City of God p. 140

Ugh, this is not getting any more interesting.

Not sure what to make of this Midrash Jazz quartet, to be honest, after skimming it this last time I have decided to skip it entirely the next time it appears. Who it is suppose to be representing? In fact I am quite confused as to who is speaking most of the time, except when it is very obvious.

I am enjoying the story of Sarah's father, I am not sure how it is going to tie into the Heist. Perhaps this story is more concerned with the existence of God. I can say that it was also enjoyable to hear the story of Pem's father, again not sure how or why it is a part of the book. As I am reading more and more, I am not sure what is really going on, with 140 pages left I am not sure if I am halfway in or at just the tip of the iceberg.

In summary thus far I can say that the book is not entirely awful, but as Ryan suggested in his introduction, this is an ambitious and involved novel. I feel that at this point ambition is over running accomplishments. Doctorow is attempting to neatly package a subject that is too large, he has addressed the problems with science and religion, two studies that are fundamentally at odds with each other. I am not sure that he will be able to come to any useful conclusion. The introduction of personal accounts from the Holocaust and the war give way to the argument of if God exists, then why does he allow such horrible acts to take place? Again, not sure how this will be concluded. I hope that this whole novel is not going to be an exploratory novel where at its conclusion the reader will have to realize their own conclusion about the existence of God. If this is the case, I feel that story is not strong enough and I am wasting my time. If Doctorow had chose one aspect of the great God debate this novel might be a little more compelling. I would also offer the opinion that the detective genre is not the best forum for this topic. In fact, the stories from WW2 are a much better background for the argument for and against the existence of a God. In fact, where is the initial plot? The act of thievery has alluded  me thus far. 


Summary, at this point I understand that there has been a heist, to the extent that a cross has been stolen and recovered. The motives of the heist are still unknown, but it does appear that the mastermind(s) was caught. Also, it appears that the motives and capture of the perpetrator(s) is book worthy. So why have we not been clued in?? I am confused. Anyone else in this boat?

City of God p. 70 - Jake

It was a rough start, after reading the first 10 pages or so I thought about reading a review online and passing it for my own. The repeated references to complicated physics, not my favorite subject, was beginning to wear on me. I am glad I pushed past it. The switching between the detective, the Priest and the female Rabbi area a bit much at first, this is not a book to read before going to bed. It requires a slightly more active brain. After 70 pages each of the three main characters have been developed enough to make them believable, and I can say that I am no longer interested in getting the Reader’s Digest condensed version of this novel. At this point the ‘Heist’, has not fully revealed it self; yes, a cross has been stolen and found. It seems that the theft of the cross had intent, that is to say that it had to be that cross from that church. Why? To be discovered.

I had mentioned earlier that I do not really like the detective genre, however I do enjoyed the fatally flawed characters that a detective novel invites. E.L. Doctorow’s detective is flawed just so; I want to hate him for being the adulterer, yet I secretly hope he succeeds, then again I hate him for his detached ruthlessness in attempting to rewire this woman’s life. It is like watching a butterfly get tangled in a spider’s web. I would like to make it clear, I am not cheering this detective on, but I am enjoying his twisted story.

What’s the deal with Pem? Is he just a pleasantly chubby Priest who is questioning his faith? Or has he done something or seen something that is making him a target. I hope to find out more soon. 

Sarah B, at this point we know more of her background, not of her present¸ I think she will be a driving force in this investigation. Her husband, I do not expect to be of much use.

I look forward to the next 70 pages.

On the selection of E.L. Doctorow's 'City of God' - Ryan

Well we are on to our third book, E.L. Doctorow's 'City of God.'  This novel takes place in contemporary New York City - a detective story of sorts - about an Episcopal priest from the lower east side who teams up with a female rabbi from upper west side to uncover a mystery surrounding the desecration of the church's cross.  Written in a broken style from the perspective of the priest, it twists and turns in a most unique fashion, while telling the story of a God and man in the modern era.  It is ambitious and involved, albeit a challenging read, though I have it on good information that the reward is worth it.  We'll begin posting shortly.  Enjoy!

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay in its entirety- Matt

Unfortunately life has gotten in the way a little bit and there has been a gap in my reading and posting.  I find myself usually unable to put down a book I am engrossed in, and it is life that takes a backseat until I am finished, and there was no exception when it came to this novel.  I finished it a while ago and have gone some time without posting. I enjoyed it very much, and agree with all of Ryan’s final comments.

Although it has been a while since I put the book down, I will touch on one thing that particularly resonates with me.

When Joe gets sent to the Antarctic, it certainly seemed to be a bizarre, and perhaps anti-climactic turn of events.  I did not know what to expect, but I quickly grew to love it.  Joe’s desire and need for revenge drove him to enlist in the first place, and it was with revenge in mind that he ended up being sent to the bleak and lonely Antarctic.  He quickly finds himself even more alone with the deaths of all his companions, save the pilot and the dog Oyster.  Chabon is conveying the theme, with the most basic of symbolism, that revenge is cold and lonely.  While I think subtlety has a place in literature, I that themes and symbols are often too obscure, and I enjoy being treated to some very obvious symbolism from time to time, and I believe Chabon has done that beautifully.  I had mixed thoughts about it at first but upon more reflection I think the slaying of Oyster is an excellent statement on how destructive revenge can be.  Joe stands nonchalantly by while by while his friend and companion is killed, all in the name of revenge.

