Gentlemen of the Road

The thing I like about Michael Chabon's novels is that the stories are so different. Some authors seem to write the same type of story over and over, but with Chabon, it's something new every time. His latest, Gentlemen of the Road, is set in 950 A.D. in the Khazar empire. An unlikely pair of gentlemen of the road wander the land, making their living from the occasional con, barely escaping a few sticky skirmishes. Zelikman, a Jew, is "a slight, thin-shanked fellow, gloomy of countenance, white as tallow, his hair falling in two golden curtains on either side of his long face." Amram is a giant ax-wielding African with "skin that was lustrous as the tarnish on a copper kettle, and his eyes womanly as a camel’s, and his shining pate with its ruff of wool whose silver hue implied a seniority attained only by the most hardened men, and above all with the air of stillness that trumpeted his murderous nature to all but the greenest travelers." On one of their adventures, they meet Filaq, a prince of Khazar, whose father, the king, was murdered. Filaq is bent on revenging his family and reclaiming the throne of Khazar. Zelikman and Amram are swept up in the rebellion as they attempt to help Filaq reclaim the throne.

Chabon, who originally titled the work Jews with Swords, described the novel as a "swashbuckling adventure story" and it definitely is that. The story grips you from the very beginning with sword fighting, hasty escapes and these two very interesting characters. Chabon's typical rich, verbose prose is present here as well. I found myself consulting a dictionary and trusty Wikipedia several times while reading this story. It's a fun, quick read-great for anyone who likes a good, old-fashioned adventure story.