Decade by “Entertainment Weekly”
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Wowza, big question of the day! If I reframe that question as “What’s the book you recommend to everyone?” its probably The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay . I’ve read it three times and I get something new from it every time. I mean, come on, The Golem as a golden age super hero?
Runners up: The Shadow of the Wind and Snow in August (this one also had a Golem)
One of the best things historical fiction can do, through the painstaking research done by the writer, is find a deeper reason for the way things are that we’ve forgotten, or that has been buried all this time under bigger historical events, and bring it to light. Michael Chabon won the Pulitzer for doing that in this novel regarding a mainstay of popular entertainment: the comic book super-hero. This sounds like a fairly light subject for a Pulitzer winner, but it turns out that comic books and superheroes have roots in the Holocaust, roots nobody has pointed out before. Much of the story, involving comic book artists Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay, takes place in rundown New York low-rises during the 40s which is where comic books and an enormous raft of flying, tight-wearing superheroes were created. These are not the creators of Superman, but Joe and Sam know them and are living a parallel existence and making pop art just as stunning and lucrative. There’s so much real pop history here, if you were born before 1975, you’ll probably find out where and how your favorite comic character or superhero was born. The artistic genius of the pair is Joe, of Czech origin, and Sammy is the storyman. The heavy facts of Joe’s life are that his family could only manage to get one person out of Prague before the German’s invaded and it was him. They do it by smuggling him out in a coffin with a false bottom that also contains the Golem of Prague. A golem is a humanoid monster made of clay from Jewish folklore that can only be brought to life by writing a certain Hebrew word on its forehead. It is considered a protector of the Jews of Prague. But the temple leaders realize that what’s about to happen in Europe will be so terrible, it’s wiser to send the golem to America where it can serve to protect the Jews who make it out. Joe’s survivor guilt from being the one chosen to live is crushing and relentless and it changes him into a sort of supernatural demon, a human golem, of round-the-clock superhero creation and illustrations. His plan is to earn enough to buy his family’s way out of the Holocaust. Strangely, this appears to be the real backstory for a number of the actual brilliant creators of this medium who turned up penniless in the US in the 40s and needed to make money quickly in order to try to save families held hostage by the Third Reich. Thus they set about creating golems. They weren’t made of clay, usually, but they were supernatural and incredibly strong and, when not battling evil, they pretended to be as harmless as a lump of clay. Like Clark Kent, for instance.
Michael Chabon’s novel “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” is a deeply satisfying tale set amidst the heyday of the American comic book. An unlikely setting for a novel? Perhaps, but Chabon is a master of quirky settings, and equally quirky characters.
The story moves between Prague and New York; before, during, and after World War Two. The lives of two young cousins become intertwined, one a Jewish refugee from the Nazis who have occupied Czechoslovakia, the other a smart-aleck Brooklyn kid. As the events of the tale play out, these two form a partnership that will blaze a trail in the new world of the American comic book. Joseph Kavalier is the artist, the young man with the pen and ink. Sammy Clay is the idea kid, the story writer of the partnership. They learn the ropes of the comic book business, abused and taken advantage of by the guys with the money, older men who drain off their talents and ideas.
The comic book business is the vehicle that carries the story, but it is only a small part of the tale. Beneath it all looms the image of the Golem, the anthropomorphic being of Jewish folklore. The Golem of Prague is the vehicle by means of which Joe Kavalier escapes from Prague. The metaphor of the Golem is rooted deeply in each of the characters. Formed from the mud of the river, the Golem of Prague is made animate by the touch of the Rabbi’s hand. The mark on the forehead is then wiped clean, leaving a trace. The mark of the Golem follows each of these characters, Joe and Sammy, Rosa and Tommy. The idea of the Golem represents the possibility of transformation, as well as a link to the past. War and peace, community and isolation, hope and despair, the living idea formed of clay is made manifest throughout the events of this sprawling storyline.
The motif of escape plays a large part in this novel. Escape becomes a character in the many references to Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist. Joe Kavalier is a trained lock-picker and escape artist, skills he learned from a mysterious magician in Prague. Yet he cannot escape his past, the truth of which he carries with him no matter where his adventures take him. Nor can Sammy Clay escape his past, his longing for an absent father, or his desire for the true love that society abhors.
