Gentlemen of the Road, Michael Chabon (365 Books, Day 33)

[rushthatspeaks]

Lo these several years ago, when I was at college, I picked up a book by an author previously unknown to me, but who had recently gotten a great deal of critical attention. The book was wonderful, and the author turned out to be Michael Chabon.

But, because I have something of an occasionally voluntary curse that whatever I first pick up by an author will be, inevitably, their least known book, the Chabon I read was Summerland, which is the one nobody ever talks about. It's great-- a strong fantasy YA about fairies and baseball, and I can't imagine why it seems to fall out of lists of his novels. And I bounced so hard off The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay that I saw stars, could not make it fifty pages into that book, and that was my previous experience with Chabon.

Then I heard about this one. The working title of this book was 'Jews With Swords', and it reminds me greatly, in several ways, of The Princess Bride, only with Khazars, which is cooler than The Princess Bride ever got. It's an utterly charming slightly sardonic swashbuckler set in a region of the world and historical period nobody writes about much, suitable for fans of Milorad Pavic's Dictionary of the Khazars and Naomi Mitchison's Travel Light (which it reminds me of oddly) and, say, Captain Blood, only with more worrying about how to make a minyan in the middle of nowhere. Extremely fun voice.

"It was remarked by one of the eminent physician-rabbis of the city of Regensburg, in his commentary on the Book of Samuel, a work now lost but quoted in the responsa of Rabbi Judah the Pious, that apart from Torah the only subject truly worthy of study is the science of saving men's lives. Measured by the criterion of this teaching-- propounded by his grandfather-- Zelikman counted two great scholars among his present acquaintance, and one of them was a horse."

I wish this book were about four times longer. Also, it is slashy as all get out. I like it even better than Summerland, which is difficult. Maybe I should try one of his Big Serious Novels again.

Comments

Don't forget the crossdressing!

[octopedingenue]

I wish Gentlemen of the Road were about four times longer and also a series I could read updates of once a week.

I adore Kavalier & Clay, but if it's not your style I would poke at The Yiddish Policemen's Union. Bleak wistful noir that also fully embraces the ridiculawesome, like the foulmouthed 4'7"-tall Tlingit Gentile cop who rides a tiny motorcycle. My favorite scene is when a person escapes from a second-story prison cell by throwing the cot through the window, remembering too late that s/he's A)naked and B)handcuffed to the cot.

Have you read Breakfast With the Ones You Love by Eliot Fintushel? It is my favorite Jewish apocalypse with spaceships and psychic assassins. Also great voice.

Re: Don't forget the crossdressing!

[rushthatspeaks]

I have not read the Fintushel! I will look into that.

[starlady]

Oh man, Summerland! It is my favorite Chabon (though I actually liked Cavalier & Klay, except it has the typical Chabon problem of being All About Men), and a Great American Fantasy; I can't imagine why it isn't better known.

[rushthatspeaks]

I know, right? It just... falls off lists of his books, as in at the back of Gentleman of the Road it literally *is not in the list of his other work*. But it's so good!

*is basking in somebody else having read Summerland so I know I wasn't hallucinating its very existence*

[starlady]

I know, right!

Now I'm thinking of writing it up on my DW. You know, I think I might.

[eagle]

I recommend The Yiddish Policeman's Union, which I thought was delightful.

[avidrosette]

Ooh, I just bought this book, and I'm thrilled to see your good review of it. Summerland is sitting in the pile, too, and this makes me want to move it up.

I found Kavalier and Clay slow at first, too, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. I think it's one of the best books I've ever read.

Loving this review series!

[rax]

I have only read short fiction, but I really liked his Werewolves In Their Youth. (Yes yes yes yes yes I picked it up for the title, I know.)

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Oh, I would have recced this if I'd realized you hadn't already read this. The world needs more Jews with swords.

It's INCREDIBLY slashy.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

Your review was one of the ones that brought it to my attention.

there are only TWO FICS on Yuletide and they're both labeled nonexplicit well I guess I know one of my requests this year oh God somebody stop me from offering it

[chomiji]

XD

One of the Yuletide ones is my gift from last year.

I did one myself for Purim Gifts, but it's also non-explicit, alas.

[kchew.livejournal.com]

I loved Gentlemen of the Road; in fact, I've loved everything he's written, including Summerland and Kavalier and Clay.

Another fan of Jews with swords! Yay!

I want a sequel.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Sounds delightful.

Nine

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

It is, and I think you'd find it so.

[breadandroses.livejournal.com]

I read this last spring and found it delightful as well. FWIW, I also bounced off of Kavalier and Clay, but I really liked Yiddish Policemen's Union.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

*promotes Gentlemen of the Road up the to-be-read heap*

I loved The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and while I can see that you'd need to be interested in comics, I'm mildly surprised at the people who can't be doing with it: my brother, for example.

Maybe you'd like The Yiddish Policemen's Union?

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

I should try The Yiddish Policeman's Union. I am interested in comics, of course, so I don't even know what it was about Kavalier and Clay that bounced me so hard-- I vaguely remember not finding any of the characters as interesting as I would have liked.

[fiddledragon.livejournal.com]

Ooo! Clearly I need to read this one. I never really got into Yiddish Policeman's Union, though I liked his worldbuilding and general writing style very much.