Here are my readings of 2008, so far. The list is pretty slim, but that's ok. I'm a second-half kinda guy (I hope).
Blood Meridian , by Cormac McCarthy
The Kite Runner , by Kahled Hosseini
All the Pretty Horses , by Cormac McCarthy
Lolita , by Vladimir Nabokov
Deliverance , by James Dickey
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville
Next Up: Crabwalk, by Gunter Gras
Monday, August 04, 2008
Sunday, July 06, 2008
K&C Part Three: "The Funny-Book War"
There's a lot of things going on in the earlier chapters of this section that I could have done without. Still, even though I do find myself moving through the descriptions and explanations with less interest and more speed, every once in awhile something stands out that demands my attention. I'm still enjoying the novel, but I do wish there was a little more Sam Clay in the story, as he is one-half of the title. Here are a few thoughts:
More and more the novel is about exploitation, taking advantage of the helpless (obviously the Jews in the background and the boys with their comic book rights), and feelings of helplessness or ineffectiveness. Joe's anger grows in the early chapters (and his helplessness - he can't even find it in him to join the RAF), and we see him getting mixed up with every German on the street, and even breaking into an Aryn Nation office. I did not find these chapters to be enjoyable, as Joe's character spins out of control and loses a lot of that careful, thoughtful precision we've grown to count on. The ridiculousness (and danger) of his whole transformation comes to a head when the bomb threat is introduced, and it takes a "superhero saves the day and gets the girl" (Dali's choking and Rosa)cliche to bring the character back to me. Meanwhile, Sam is dealing with an incident with two homosexuals (here we have one of Chabon's best moments of imagery: "their mustaches interlocked in a way that had reminded Sammy, for some reason, of the way his mother used to fit his comb into the bristles of the brush on top of his dresser..." (254))making out in an all black kitchen. Note: I very much enjoyed how Chabon captured what I would call the phoniness of a New York City "Artsy" apartment. The Passages and Transformations (metamorphosis) theme is also at work, mostly in the characters of Anapols and Judy Dark, for now. Loss of innocence is seen when Sam witnesses the homosexual kiss, Joe looses his dad, and in the beatings Joe takes. Also, we see Rosa as a woman of many faces and guises (appearances versus reality).
Highlights: The brief explanation of the printing process in Chapter 1 (a strength of the novel is learning about things Ala The DaVinci Code), the development of Joe's art (we see him consider his craft through the work of others in Chapter 2), the vision (albeit a challenge to see) of his father coming off the Rotterdam (and the certainty the reader feels that the time is near for Joe to experience a loss - which he does shortly thereafter), the respect James Love and Al Smith have for Joe (and his work), Dali, bringing Rosa back, the details Chabon gives us of Rosa's room (which is typical for Chabon, but I liked this setting more than others because I felt it had more to do with the main plot), the entire Chapter 11 with Hoffman and the Ark of Miriam ship (which gives Joe and the reader a little hope), Judy Dark & the Book of Lo & Luna Moth (one of the better chapters and something that is needed - like The Escapist legend - in a novel about comic books), and Desey's character development (easy to like as he is on the side of our heroes).
Low lights: Max Schmeling and Joe's obsessions with Germans. The chapter in the office of the Aryn American League (why did he sign the folder "The Escapist"? I know, I know, he does it to spit in the guy's face and it provides some suspense, but why be stupid?), 1/2 of the bomb scare chapter(the history of Love and Smith - do I need this?), details on Longman Harkoo (who cares),not enough Clay, the idea that Clay might be gay, and how the boys get screwed on their rights (this is a personal issue for me, not a flaw with the novel).
Final thoughts: There seems to be a lot more foreshadowing in this part of the novel (Anapol's nervousness = heart attack?, vision of father before death, Ebling,etc.). Here's a quote I liked on page 177: "Joe's work also articulated the simple joy of unfettered movement, of the able body, in a way that captured the yearnings not only of his crippled cousin but of an entire generation of weaklings, stumblebums, and playground goats." This, to me, is truth in literature. Chabon is excellent at seeing into the heart and minds and hopes and dreams and fears of the young and old. It seems to me that literature has many purposes: to escape, to think, to learn, to dream, to marvel, and to help us look within ourselves. I'd say this novel is doing the job.