Chabon creates complex, highly developed characters with whom the reader can readily identity and care for. As is typical with his work, Chabon inserts historical characters into his narrative, peppering the tale with the likes of Harry Houdini, Max Ernst, Salvador Dali, and the comic book icon Stan Lee. The result is a moving, complex, and fascinating tale.
“The Amazing Adventure of Kavalier & Clay” will appeal to a broad segment of readers. If you are a fan of historical novels, this is a great view of Pre- and Post-World War Two New York. If you grew up dog-earing the pages of comic books, this is a wonderful history of the birth that beloved genre. Readers who like a quirky love story will find both love lost and love found.
I am, admittedly, a big fan of Michael Chabon’s work. If I was going to recommend only one of his novels, this would be it.
This novel was released in 2001, then subsequently won the Pulitzer Prize. I admired Chabon’s previous books and I began to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay a few years ago after reading Wonder Boys (I absolutely LOVED Wonder Boys). But I had to put Kavalier & Clay down at the time because, mostly, I didn’t have the necessary attention span for it. There is a density and intricacy to Chabon’s sentences that require a certain amount of reader fortitude; a distracted mind will not find comfort in his prose. This time around, I found this novel to be a very enjoyable read and a marvelous book. It certainly deserves the praise and accolades it has received.
Here’s this novel’s brief description: 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 and Luna Moth, inspired by the beautiful Rosa Saks, who will become linked by powerful ties to both men.
If you are familiar with this era of the Comic Book Golden Age (1930s – 50s), then some of this story will seem a little familiar. Kavalier and Clay serendipitously propose and create a comic book hero called The Escapist for a disinterested businessman. He agrees to publish their comic book after learning of the popularity of Superman and the like and has them sign a boilerplate contract where their creation belongs to his company. This was commonplace at the time as a business practice. But when their creation becomes immensely popular, the creators are left out of the bulk of the wealth, having signed the ownership over to the company; many comic book creators during that time suffered the same fate, like Superman’s creators Siegel and Shuster. Kavalier and Clay did make some nice dough as paid employees, but the owner received most of the fortune (millions of dollars). This part of the novel was meticulously told and Chabon’s discussions with comic book legends Will Eisner, Stan Lee, and Gil Kane (as revealed in the novel’s Author’s Notes) bore great literary fruit.
After finishing this book, one of the more interesting aspects of the novel to me was Kavalier’s background as an illusionist’s understudy and the different levels this played out in the narrative. Obviously, his background in magic and escapism was an inspiration to the character of the Escapist. Chabon also reveals his great love for magic and sleight-of-hand, not only with enhancing Kavalier’s personality and mode of operation, but with writing this novel. A good third of the novel reveals Kavalier’s adeptness at vanishing, whether for self-preservation or to get what he wants. But ultimately, it’s Chabon’s sleight-of-hand that propels the narrative. Many, many times, there were moments where I couldn’t believe that something was going to happen to Kavalier or Clay, then find out in subsequent chapters that what I feared was going to happen actually didn’t happen. But Chabon’s coup de grâce, his grand finale—literally in the last sentence of the book—is the revelation that the title of the novel may not be about who you thought it was. It was an amazing feat of literary perfection.
I only had a couple of issues with this novel. 1) Chabon can sometimes be a bit… long-winded. He has a peculiar habit of traipsing down asides like he has other stories he really wants to tell but shouldn’t. And, as I said earlier, there is a density and intricacy to his prose that requires a certain amount of reader stamina and attention. 2) The content of the entirety of Part V of the novel is superfluous. If the almost 50 pages had been summarized in 5 pages, then the other 45 pages wouldn’t have been missed—at all. After finishing the novel, I realized that this section of the novel (as unnecessary as it seemed content-wise at the time) was another bit of sleight-at-hand from Chabon, enhancing the powerful revelation in the last chapter. These two issues are quibbles, though.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a fantastic novel and well-worth the read. Funny, endearing, magical, and exquisitely written, I highly recommend it.
