"...the sky is as blue as the ribbon on a prize-winning lamb"

This will be a great undertaking.
Prolific and fiercely prominent author Michael Chabon can keep things difficult, in that he tackles historical, contemporary, cultural and sensitive issues in his works. Thankfully, he tackles said issues in droves, so if one has read, and embarked on the Chabon experience, they may be more inclined to move forward with the read as opposed to furrowing their brow in firepissed frustration.

This reader will merely provide a snapshot synopsis of her opinion of the novel, as to dive into the finer nuiances would be to take all the days of my blog.

To begin, Chabon is a beast. He's fabulous and his writing is so assured, patented, and cooly executed that I lost sight of reading and fell into a trance of beautiful and unexpected imaginative day dream. It was through his description of his characters imagination that his fine eye for detail differeniciated him from his fellow minutely detailed writer pals. The story is built on a series of foundations that crumple and rebuild themselves at all points of the novel. First and foremost we're introduced to the strong relationship established among Sammy and Joe - two distinctly different, yet forever fused personalities who mirror that sick 'togetherness' of the Gilmore Girls and leave the reader gasping for explanation and demanding reunion when they're not in one another's company. Chabon doesn't seem to favor one more so than the other - and while Joe seems the character more strongely illustrated in change and his phoenix like return - the story really seems dedicated to Sammy's apotheosis.

It's a give and take and Chabon uses near principle characters (see: Rosa, escapist) to weave a delicate balance among the two. The characters seem soft in their voracity- and the obvious heroic ties aren't convoluted or overdone.

I think Chabon acheives this through his characters eagerness and child like adherence to the American Dream. It's satirical in its delivery, and hopeful in its execution. The comic book references, so intricately relayed and historically accurate only heighten the realistic endeavors with which these characters set foot. I never once questioned the unbelieve way in which Sammy and Joe made their millions.
I found myself connected and gripping pages in intense anticipation of Sammy's lost love and Joe's family ties.
The writing - a voice both cocky and with a solipsistic swagger - further convinced me of the characters youthful vitality and lended understanding to their mistakes. Chabon makes them real in their quests - often failing - and unfledgingly childish in their dreams.

The first thing that came to mind at the finish of the novel was how colorful a read it was. Not in the sense that their was imminent action! (which there was) or crazy, cooky characters (which there were): but in the notion that the inks and drawings and glossy dog eared covers of the comic book realm described- that paralleled the world of the main characters - was so vivid and real and beautiful that I felt as though I were reading a lovely graphic novel that went on for days.

I could never thank Mr. Chabon enough for this experience.

4/4 Hula hoops.
Now we're cooking with gas.....