What does "Jeune homme" mean? My brother? It must have been a hell of a compliment.
More and more the novel is about exploitation, taking advantage of the helpless (obviously the Jews in the background and the boys with their comic book rights), and feelings of helplessness or ineffectiveness. Joe's anger grows in the early chapters (and his helplessness - he can't even find it in him to join the RAF), and we see him getting mixed up with every German on the street, and even breaking into an Aryn Nation office. I did not find these chapters to be enjoyable, as Joe's character spins out of control and loses a lot of that careful, thoughtful precision we've grown to count on. The ridiculousness (and danger) of his whole transformation comes to a head when the bomb threat is introduced, and it takes a "superhero saves the day and gets the girl" (Dali's choking and Rosa)cliche to bring the character back to me. Meanwhile, Sam is dealing with an incident with two homosexuals (here we have one of Chabon's best moments of imagery: "their mustaches interlocked in a way that had reminded Sammy, for some reason, of the way his mother used to fit his comb into the bristles of the brush on top of his dresser..." (254))making out in an all black kitchen. Note: I very much enjoyed how Chabon captured what I would call the phoniness of a New York City "Artsy" apartment. The Passages and Transformations (metamorphosis) theme is also at work, mostly in the characters of Anapols and Judy Dark, for now. Loss of innocence is seen when Sam witnesses the homosexual kiss, Joe looses his dad, and in the beatings Joe takes. Also, we see Rosa as a woman of many faces and guises (appearances versus reality).
Highlights: The brief explanation of the printing process in Chapter 1 (a strength of the novel is learning about things Ala The DaVinci Code), the development of Joe's art (we see him consider his craft through the work of others in Chapter 2), the vision (albeit a challenge to see) of his father coming off the Rotterdam (and the certainty the reader feels that the time is near for Joe to experience a loss - which he does shortly thereafter), the respect James Love and Al Smith have for Joe (and his work), Dali, bringing Rosa back, the details Chabon gives us of Rosa's room (which is typical for Chabon, but I liked this setting more than others because I felt it had more to do with the main plot), the entire Chapter 11 with Hoffman and the Ark of Miriam ship (which gives Joe and the reader a little hope), Judy Dark & the Book of Lo & Luna Moth (one of the better chapters and something that is needed - like The Escapist legend - in a novel about comic books), and Desey's character development (easy to like as he is on the side of our heroes).
Low lights: Max Schmeling and Joe's obsessions with Germans. The chapter in the office of the Aryn American League (why did he sign the folder "The Escapist"? I know, I know, he does it to spit in the guy's face and it provides some suspense, but why be stupid?), 1/2 of the bomb scare chapter(the history of Love and Smith - do I need this?), details on Longman Harkoo (who cares),not enough Clay, the idea that Clay might be gay, and how the boys get screwed on their rights (this is a personal issue for me, not a flaw with the novel).
Final thoughts: There seems to be a lot more foreshadowing in this part of the novel (Anapol's nervousness = heart attack?, vision of father before death, Ebling,etc.). Here's a quote I liked on page 177: "Joe's work also articulated the simple joy of unfettered movement, of the able body, in a way that captured the yearnings not only of his crippled cousin but of an entire generation of weaklings, stumblebums, and playground goats." This, to me, is truth in literature. Chabon is excellent at seeing into the heart and minds and hopes and dreams and fears of the young and old. It seems to me that literature has many purposes: to escape, to think, to learn, to dream, to marvel, and to help us look within ourselves. I'd say this novel is doing the job.
