it doesnt help that i am obsessed with wwii, but this book was amazing. don't let the comic-book theme bother you. it's about much more than that.

Sort of like writing about the guys who created Superman, but making them gayer. This is an awesome book, that touches on comics, WWII, Judaism, and the intense desire to suck cock.

like an ice cream sandwich, tasty, but not very good for you.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay was an instant popular and critical success when it came out in 2000 being nominated for a raft of awards. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001 and Hollywood has been sniffing around it ever since. Michael Chabon the author wrote the only known screenplay, which struggled to reduce a 635-page book to a 2-hour film. At one point, the cast was Toby Maguire (Peter in Spiderman) to play Sam Clay, Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta) to play Rosa Saks and Jude Law to play Joe Kavalier.

The difficulties for the film is what makes the book a joy as it starts in 1938 as Superman bursts on the scene and ends in 1954 as the Kefauver Senate hearings delivers the death blow to a declining comic book industry. A central theme is the roles of the Jews in the comic book industry: it explored the mythology of comic hero and its impact Joe and Sam own struggles and personal journeys form the stories of the Escapist which in turn shape their lives. Sam struggling to come to terms with being Gay and Joe trying to rescue his family stuck in an increasingly bleak Nazi run Prague. It also explores the historical rip off the artists and writers of the period. Superman’s creators did not come into the real money until the blockbuster Superman movies and a court case prised the money out of Hollywood’s coffers. Historical characters from the period from the comic industry and the movie, art and political world some in and out of the story. The Escapist also draws on Joe Kavalier’s training and experience of magic and Houdini type tricks and the impact this has on his life.

The writing is a tour deforce so that you hear, touch and smell the period. Each character has their own voice and even minor characters when they enter the story in a few paragraphs you have their back-story and motives seamlessly woven in so they become real characters. The point of view moves from character to character and no easy option or resolution is allowed as the story builds to the magic trick ending. Scenes are comic one minute and bitterly tragic the next as you join in the roller coaster of their lives. Yes I am going say it…if you only have the chance to read one book this year make it this one, you wont be disappointed.

In a revisionist history, the Jews never settled in Israel and instead settled, among other places, in Sitka, Alaska. As reversion to the US nears, a mystery just begs to be solved by the classic police detective. Londsman is a drunk, cynical officer who's chief is his ex-wife. Chess, Biblical theory, Indians, Yiddish, and all of the classic noir cliches follow the convoluted plot to the end.
I had a little bit of trouble following along with all of the characters and Jewish references in the first half (it probably would have helped if I had been reading it rather than listening to the audio version). I felt like it picked up and moved along, even as it got more complicated, in the second half. By the end, I was really involved in the characters and the plot. This is opposite of many reviews I read, which complained about the second half. It probably helps that I'm very into the noir style and loved how well this book meshed classic noir and Yiddish.
I also loved listening to the interview with Chabon at the end of the audio version, something I normally don't do. I was very interested to hear that the inspiration for the original essay was inspired by the book Say It In Yiddish, a guidbook with no country.

Eh. It was okay. Better than some, worse than others.

A priceless account of Holocaust victims that underwent the horror of Nazi death camps.

I really enjoyed the format of this book, with stories from the "author" alternating with letters from his Ukranian friend in response. The story unfolds slowly from beginning and end to middle, which turned out to not be particularly confusing and an interesting story-telling device.
The story starts out very funny, with the cranky blind-driver grandfather and the superficial Alex. But it becomes a sad story of searching and redemption towards the end.
I didn't really like the stories he writes about his ancestors- they're strange, not nearly as well-written, and broke up the narrative of the story I was actually interested in. It was the same strangeness I disliked in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. In general, I'm not opposed to strangeness, but in his novels it detracts me from the compelling story.
Overall, an interesting and enjoyable book.

This was a difficult book to read at the beginning because of the various voices telling the story and the fractured English of one of them. However, after I figured out what was going on, I began to understand what the author was trying to accomplish. It was an amazing story for such a young man.

Rarely do I say that I like a movie more than I like the book, no matter which one I experienced first. This is one case in which the movie did a far better job in capturing the subtle nuances which are too easily lost on the page. Although the book did add additional aspects which were interesting and in some cases, necessary to the development of the story, I still finished the book feeling as though the movie was superior. In addition, the actors in the movie did such an amazing job of embodying what the author was trying to portray, much better than what my own mind could conjure in some instances. Although the book was good, I recommend seeing the film as well.

Like so many things in life the story contains mystery, beauty, enchantment and horror. Dybbuk is Hebrew for "cleaving to" -- and remains one of the most enduring beliefs in Jewish folklore. This is the basis for Sid Fleischman's new book which reveals age appropriate information about the harsh cruelty inflicted upon the Jews during the Holocaust in a highly entertaining and unique way.

When twelve year old Avrom Amos, a dybbuk takes up residence in the body of an American ventriloquist what ensues is an eye opening, educational journey presented through a victim's eyes... well, actually the voice is the conduit throughout the novel that allows the dybbuk to expose at least one Nazi SS commander, find justice for his murdered sister and himself, while at the same time bolstering the performance of The Great Freddie to new and unbelievable heights.

Filled with compassion and thought provoking facts delivered by a sassy dybbuk that has more than one or two ghostly tricks planned makes "The Entertainer and the Dybbuk" a delightful read for all ages. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and would recommend it highly and without hesitation!

Happy Reading!
RJ McGill
3Rs-Real Reader Reviews