zkrisher@tweesecake.socialI've finished: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Shabon
I didn't grow up with comics and don't have any nostalgia for them.
I do have an interest in history, culture, art and speculative fiction.
I'm also Jewish and Kavalier & Clay spoke to me on so many levels.
It is the story of Jewish refugees behind the golden age of comic books, about their experiences and motivations. It is the story of the comic book as an art form and cultural phenomena.
It is not speculative fiction, but it contains descriptions of the comics the characters create, as part of their journey and emotional development. Breaking the fourth wall Chabon gives us a glimpse into the creative process and the sociology behind the super hero comic book as a story telling art form.
There are points where the lines between the comic story lines and the characters reality seem to blend.
It is a very Jewish novel, but a secular Jewish novel, involving Jewish culture, history and oppression, but without involving belief in god and religious practices.
I really cared about the trio of characters, their successes, failures and distress, as they live through this terrible historical period .
https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/dd9685a5-0499-46f4-8ee0-3e3de6d4b057
@bookstodon @audiofiction
#Comics #HistoricalFiction #Jewish #ComicBooks #amReading #bookstodon #AudioBooks
@zkrisher @bookstodon @audiofiction It’s a fabulous book, and I still find it popping into my mind many years after reading it. If you know NYC, Chabon gets hyper-specific on locations and that adds to the impact. Another good Chabon book that’s historcal-adjacent is The Jewish Policemen’s Union. (1/4)
@JaneinNJ @bookstodon @audiofiction Thanks, yes, the Yiddish policeman union Was my introduction toChabon’s work. I really enjoyed it. And decided to check out more of his work.
@zkrisher @bookstodon @audiofiction Yiddidh — right! Thx for the correction. Wonder Boys is also very good although entirely different from these two books. Another good one is Kaaterskill Falls by his wife, Allegra Goodman.