What does "Jeune homme" mean? My brother? It must have been a hell of a compliment.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Kavalier and Clay: Part Two "A Couple of Boy Geniuses"
The second part of the novel was most satisfying, and moved quickly. There were lots of wonderful things being done here, as I read about the development of the two boy's relationship, the birth of The Escapist, and Sam's history with The Mighty Molecule. It's better I break it down by chapters:
1 - The first chapter gave us the history of the comic book. Which, as an avid fan, I enjoyed very much. I didn't know how comics grew in this country, nor when, so the author had my attention. Also, Joe's solution to drawing the sound of a fart, and Ethel's rule about minding her own business were moments that I enjoyed. I like how Joe doesn't get shocked or overwhelmed by Sam's Americanness, so to speak.
2 - The Empire Novelty Company, Inc. chapter is a good demonstration as to what it is about the novel I don't care for: it's too much. While I can honestly say that I like the various characters presented to us (and their back stories), I must admit that I'm bothered by how many there are. In this setting alone the boys have to deal with THREE bosses/obstacles: Anapol, Askenazy, and - later on - Deasey. And while it's nice to know about Anapol's history, and Deasey's (n chapter 11), do I NEED all of this? I need the history of the boys, and the history of The Escapist, and even the history of Kornblum, but Deasey?
3 - The walk to "Palooka Studios" (which has four names, not one - calm down Chabon. Does the changing names suggest "changing your luck",lack of commitment, youth fullness, the instability of the apartment, or the author's need to do too much?). Here we meet up with Julie Glovsky, one of FIVE new characters that will help with the new comic book. The best part of this chapter: Sam's "moment of global vision" (94). His ability to reason out the "why" (and how funny the scene is), for me, is one of the best parts of Part Two. Also, at the end of the chapter he tells Julie, "this is my partner". A perfect ending and segue into the next chapter about a father and son.
4 - At first, I was like "what's up with this?" for the Mighty Molecule chapter ( thankfully, Chabon did not extend it another ten pages). But, as I got into the chapter, I really enjoyed it. The mother's battle between disgust and sexual satisfaction, the boy overwhelmed by the size of his dad's penis, the father's revelation about why he walks the son around so much, and the dubious story about the dad's presence during Sam's early stages of polio were all enjoyable. The life of a strongman performer aspect fits in with the whole novel, offering insight into a different form of "bizarre" entertainment (what, no chapters or characters that deal with organ-grinding, clowns, or dueling banjos?). I was disappointed with the predictable promise then abandonment ending of the chapter, but happy to move on.
5 - Joe IS a superhero! "Look at him" "Look what he can do." (111-112). A great moment. Sam, in awe of Joe. Hope in Joe's ability to take Sam and morph him into a boy of dreams to a boy of reality. I loved the quote, "A longing - common among the inventors of heroes - to be someone else." (113)
6 - The naked girl chapter reveals Joe as a sensitive, lover of beauty and art (who needs money). This scene is great in that it reveals HOW Joe selects his picture's composition and perspective, and shows him foregoing turning the picture into just a slap-shot (ha ha) - by leaving the breasts out - and going for the perfect snap shot. I like the extra detail about Julie keeping the picture all of his days, and eventually getting credit for the drawing. Typical...
7 - The idea for The Escapist and the golden key. Fast, and interesting. I liked Chabon's note about the absence of a Houdini like hero at this time in history. I think Chabon is impressed with himself for thinking of a character that no one else thought of (which he needs to do to tell this story).
8 - The Legend of The Escapist. What an excellent way to tell a story. I give the author a lot of credit for his ability to insert these chapters (like the Molecule one and this one) into the novel to break up the walk from Empire to Palooka Studios, and tell the story in a different way. It somewhat reminds me of Steinbeck breaking up the Joad's trek to California with "extra" chapters, in The Grapes of Wrath. I enjoyed the whole chapter, especially its "comicbookness". Here WE start taking ownership in the characters in the comic book, and the novel exists of another plane (it has a few with the Holocaust stuff going on in the background). We are not only watching the boys create the comic, we are experiencing the story of The Escapist as well. Nice.
