Michael Chabon's "Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay"

It is no secret that I am a literary snob who reads almost exclusively the classics. Part of it is because I am an English major, hence the classics are my top priorities. It is also because I am rather slow, so reading new works would be time wasting when I should be reading something that contributes to my studies. That said, I do find some time every once in a while to read new works. When my friend Andy told me that I should read Michael Chabon's book about writing, I thought it might be better if I read Chabon's writing first--after all, why do I care what he has to say about writing when I don't even know what his writing is like? I decided to borrow "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," which won the Pulitzer a while back and therefore justifiable in my snobbish mind.

Josef Kavalier, a teenage art student and a trained magician, escaped from the Holocaust in Germany to New York City where he meets his cousin Sam Clay and discovers American comic books. Sammy is amazed by Joe's artistic ability, and soon after the two collaborated on a superhero comic book, making for themselves money and fame. As the story progresses, Joe falls in love with Rosa Parks, who helps him to rescue his young brother from Germany. Meanwhile Sammy discovers his homosexual feeling for Tracy Bacon, a handsome radio actor. The rest of the story follows the decade-long adventures of the two cousins, full of humor and misfortunes.

This is a big novel, but it is carefully constructed and thoroughly entertaining. Chabon demonstrates his knowledge of the comic world--or, rather, his ability to do research. I was particularly taken by his attention to details (which I thought was a little redundant at times) and the way he seamlessly incorporates the information into a part of the characters. Another very intriguing aspect is the focus on homosocial relationships between Joe and Sammy, Joe and his father in law, Joe and his magic teacher, Sam and his editor (whose name I don't remember), etc. There are many male characters in this story, and their camaraderie takes precedence over their relationships with women. While the style is relatively masculine, Chabon also portrays the vulnerability in these men as they confront tragic moments in their lives. Even though he is not as tender as many of my favorite writers, I wouldn't consider him stiff either.

To conclude, it was a long but really good read.