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kurwaczytaj's review against another edition
4.0
Malá kniha o velkých knihách. A také o komiksech. Také o lžích a pravdách. Také o psaní a čtení knih. nejvíce se mi líbila část o tom, jak by vypadala země, kde by se mluvilo jidiš. Případně jak by vypadala současná Evropa kdyby nedošlo k šoa.
vbroes's review against another edition
4.0
Mandatory reading for Chabon aficionados. The opening essay on genre should also be mandatory reading for anyone involved in literature and literary criticism (both mainstream and genre).
bubblegumbook's review against another edition
3.0
I only read the section titled "On Daemons and Dust" because I love The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.
spiderfelt's review against another edition
5.0
Definitely a great book for fans who want more insight into Chabon's process and inner thinking. Some of the pieces were familiar, but as this collection is pulled from many different sources, who knows where I first read them. Still, they were just as enjoyable read for the second or third time, particularly the last piece which is the text of a lecture given in 2003, a fictionalized memoir. Real or not, I can't get enough.
neko_cam's review against another edition
2.0
Despite his verbosity and apparent fondness for the comma, some of Chabon's essays have proven surprisingly persuasive. So far I especially recommend Ragnarok Boy and On Daemons & Dust, concerned with 'D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths' and Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy respectively.
sillyzilly's review against another edition
4.0
I love Michael Chabon's writing, and this is like DVD commentary for his writing, as seen through his reading. Wonderful essays on genre and genre lit--brainier than I had expected, but in a good way.
jasonfurman's review against another edition
4.0
At their best, these essays are superb. Would particularly cite the opening essay ("Trickster in a Suit of Lights" which focuses on the modern short story, and laments the increased divergence from its roots in ghost stories, adventure stories, and the like) and the closing essay/fiction ("Golems I Have Known" which seamlessly weaves autobiography with invention to describe Chabon's encounters with three golems that shaped his subsequent life and trajectory, with a particularly richly drawn fraudulent writer/Holocaust survivor).
In between, many of the essays focus on particular books or authors. When you have read/like them, they can be extremely good (the essay on His Dark Materials is fascinating, describing it as coming from the Christian tradition while most other fantasy is from the Norse), in some cases they serve as a good introduction to an author you may read little or none (e.g., "The Other James" about M.R. James), but in many--especially the ones about comic books I have never read--it is less interesting.
Overall, the goal of the book is to defend genre fiction--and especially comic books--celebrating the "trickster" in literature who entertains with well shaped stories with good plots, interesting characters, and leaving the reader uncertain what is real and what is a trick. And it was successful in achieving this goal.
In between, many of the essays focus on particular books or authors. When you have read/like them, they can be extremely good (the essay on His Dark Materials is fascinating, describing it as coming from the Christian tradition while most other fantasy is from the Norse), in some cases they serve as a good introduction to an author you may read little or none (e.g., "The Other James" about M.R. James), but in many--especially the ones about comic books I have never read--it is less interesting.
Overall, the goal of the book is to defend genre fiction--and especially comic books--celebrating the "trickster" in literature who entertains with well shaped stories with good plots, interesting characters, and leaving the reader uncertain what is real and what is a trick. And it was successful in achieving this goal.
guinness74's review against another edition
5.0
Seriously, it is simply a joy to read words put together by Mr. Chabon. The sentences flow delicately and I am bathed in literary delight as I read. I do sometimes have to get out the dictionary because his vocabulary is significant, but the effort is joyful and not the least bit concerning. This book is non-fiction, and I only state that because I know him primarily as a fiction writer (which he discusses in this book), but you should be aware that these are essays and not a story. However, this does not detract, in any way, from the glorious glow that is experienced from his writing. Enjoy!
ponycanyon's review against another edition
3.0
Is there anything more infuriating than the effete elite passionately defending their slumming? Chabon blathers on and on about how much he "really" loves that decadent lowbrow genre fiction, but his essay style is so mannered and wordy that it reads like a McSweeny's parody of such a book. Back to novels, Michael!