Genre: Fiction--Novel
Completed: 31 October 2016
Summary & Review:
When his cousin Josef Kavalier arrives at his house in Brooklyn after escaping Nazi-occupied Prague, Sammy Clayman realizes he has finally found the perfect partner to make his dream a reality. Together they convince their boss to begin publishing comic books starring their creation, The Escapist. Over the next few years as comic books experience their golden age in the late 1930s, Sam and Joe attain success and wealth, but that never distracts Joe from his true mission of saving his family back in Czechoslovakia.
Portions of this novel were really interesting and entertaining. I liked learning about the early days of the comic book and learning about the artists and writers who pioneered it. I thought the portion of the novel where Joe joined the Navy and was stationed in Antarctica was fascinating. Other parts of the book, however, weren't really my style. I know authors like to write stuff that will guarantee them a favorable write up in the New York Times and other such publications and they like to feel like they are taking a brave stand on social issues. The problem is, by the time they actually write these books, its not brave anymore. The culture has already shifted so there is no danger of the author being ostracized for his views. A perfect example of this is The Help (#206), where Stockett "took on" segregation and racism in the South.....fifty years after the end of Jim Crow. In this book, Chabon "bravely" exposes how gays were mistreated and forced to live a lie. It's easy to write a book in defense of that lifestyle now since gays are celebrated in the culture writ large so Chabon doesn't deserve any kudos for doing so. He knew he would get universal praise for his inclusion of this topic so really he was just scoring easy points with the in-crowd.
Despite my cranky griping about all that, the book was by and large a good, well written one with an interesting story.
Rating: 6.5
No comments:
Post a Comment