9 - Sam and Joe bonding
10 - Jerry, Marty, Davy, and Frank. Frank instantly "sees" Tokyo Joe for what he is (a real artist), and the boys sign up one by one. Why the "Masked" men? THEME? Symbolism? The Hitler touch is a nice one. Personalizes the book for Joe, and shows Sam cares. Davy is a sweet character. What's with Jerry and the chicken? I don't see Jerry as a "good guy" later on. He might be a bit of a problem for our boys later on. The girl?
11 - The work marathon. Here we get to see Sam's talents center stage. This is an important part of the relationship, as Sam must hold his own. As Sam works through the character of The Swift, you can really "hear" him. I think this is a strength of Chabon's: dialogue and pausing. Also, Sam's truthfulness at the end of the chapter (his virginity) really cements the trust factor of their relationship, as does the two boys falling asleep together on the floor (which is how this all started).
12 - The offer and the rejection. I like the Deasey character as he instantly recognizes Joe's talent, and reads the WHOLE book carefully (showing that he is a man who takes his time and is meticulous). The offer shocked me (don't sell the rights!), but not Joe's steadfastness about the cover. Sam's loyalty and commitment to Joe - in the face of achieving his dream - was necessary, wonderful, touching, and ... You get the point.
I look forward to reading more and writing LESS!
1 - The first chapter gave us the history of the comic book. Which, as an avid fan, I enjoyed very much. I didn't know how comics grew in this country, nor when, so the author had my attention. Also, Joe's solution to drawing the sound of a fart, and Ethel's rule about minding her own business were moments that I enjoyed. I like how Joe doesn't get shocked or overwhelmed by Sam's Americanness, so to speak.
2 - The Empire Novelty Company, Inc. chapter is a good demonstration as to what it is about the novel I don't care for: it's too much. While I can honestly say that I like the various characters presented to us (and their back stories), I must admit that I'm bothered by how many there are. In this setting alone the boys have to deal with THREE bosses/obstacles: Anapol, Askenazy, and - later on - Deasey. And while it's nice to know about Anapol's history, and Deasey's (n chapter 11), do I NEED all of this? I need the history of the boys, and the history of The Escapist, and even the history of Kornblum, but Deasey?
3 - The walk to "Palooka Studios" (which has four names, not one - calm down Chabon. Does the changing names suggest "changing your luck",lack of commitment, youth fullness, the instability of the apartment, or the author's need to do too much?). Here we meet up with Julie Glovsky, one of FIVE new characters that will help with the new comic book. The best part of this chapter: Sam's "moment of global vision" (94). His ability to reason out the "why" (and how funny the scene is), for me, is one of the best parts of Part Two. Also, at the end of the chapter he tells Julie, "this is my partner". A perfect ending and segue into the next chapter about a father and son.
4 - At first, I was like "what's up with this?" for the Mighty Molecule chapter ( thankfully, Chabon did not extend it another ten pages). But, as I got into the chapter, I really enjoyed it. The mother's battle between disgust and sexual satisfaction, the boy overwhelmed by the size of his dad's penis, the father's revelation about why he walks the son around so much, and the dubious story about the dad's presence during Sam's early stages of polio were all enjoyable. The life of a strongman performer aspect fits in with the whole novel, offering insight into a different form of "bizarre" entertainment (what, no chapters or characters that deal with organ-grinding, clowns, or dueling banjos?). I was disappointed with the predictable promise then abandonment ending of the chapter, but happy to move on.
5 - Joe IS a superhero! "Look at him" "Look what he can do." (111-112). A great moment. Sam, in awe of Joe. Hope in Joe's ability to take Sam and morph him into a boy of dreams to a boy of reality. I loved the quote, "A longing - common among the inventors of heroes - to be someone else." (113)
6 - The naked girl chapter reveals Joe as a sensitive, lover of beauty and art (who needs money). This scene is great in that it reveals HOW Joe selects his picture's composition and perspective, and shows him foregoing turning the picture into just a slap-shot (ha ha) - by leaving the breasts out - and going for the perfect snap shot. I like the extra detail about Julie keeping the picture all of his days, and eventually getting credit for the drawing. Typical...