I recommend the book to anybody, and if you have a fondness for comic books, I would image this book would become an instant favorite.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay through the end - Ryan

It took me almost the same amount of time to get through the last two hundred pages or so as it took for the first four hundred, but that is in no way a reflection on how the novel progressed.  I say again - the accolades are well deserved.  I must admit that I was a bit concerned as I plowed through to the end that, given all of the story lines Chabon had begun, would he have trouble tying them all off to my satisfaction.  I was wrong.  In no time, he began to answer all of the questions I was fumbling around with in my head:  

Would Kavalier coming to grips with his demons and finally come home to New York?  Yes, after a bizarre trip to the arctic in the service of the US Army - a somewhat cathartic yet humbling experience - he reunites with Rosa and Clay after his self-imposed exile and following his return, he takes up with them as if they didn’t miss a beat.

What’s been the result of Clay’s suppression of his true sexual feelings for all these years?  In a word - sadness.  The nasty business of homosexual prejudices rears its ugly head again during the comic book show trial…Clay thinks back with mixed emotions to his last days spent with Bacon; but this development also gives him the courage to break free from all those suppressed feelings.

As for the Golem?  Well that mystical creature makes its return – in more ways than one.  We see Kavalier’s impending creation of a dark comic featuring the Golem (his life’s work all that time he was holed up in the Empire State building) - which helped him come to grips with all he'd been through...but later the actual Golem makes an appearance, arriving in Long Island after a long circuitous journey.  But now the mythical figure is just a pile of Prague river mud and clothes inside a container.  The significance?  Well, I’m not sure, but my guess is that, as we everything else in this book, it ties in to that story of escape and rebirth.

My take - the emergence of the never forgotten Golem gives Kavalier some closure; the ability to move on - to escape from the torture of his brother's death - and start over with Rosa, and his son; a life he abandoned years and years ago. 

And speaking of escape and rebirth, Chabon closes the novel with Clay heading off to Los Angeles as he intended to all those many years ago with Bacon, only now feeling more free than he ever as after being exposed during the comic book show trial.

So just to recap, I really like this book.  Very entertaining; the recurring themes made for an opportunity to constantly view developments on another level, which I enjoyed.  It made me think about the story in a broader context, which I liked.  I’ll keep an eye out for Chabon in the future, and probably get around to reading some of his other novels down the road.  It’s was lot to take in, and I wish I didn’t have so many interruptions along the way so I could have concentrated a bit more on the novel, but all in all a very creative, enjoyable story, beautifully interwoven into the events of the day.    

-Ryan

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay through p. 421- Matt

 I finished up the novel this morning, but I will confine my post to a small section after Ryan’s last post.

As Ryan and others suspected, there was a little more left in the Ebling sub-plot.  While his dealings with Joe are done, in a butterfly effect sort of way, it was these dealings that send law enforcement to the New Jersey beach house to, as it is put, “flush a fairy nest,” and have dire consequences for Sammy. 

On a related historical note, I have never heard of this type of persecution before, but I assume it has a basis in fact.  I never really thought about it, but I guess had no idea that homosexuality was actively targeted by law enforcement.  I am happy that is no longer the case, and while certainly the struggle for gay rights is not over, I am happy to know it has come quite far.  Having law enforcement trying to snuff out gay people persecute them is a nasty, unsavory business that I am happy to not have run across.

The fortunes of Sammy and Joe take a dramatic downturn in the space of few pages.  Sammy abandons his plan to move to Los Angeles, and with it, his hopes for romantic contentment.  Joe’s fervent aspiration, to which he dedicated himself fully, of delivering his family to safety and comfort is dashed when his brother is killed during his transit to America.

Until now, we have seen repeated victories and successes for both Sammy and Joe, but in the last few pages, all of there dreams have been reduced to rubble.  Now we will see what they manage to rebuild.

Until Next Time-

Matt

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – through pg. 395

So over the last couple hundred pages, I’ve really changed my tune about Clay.  My earlier statement about him being selfish was largely unfair in hindsight.  Now that I’ve put his life into a broader context, I really feel for the guy.  Between the self-consciousness he must feel over his withered legs, to the difficult process he must be going through with his own sexual self-discovery, it’s really quite amazing that he has been able to achieve so much professionally, probably due to the state of his personal life.

You get a sense about how little Clay values himself during one pointed exchange he had with Bacon, the actor playing the Escapist on the radio serial, and his mutual love interest: “It’s not comic books that you think are inferior, it’s you.”  I hope he finds happiness; maybe together with Bacon out in Los Angeles.  I guess we’ll see.

One thing I was a bit disappointed in was the way in which the tit-for-tat between Ebling and Kavalier has seemingly ended with Ebling’s arrest after the failed attempt on Kavalier’s life.  I expected more of a running exchange between these two – a bit more of a back and forth akin to the interplay between the typical comic book hero and foil, with Kavalier always getting the best of Ebling, yet somehow the bungling Ebling escaping justice to fight another day.  I must say I thought the Nazi sympathizer would remain in the story for a lot longer.

And after several months of delays, Kavalier’s brother Thomas should be arriving in New York any day…I’m looking forward to see what transpires. 

Ryan