The Golden Age of Comics
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is an eye-catching title, but something that has never reached my consciousness until I began doing list challenges. Moreover, it is listed as one of the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. This made me naturally gravitate towards Michael Chabon’s work, which also won the Pulitzer Prize. These are just among the reasons why I availed myself of a copy of the book and included it in my 2017 Top 20 Reading List. Before 2017 closed its curtain, I was finally able to indulge myself in what most consider Chabon’s most stellar work.
And the reading public is right. This book is indeed spectacular.
Chabon’s most enduring work chronicles the adventures of Sammy Klayman and his cousin Josef “Joe” Kavalier. Kavalier arrived in New York City in 1939 after fleeing from Prague, which is slowly being beaten into submission by the maelstrom that is Hitler’s army. Before fleeing, Joe learned the art of magic from Harry Houdini’s fictional mentor. Joe was able to escape an inevitable fate by a hair’s breadth, in one of the most peculiar manners. However, his manner of escape is one of the most heard of from those who were able to flee from Hitler’s occupation. Unfortunately, in exchange for his safety, Joe had to leave his family behind, including his younger brother Thomas, whom he was most fond of.
In New York City, Joe and Sam forged a formidable partnership after Sam discovered Joe’s innate artistic talent – he is a great drawer. Sammy got Joe a job as an illustrator at Empire Novelty during the time when comic books had just become the vogue. Superman’s commercial success made Empire Novelty’s owner, Sheldon Anapol, interested in the comic books business. Sam and Joe saw the opportunity and assembled their own crew. Together, they drew up the drafts of their first comic book, Amazing Midget Radio, with Sam as the main writer and Joe the main illustrator. The comic book’s hero is the Escapist, who has set out to fight fascism all over the world. This met some resistance from Anapol because of its political implications, but it was finally published after some changes were made. From this small start, Sam and Klay would then take control of their own destiny, rising from the quagmires of poverty.
At its core, The Amazing Adventure of Kavalier and Clay is anchored in the history of the comic book business. The sheer scope of the story is astounding, and I am astonished at the extent of research Chabon did to produce a work of this magnitude. Chabon was able to capture and portray the colorful history of the comic book business in an interesting manner, from the industry’s infancy to its fall from grace. Most of the story was set in what can be referred to as the Golden Age of Comics. What made the novel more engrossing were the primary characters themselves. Kavalier and Klay’s multi-faceted personalities added complexity to the story. They are as vivid as the characters they made up, to which they have bequeathed parts of their own personas. The characters they have made up, especially in Joe’s case, are their own alter egos, through which they were able to relate their own stories. Chabon took time in developing his characters. The end product, hence, is remarkable.
Despite revolving around the Golden Age of the American comic industry, the story is the quintessence of the American dream. Chabon used different motifs to paint the different facets of American life during and after the Second World War. He was able to depict the different sociological and political aspects of the era. Along with this portraiture is the novel’s fearless depiction of friendship, lust, parenting, and personal obsessions and yearnings. However, I still feel that there is a disconnect between the first part of the story and the rest of it.
The Amazing Adventure of Kavalier and Clay is principally about artistry and creativity. It delved into the challenges that stymied the exponential growth and development of the creative and artistic world. Foremost among these challenges is the incessant interference of the corporate world and its prevailing pecuniary interests. Censorship also hindered the free-spirited art. Moreover, harsher competition brought about the questions of originality, as the commercial battle ballooned into a legal battle. Accusations of plagiarism plagued the comic book industry.
But the book’s towering achievement is the friendship Joe and Sam forged. It loomed above the story despite the challenges and obstacles they had to face. Their loyalty to each other is endearing, especially the way they supported each other during the most challenging times. Sam is like Joe’s social conscience, so that even when Joe finds himself in dire straits, Sam is always there to save and forgive him. They were bonded by blood, but they went well beyond that. Their friendship is something that I would want to have. Books about moving friendship, I admit, are my literary bias.
The novel is well-written, and the prose flows naturally. The reader gets the sense of being enmeshed in the story. The conversations and interactions among the characters were natural and free-flowing, without superficiality. Whereas it is bereft of poetry, it more than makes up for its fluidity. The story is well-thought-out and well-organized, so it is a pleasure skimming through it in spite of its length. At first, it was a challenge finding myself through the several layers of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I was a bit worried when I learned that the book is about comics, something that didn’t appeal to me. The first part was also complicated as it narrated about World War II and the Golem. Thankfully, Chabon’s clear writing, well-developed characters, and free-flowing narrative made it easier for me to appreciate it.
Admittedly, I was initially ambivalent about reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Overcoming these personal prejudices is a win because The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is an arresting and astounding showcase of narrative prowess. It is the perfect mix of artistry, trickery, and magic. It is a brilliant story that kept me browsing through the pages, making me navigate the labyrinth of history while being embraced by the warm blanket of friendship in the midst of overwhelming challenges. All the accolades it got, it totally deserved. And if you haven’t read it, there is a reason why the title began with the phrase “The Amazing”. Better pick up the book and begin reading it.
Happy reading!
Rating
Recommended for those who like reading books with singular alignment, those who are interested in the history of comic books, those looking for well-written narratives, and those who are challenged by different subjects.
Not recommended for those who are looking for light reads, those who think comic books are boring, and those who dislike reading lengthy stories.
Book Specs
Author: Michael Chabon
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Publishing Date: 2000
Number of Pages: 684
Genre: Historical
Synopsis
A “towering, swash-buckling thrill of a book” (Newsweek), hailed as Chabon’s “magnum opus” (The New York Review of Books), The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a triumph of originality, imagination, and storytelling. In New York City, 1939, a young escape artist named Joe Kavalier arrives on the doorstep of his cousin, Sammy Clay. 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 in to the heart of old-fashioned American ambition. From their shared fears, dreams, and desires, they spin comic book tales of the heroic Escapist and the beautiful Luna Moth. 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.
About the Author
Michael Chabon was born on May 24, 1963, in Washington, D.C., to an Ashkenazi Jewish family. His parents divorced when he was 11, and he grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Columbia, Maryland. For a year, Chabon attended Carnegie Mellon University. He then transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, where he studied under Chuck Kinder and received a Bachelor of Arts in 1984. He received his Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of California, Irvine.
At a young age, Chabon knew he wanted to be a writer. When he was ten, he wrote his first short story for a class assignment. His first published novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (1988), was written as his UC Irvine master’s thesis. It was an instant success, catapulting Chabon to literary celebrity. His sophomore novel, Wonder Boys, was published in 1995. However, it wasn’t until the publication of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay that he gained international recognition. It won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize. It was also a finalist for the 2000 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2001 PEN/Faulkner Award. It was longlisted in 2002 for the International Dublin Literary Award. He followed with Summerland (2002), The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (2007), and Telegraph Avenue (2012). His latest novel, Moonglow, was published in 2016.
Apart from the recognitions received by Kavalier and Klay, his other works also earned him various recognitions. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union won the 2008 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the 2009 Premio Ignotus Award for Best Foreign Novel. It was also longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award in 2009. Telegraph Avenue and Moonglow were also longlisted for the same prize in 2014 and 2018, respectively. Apart from novels, Chabon published collections of short stories, collections of essays, and even a children’s book. Chabon was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2012.
He married Ayelet Waldman, a fellow writer, in 1993, and they have four children. They are currently living in Berkeley, California.
The Pine-Scented Chronicles 