Kavalier & Clay is a historical fiction novel about two Jewish comic book artists in NYC during the 30s-50s. The main characters are fictional, but the time period and several of the minor characters are real.
I normally prefer books on the shorter side (this is the lengthiest book I've read this year) but man it was such a page-turner I didn't mind at all. The writing style is so thrilling and snappy, like a comic book. The characters were so vivid. The story was sprawling but the recurring motifs gave it a throughline. I especially loved the stuff about the Golem- I haven't seen anyone call this book magical realism but I would consider it such because of this, albeit very subtly. I also really appreciate historical fiction about Jews that isn't Holocaust trauma porn.
I'm not all that into comic books, and when I do read them it's usually the more "literary" type like The Sandman. I've never been into superhero comics or movies. This has definitely given me a new appreciation for them though, and allowed me to see the roots of the comics that I enjoy. I loved the way Chabon described the process of drawing them! I think the book makes a great argument for escapism, which is often seen as a negative thing. I especially appreciated learning about the moral panic around comic books, which was something I'd heard about but the book gave it a very personal touch.
However, I found it lost steam in the last third of the book. I especially found the account of Joe's time in the army dull. And it did fizzle out in the end. I'm sure this was all very purposeful and thematic, but it did bump it down from a 5 to a 4.5 star book for me. The other thing I didn't like was that some of the words in the book are completely made up- "aetataureate" was the one I spotted but I'm pretty sure there are more. I don't see the point here other than pretentiousness.
I plan to read The Yiddish Policemen's Union next- not very much into detective novels or books about divorced men (sorry) but I am incredibly charmed by Chabon's style and wit so hopefully I'll enjoy it despite that. The alternative history premise is also very intriguing!
by moss42069