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Chabon finds ‘Road’ to Jews’ past

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Also by Andy Schmidt:

Chabon finds 'Road' to Jews' past (October 30, 2007)
'Elah' reveals reality of war (September 21, 2007)

by Andy Schmidt

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Whether his prose is covering the lives of Golden Age superheroes or Holmesian detectives, the settings of author Michael Chabon’s ("The Yiddish Policeman’s Union") stories rarely stray beyond the late-20th century. However, his new adventure novel "Gentlemen of the Road" journeys back to the Jewish kingdom of Khazaria, circa 950 A.D.

The tale is host to towering elephants, magnificent palaces and bloodthirsty empires all for a single purpose — adventure. An adventure begins with "the fatal act of leaving one’s home, or trying to return to it again," Chabon says. And he executes this storytelling canon in his work with the camaraderie between Zelikman and Amram — two lonely scoundrels who take to the road. Through their fine quips, loneliness and wanderlust, Chabon makes this uncanny juxtaposition of Jewish adventurers work.

Jewish protagonists frequent the pages of Chabon’s novels, but with a lineup as marvelously in-depth as Zelikman and Amram, the story dives "deeper into the realm of Jewishness," Chabon writes.

Zelikman, a pale, gangly man who keeps his wisp of golden hair nestled under a pointed hat, is a Frankish Jew. His comrade, Amram, is an African Jew, and a brutal warrior, to say the least. The tentative title of the book was "Jews with Swords," a name the author admits has a tendency to evoke a distorted image. To the contrary, the massive battle-ax — which bears the inscription "Defiler of Your Mother" — wielding Amram is sure to dispel any conception of "the pirate Motel Kamzoil" as the quintessential Jew with a sword.

Chabon’s adventure wastes no time getting started, as Zelikman and Amram fight to the death while local drunkards, vagabonds and ne’er-do-wells place bets on the dispute. The fight is not the result of typical barroom squabbles. It is how the two swindlers earn their keep — through a series of well-rehearsed theatrical sword fights. In order to perpetuate their assets, Zelikman and Amram agree to escort the imperiled Prince Filaq of the Kingdom of Khazaria. Filaq is a foul-mouthed gamin who will stop at nothing to regain the throne of his homeland, even if he has to bite off a manhunter’s ear in the process.

In "Gentleman of the Road," Chabon draws much inspiration from adventure writers of the past. Its action resonates from the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien and Fritz Leiber. Along their journey, Zelikman and Amram even employ the service of Hanukkah, a Sancho Panza-like companion.

As one of today’s most unparalleled authors, Chabon writes with timeless majesty. His faultless diction matches that of Shakespeare, Dickens and other literary virtuosos of their respective generations. Right down to the delightfully sagacious chapter headings, "Gentlemen of the Road" packs Chabon’s addictive punch with a few delightful twists along the way.

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