The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay -- A Book Review
You know when you're reading a good book when all the laws of time and space seem to disappear and your attention is purely focused on the turning of pages, anxiously awaiting to see what happens next. Everything that surrounds you is irrelevant in comparison to the magic that these printed words evoke. Michael Chabon's novel, The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay is without a doubt one of those "good books."

The fictional adventures of Josef Kavalier and Samuel Klayman begins in New York City before the involvement of the United States in the Second World War. Josef Kavalier arrives unannounced at his cousin's Sam's apartment after miraculously escaping from his native Czechoslovakia despite the recent Nazi invasion. Regardless of their initial hasty introduction to each other, the two cousins are able to forge the foundation of one of the greatest creative teams ever seen in the golden age of comic books.

After reading the first few chapters I was expecting the traditional story of the meteoric rise and fall of two individuals who would eventually finish off their careers by eventually going their separate ways. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although some of the initial chapters are dedicated to Josef and Sam's successful rise through the early evolution of the comic book medium, Chabon intersperses their story with chapters dedicated to their equally interesting past history creating a fascinating blend of character development that makes their future choices so much more involving and profound. Compounded with startling plot twists and engrossing secondary characters, this novel constantly surprised me with the directions it was taking. Nothing can ruin a story more than by becoming too predictable and by no means can this novel be classified as predictable.

The wonderful thing about this novel, despite its masterful use of descriptive language and interesting characters is how well it's paced. Instead of dwelling on certain plot points for endless chapters until it's demise, Chabon has us traveling to other points of interest before resolving dangling storylines. In that respect this novel is very much like a comic book. Teasing us with cliffhangers at the end of a chapter, sedating us with a separate story in-between and than satisfying our angst with a fulfilling conclusion to the previous story. Espionage. Escape artistry. Unrequited love. Censorship. Racism. This novel offers the reader so much and does not disappoint in the least. The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay is truly deserving of the Pulitzer Prize it was awarded.

Do you Agree with what he's saying? Or Tell Us Your own reviews HERE
or mail to:opinions@boldopinion.com