I just finished reading this book by Michael Chabon, and...wow. It's pretty great. Collossal. The closest I can come to describing it is like eating a triple Whopper with three slices of cheese, bacon and the rest of the works. You take the first bite, read the first few chapters, and think, damn...this is really good. There's so much information in here, how can I possibly remember and savor it all without getting too full? I went in expecting the book to be about comic books and the history of the "funny book" business. And it is, to an extant. I knew it dealt with Jewish immigration during the years before WW2, but I was surprised to see that the book isn't really about comic books or the Jewish experience at all. Comic books and Germany-occupied Prague are one of several backdrops for larger worldly themes. Love, forgiveness, identity, the power of escapism, both metaphorically and physically - and the profound need to belong. Joe Kavalier and Sam Clay are both struggling with very different identity crises, and fitting into new worlds unknown to them is a powerful and engaging aspect of Chabon's novel. Naturally they get sucked into the comic book world, vastly populated by costumed crime-fighting superheroes and their glasses and tie-wearing alter egos. These themes and metephores are probably my favorite parts of the book. They enhance the already complex narratives of our main characters. Excellent novel!
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