7 - The idea for The Escapist and the golden key. Fast, and interesting. I liked Chabon's note about the absence of a Houdini like hero at this time in history. I think Chabon is impressed with himself for thinking of a character that no one else thought of (which he needs to do to tell this story).
8 - The Legend of The Escapist. What an excellent way to tell a story. I give the author a lot of credit for his ability to insert these chapters (like the Molecule one and this one) into the novel to break up the walk from Empire to Palooka Studios, and tell the story in a different way. It somewhat reminds me of Steinbeck breaking up the Joad's trek to California with "extra" chapters, in The Grapes of Wrath. I enjoyed the whole chapter, especially its "comicbookness". Here WE start taking ownership in the characters in the comic book, and the novel exists of another plane (it has a few with the Holocaust stuff going on in the background). We are not only watching the boys create the comic, we are experiencing the story of The Escapist as well. Nice.
9 - Sam and Joe bonding
10 - Jerry, Marty, Davy, and Frank. Frank instantly "sees" Tokyo Joe for what he is (a real artist), and the boys sign up one by one. Why the "Masked" men? THEME? Symbolism? The Hitler touch is a nice one. Personalizes the book for Joe, and shows Sam cares. Davy is a sweet character. What's with Jerry and the chicken? I don't see Jerry as a "good guy" later on. He might be a bit of a problem for our boys later on. The girl?
11 - The work marathon. Here we get to see Sam's talents center stage. This is an important part of the relationship, as Sam must hold his own. As Sam works through the character of The Swift, you can really "hear" him. I think this is a strength of Chabon's: dialogue and pausing. Also, Sam's truthfulness at the end of the chapter (his virginity) really cements the trust factor of their relationship, as does the two boys falling asleep together on the floor (which is how this all started).
12 - The offer and the rejection. I like the Deasey character as he instantly recognizes Joe's talent, and reads the WHOLE book carefully (showing that he is a man who takes his time and is meticulous). The offer shocked me (don't sell the rights!), but not Joe's steadfastness about the cover. Sam's loyalty and commitment to Joe - in the face of achieving his dream - was necessary, wonderful, touching, and ... You get the point.
I look forward to reading more and writing LESS!
Monday, June 30, 2008
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay: Part One "The Escape Artist"
I'm fairly excited about reading this particular novel. It originally came into my consciousness thanks to Karl Anderson, who had read the novel when it first came out years ago and prompted me to buy it. As a fan of Chabon(through the outstanding film: Wonderboys), I thought it would be nice to read one of his works. Also, I've felt the need to familiarize myself with more contemporary novels, now that I've read so many "classics". Unfortunately, the book gathered dust on my shelves for quite some time, as I was uninterested in the subject matter, and decided that the length of the novel was too much to dedicate myself to, if I wasn't ready. Along came Robert Ford. Ford, who's teaching the novel to his UCONN English class this fall, is re-reading the novel to prepare himself for the discussions, and I thought I'd joining him during this process (jump on the bandwagon!). Lesson: Never let the opportunity to piggyback on someone else's enthusiasm to accomplish an elusive goal pass.
So, here are my (very brief) thoughts on Part One (possibly the shortest of the parts):
First of all, I was surprised at how much I'm enjoying the novel. I didn't think the subject matter (magic and comic books) would interest me, which makes no sense as I grew up on both (Houdini was a hero of mine and I've read books and seen films on him; I have about 5 thousand comic books). I can't give a good reason as to why I wouldn't be interested, only that I thought the novel might be silly. That having been said, the novel is not silly in any way.
