Book summary

During the rise of Nazism, Joe Kavalier escapes from Prague and immigrates to America, where he hopes to make enough money to bring the rest of his family with him. He teams up with Sammy Clay, his Brooklyn cousin, to create comic book characters who act out the dreams of their creators--who, meanwhile, both become involved with the same woman, the devastating Rosa Saks. Chabon's critically acclaimed novel provides not only a window into the immigrant experience but also a hymn of praise to the golden age of the comics. THE AMAZING ADVENTURES was a New York Times Notable Book for the year 2000.

Media reviews

"In a cameo-studded book...that echoes RAGTIME, just as it sometimes suggests John Irving in fanciful mode, Mr. Chabon tells a bustling, convoluted story in an eloquent, exceptionally precise voice....Especially impressive about THE ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER AND CLAY is its success in reaching for big settings...and big historical relevance without strain."