2010 Reading #35: The Escapist

[snurri]

Books 1-10.
Books 11-20.
Books 21-30.
31. Blonde Faith by Walter Mosley.
32. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.
33. Justice League of America, Volume 2 by Gardner Fox, Mike Sekowsky, et al.
34. Killer Princesses by Gail Simone and Lea Hernandez.

35. Michael Chabon Presents: The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist, Volume 1 by Michael Chabon, Kevin McCarthy, Glen David Gold, Howard Chaykin, Bill Sienkewicz, etc., etc. I have this massive tension with Chabon's work, which is that I often feel that the meta gets in the way of everything. At his best, he's a wickedly smart synthesist; at worst, his stuff is little better than pastiche. This volume of stories based on the Kavalier and Clay-created hero, is much more the latter, although only a small part of that is Chabon's fault, since he pens only the first story here; the others are by comics professionals (or legends). The collection has moments--and some great art--but mostly it feels derivative and uninspired, weighed down with nostalgia and self-referentiality.

Comments

[jsridler.livejournal.com]

I've enjoyed his novels (Summerlands, Adventures of . . . and Gents of the Road), but his short stories have underwhelmed me and I can't see what the fuss is about. Sorry to hear the work inspired by him also hits some sour notes. His essays are usually quite good, though he took down the website that had a lot of them there (the one on comics as "greasy kids stuff" was pretty rocking).

JSR

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I agree about the short fiction, what little I've read of it. Of the novels, I liked Kavalier and Clay and The Yiddish Policeman's Union pretty well, but didn't love either. I liked And Gentlemen of the Road best of the ones I've read, because it was a bit less self-conscious. Summerland, to me, was bloated and dull, and by all rights I should have loved it: baseball and Norse gods! How can you go wrong! . . . and yet.

[(Anonymous)]

I actually enjoyed The Escapist Vol. 1. As for the self-referentiality, I think that aspect was entirely necessary to carry off the premise of the book being a history/anthology of a comic that never existed in the first place. The only Chabon I've read is The Final Solution (I'm a Holmes fan since childhood) and Maps and Legends.

Pete (www.petelit.com)