The first chapter is clever in that it focuses on Sam Clay (who will be ignored for most of Part One)for the first few pages, and then brings in Joe Kavalier in the strangest of ways ("Wake up! Here's your never-before-met Czech cousin, now share a bed with him.") to set up the two men's relationship by showing just how fast they are thrown together (little choice), and bond over common interests and a home-made smoke. So much of the novel's main topics are seen instantly: Houdini, Comics, the partnership, Jewish suffering, etc. Also, we get to see Clay's energy, desire for self-improvement, and deceptive relationship with his mother (who thinks Clay is farther ahead in his artistic endeavors) quite quickly. Clay is instantly impressed by Joe, who has traveled to Brooklyn from places Clay has only dreamed about. Joe is established as a much more mature, confident, and independent young man than his cousin, through actions such as buying newspapers,his promise to find his own bed as soon as possible, and the faith he displays in his drawing abilities. Ultimately, he is much more a man of action than Clay, who only assists in the creation of the jury-rigged cigarette, instead of coming up with the idea on his own. Here we have our leader and our follower. I assume this is the way their partnership will continue from here on out. Chapter 1 really accomplishes a lot in a short amount of time. I noticed that the author likes to use a lot of examples and lists. I'll assume that is part of the reason why this novel's so long! Most of the examples I expect to read (some with a smile or a "wow"), but I'll probably skip a few when I'm on the tired side, or anxious to read on.
Chapters 2-4 flashback to Joe's early life in Prague, as he goes from magician's apprentice, to escaped Jew, to thief, to escaped Jew, and ultimately back to Clay's room by the start of Part Two(wowing Clay with his drawings). We meet his highly-educated (but somewhat distant), self-sacrificing parents, his younger brother Tommy (who brings a sad, more realistic element to the story), and Kornblum, an extremely satisfying, albeit "stock" character (in that he is in many ways - with the possible exception of his evening with the prostitute - predictable: grumpy, pensive , "smarter than everyone else", quick to teach or scold, loner, fatherly, eccentric, etc.). The early days of the two brothers (the sweet, younger, impressionable one following his older brother around)are reminiscent of the Houdini brothers, and the "failed" escape from the icy river gives us two major themes in the novel: dealing with loss (in this case, the loss of the brother's musical abilities and the loss of Joe's magical career) and appearances versus reality (the Hofzinser Club is nothing like what the boys expected). I go back to something a character in Wonderboys said about how writing is all about making choices. The choice to take away Tommy's music was a hard one for me, the reader, to accept. But, that is the nature of life. I enjoyed all of the insights into lock picking (most notably, creating a pocket in your cheek to hide tools!)and escape methods, very much. As a claustrophobic, I couldn't help but suck a little extra air during this section (although I though Chabon could do even more with this. The final coffin escape was not as horrific as I would have liked).
I have to admit, it took awhile for me to figure out what the hell a Golem was (thanks Ford!). And, even though through watching Raiders of the Lost Ark I was familiar with the whole "Nazi's stealing religious artifacts" idea, I still don't see just HOW important the Golem really was. I did, however, really enjoy the apartment building search (the disguises were underplayed), with the insight into the Jewish suffering, children's insights (strange window: see Finding Forrester), the suspense built into the break in scene ("Hands up, gentlemen"), and the cleverness of the prostitutes and the old waiter. I especially liked the secret room, and the discovery of the Golem. Having to cloth the Golem as a way of getting Joe to go back home and see the dramatic change in his family's living arrangements was also inspired, especially as we are left with a real deep sense of sadness for Tommy, Jews, and even Joe, who must carry this burden of escape (clever!) for the rest of his life. There's a feeling of something missing at the end of Part One (no final words between the old teacher and his student, parts of the journey omitted), but that's OK. I didn't like the deflowering of Joe (not needed, I thought), even though it was probably symbolic of his loss of innocence. It's hard to get a hold on what the majority of the novel will be about (beyond themes and character development).
OK, that's enough.
So, here are my (very brief) thoughts on Part One (possibly the shortest of the parts):
First of all, I was surprised at how much I'm enjoying the novel. I didn't think the subject matter (magic and comic books) would interest me, which makes no sense as I grew up on both (Houdini was a hero of mine and I've read books and seen films on him; I have about 5 thousand comic books). I can't give a good reason as to why I wouldn't be interested, only that I thought the novel might be silly. That having been said, the novel is not silly in any way.