Absolutely fantastic! Very creative and original, with interesting characters, set in several continents over several decades. One of my favorites.
Like all of Chabons work, full of real, well-developed characters to fall in love with. Spanning many decades, it gives an original look at WWII and the decades following.
Loved this book by Michael Chabon about the beginnings of the comic book industry and the Superman Hero genre. Read it a long time ago but it still sticks with me!
This is my all-time favorite book. It’s an incredible story of growing up in an ever-changing world. Sometimes it may seem like the world is stacked up against you but by surrounding yourself with the people you love gives us the strength to carry on. Set against the backdrop of the rise of comic books, World War II, and New York City is an intricate tale of two young men who come of age.
Chabon is a wonderful writer with such a clever perspective. Fascinating
Such a joy to read, Michael Chabon is a wonderful writer – the words fizz across the page.
A great read that I doubted before starting. I was left highly entertained. A breezy romp with lots of period detail that I love.
As an English teacher if I waited for a masterpiece to come along before giving an A, I would have given precious few A’s during my 27-year career. An A (5 stars) was for competent, engaging work free of distracting mechanical errors. So what to do when in the presence of a masterpiece like The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay?
Since you can’t see me kneeling in reverence, I’ll have to resort to commentary:
1. The book is a 636-page epic spanning from pre-WWII to 1954. As someone who labors to create a book half this length, I bow before Chabon’s sheer tenacity.
2. Gorgeous language. You can open to any page–as I just did–and find sentences like this: Then a hand as massive and hard as an elk’s horn, lashed by tough sinews to an arm like the limb of an oak, grabs the boy by the shoulder and drags him back into the wings.
3. The same author who writes so lyrically, turns around with snappy dialog:
“He is now . . .”
“He is now dead.”
“I am sorry.”
“He was a bastard,” Sammy said.
“Oh.”
“Not literally. That’s just an expression. He was a schmuck. He left when I was a little kid and never came back.”
“Ah.”
“He was all muscle. No heart. He was like Superman without the Clark Kent.”
4. I finished and enjoyed this tome even though much of it is set against the advent of comic books, a topic that interests me as much as banana pudding.
5. I read this book even though with my WWII vet father, Jewish husband, and the prodigious output of works with WWII themes from my generation, I’ve reached a saturation point for works set during this era.
6. I completed The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay with nary a quibble with its Pulitzer.
One of my favorites. Cleverly written, great characters, surprising information, unique subject matter.
Anyone who loves comic books, this is required reading.
When I worked at a book store, we referred to Chabon’s books as intellectual calisthenics. I recommend reading his books with a thesaurus nearby. He’s worth the extra effort. Kavalier and Clay are two wildly dissimilar boys who become friends and enter the burgeoning comic book world as it dawns. This book tells the story of their journey.
This was an interesting book. It gives the story of Kavalier and Clay while placing it during a traumatic time for the world. His style of including a great deal of historical detail makes the book very long but gives it depth that it may not have had if the author just stuck with the basic story line. I liked the characters of Joe and Sammy and the incidents they when through during their adventures. I had the Brilliance Audio Book and cannot stress enough how good the narrator was. He expertly captured the accents and conveyed the tones and emotions of the characters. Chabon’s knowledge and appreciation of comics is shown in the story and I liked how he also included magic and Houdini as well. I recommend this book, it is very entertaining.
One of my favorite authors. Reading it for the second time.
I love Michael Chabon and have done since The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, which my sister introduced to me many years ago. I’ve read everything he’s written and must say I think this is one of his best. First it was such a bird’s eye view into the making of comics. I’d never considered it and was fascinated. Second, his characters are so real it’s as if I were sitting next to them. Finally, this book is about two fully fleshed out men whose hopes and dreams I can identify with and feel. That I, who cared nothing about comics before reading, could come to so closely identify with the characters and their lives, says a lot.
This is one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. It has everything. It goes everywhere. Sounds overwhelming, but its easy to follow, the characters are compelling and real and now that I’ve reminded myself how much I loved it, I’m going to read it again!
My all-time favorite book.