OK, so I make that claim regularly.. but this time, reader, you'd better believe me. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is a Pulitzer Prize winning epic by American writer Michael Chabon (who might be best known in Britain for Wonder Boys). In my quest to only read American novels during my year in New York, I was excited to be able to pick this hefty tome up for just $1. In fact, only the previous week, a gaggle of shop assistants fell upon a customer who'd come in clutching the novel. I'd never seen that before. Now, I can see why they did it, as this is a Gotham adventure which has truly stayed with me.
It's the story of two cousins who meet one night in Brooklyn. Both harbour dreams of becoming artists, and through the nascent comic-book business, they become the creators of a character to rival Batman and Superman in their prime: The Escapist.
That's the back drop, but the real power of the story is far deeper than that. The two have complex emotional lives - which almost destroy them. The sweep of the novel is epic - across several decades and continents. It's ambitious, beautifully written, and not a word is wasted.
No comments:
Post a Comment