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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
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Searching... | 30000010274134 | PS3553.H15 A82 2000 | Open Access Book | Creative Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
This brilliant epic novel set in New York and Prague introduces us to two misfit young men who make it big by creating comic-book superheroes. Joe Kavalier, a young artist who has also been trained in the art of Houdiniesque escape, has just smuggled himself out of Nazi-invaded Prague and landed in New York City. His Brooklyn cousin Sammy Clay is looking for a partner to create heroes, stories, and art for the latest novelty to hit America the comic book. Inspired by their own fears and dreams, Kavalier and Clay create the Escapists , The Monitor , and Luna Moth , inspired by the beautiful Rosa Saks, who will become linked by powerful ties to both men. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is the winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Author Notes
Michael Chabon was born in Washington, D.C. on May 24, 1963. He received a B.A. in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985 and a Master of Fine Arts degree in English writing at the University of California at Irvine in 1987.
Chabon found success at the age of 24, when William Morrow publishing house offered him $155,000, a near-record sum, for the rights to his first novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, which was his thesis in graduate school. After The Mysteries of Pittsburgh became a national bestseller, he began writing a series of short stories about a little boy dealing with his parents' divorce. The stories, which in part appeared in The New Yorker and G.Q., were bound together in 1991 into a volume titled A Model World and Other Stories. His other works include Wonder Boys, The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man, Telegraph Avenue, and Pop: Fatherhood in Pieces. In 2001 he won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction for his novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. He and Ayelet Waldman are co-editors of, Kingdom of Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation..
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews 2
Publisher's Weekly Review
Narrator David Colacci delivers a lively and entertaining reading of Chabon's tale of loyalty, love, and comic books. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the novel charts the lives of Sammy "Clay" Klayman and Josef Kavalier, two distant cousins brought together by the horrors of WWII. Clay is a New Yorker who has never ventured beyond the boundaries of his borough, while Kavalier is an amateur magician fleeing Nazi-occupied Prague. United by their shared passion for the burgeoning art of comic books, they create the Escapist, an action hero intended to strike back at the forces of fascism. Launching the successful franchise sends the pair on real-life adventures of their own, wherein they confront the underground Nazi movement, the complications of family and sexual identity, and hidden sides of themselves. Colacci moves fluidly between the many characters who populate Chabon's novel, creating voices that rely on everything from a host of foreign accents to the vernacular of New York in the 1940s. This audio edition is a great introduction to Kavalier and Clay and well worth a listen for those already familiar with the novel. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
Our heroes are two Jewish comic book geniuses in New York City at the beginning of World War II. Apprentice magician Joseph uses unorthodox methods to escape Prague in the nick of time, while his family is not so lucky. He lands at the Brooklyn home of his aunt and thus begins his friendship and collaboration with cousin Samuel. Together, they develop the Escapist, a superhero to take on the worst villain of all: Hitler! They find great success, but Joseph can never be truly happy. While the Escapist may always win in his comic books, Joseph can't gain his family's freedom. He finds friendship, love, and wealth but is haunted by his inability to save his loved ones. Meanwhile, Sam struggles with his homosexuality in an intolerant world. VERDICT Consummate narrator David Colacci is the perfect choice for this 2001 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. He captures emigre Joseph's accent as well as the Brooklynese and effortlessly moves between them to give the listener a satisfying experience worth the time commitment. ["A novel of love and loss, sorrow, and wonder and the ability of art to transcend the 'harsh physics' of this world," read the review of the New York Times best-selling HarperCollins hc, LJ 10/15/00.-Ed.]-Judy Murray, Monroe Cty. Lib. Syst., MI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