The first chapter is clever in that it focuses on Sam Clay (who will be ignored for most of Part One)for the first few pages, and then brings in Joe Kavalier in the strangest of ways ("Wake up! Here's your never-before-met Czech cousin, now share a bed with him.") to set up the two men's relationship by showing just how fast they are thrown together (little choice), and bond over common interests and a home-made smoke. So much of the novel's main topics are seen instantly: Houdini, Comics, the partnership, Jewish suffering, etc. Also, we get to see Clay's energy, desire for self-improvement, and deceptive relationship with his mother (who thinks Clay is farther ahead in his artistic endeavors) quite quickly. Clay is instantly impressed by Joe, who has traveled to Brooklyn from places Clay has only dreamed about. Joe is established as a much more mature, confident, and independent young man than his cousin, through actions such as buying newspapers,his promise to find his own bed as soon as possible, and the faith he displays in his drawing abilities. Ultimately, he is much more a man of action than Clay, who only assists in the creation of the jury-rigged cigarette, instead of coming up with the idea on his own. Here we have our leader and our follower. I assume this is the way their partnership will continue from here on out. Chapter 1 really accomplishes a lot in a short amount of time. I noticed that the author likes to use a lot of examples and lists. I'll assume that is part of the reason why this novel's so long! Most of the examples I expect to read (some with a smile or a "wow"), but I'll probably skip a few when I'm on the tired side, or anxious to read on.
Chapters 2-4 flashback to Joe's early life in Prague, as he goes from magician's apprentice, to escaped Jew, to thief, to escaped Jew, and ultimately back to Clay's room by the start of Part Two(wowing Clay with his drawings). We meet his highly-educated (but somewhat distant), self-sacrificing parents, his younger brother Tommy (who brings a sad, more realistic element to the story), and Kornblum, an extremely satisfying, albeit "stock" character (in that he is in many ways - with the possible exception of his evening with the prostitute - predictable: grumpy, pensive , "smarter than everyone else", quick to teach or scold, loner, fatherly, eccentric, etc.). The early days of the two brothers (the sweet, younger, impressionable one following his older brother around)are reminiscent of the Houdini brothers, and the "failed" escape from the icy river gives us two major themes in the novel: dealing with loss (in this case, the loss of the brother's musical abilities and the loss of Joe's magical career) and appearances versus reality (the Hofzinser Club is nothing like what the boys expected). I go back to something a character in Wonderboys said about how writing is all about making choices. The choice to take away Tommy's music was a hard one for me, the reader, to accept. But, that is the nature of life. I enjoyed all of the insights into lock picking (most notably, creating a pocket in your cheek to hide tools!)and escape methods, very much. As a claustrophobic, I couldn't help but suck a little extra air during this section (although I though Chabon could do even more with this. The final coffin escape was not as horrific as I would have liked).
I have to admit, it took awhile for me to figure out what the hell a Golem was (thanks Ford!). And, even though through watching Raiders of the Lost Ark I was familiar with the whole "Nazi's stealing religious artifacts" idea, I still don't see just HOW important the Golem really was. I did, however, really enjoy the apartment building search (the disguises were underplayed), with the insight into the Jewish suffering, children's insights (strange window: see Finding Forrester), the suspense built into the break in scene ("Hands up, gentlemen"), and the cleverness of the prostitutes and the old waiter. I especially liked the secret room, and the discovery of the Golem. Having to cloth the Golem as a way of getting Joe to go back home and see the dramatic change in his family's living arrangements was also inspired, especially as we are left with a real deep sense of sadness for Tommy, Jews, and even Joe, who must carry this burden of escape (clever!) for the rest of his life. There's a feeling of something missing at the end of Part One (no final words between the old teacher and his student, parts of the journey omitted), but that's OK. I didn't like the deflowering of Joe (not needed, I thought), even though it was probably symbolic of his loss of innocence. It's hard to get a hold on what the majority of the novel will be about (beyond themes and character development).
OK, that's enough.
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