Gentlemen of the Road: A Tale of Adventure

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Gentlemen of the Road: A Tale of Adventure

by Michael Chabon

3.36 · rating details · 4,884 ratings · 980 reviews

Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, sprang from an early passion for the derring-do and larger-than-life heroes of classic comic books. Now, once more mining the rich past, Chabon summons the rollicking spirit of legendary adventures–from The Arabian Nights to Alexandre Dumas to Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray M...moreMichael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, sprang from an early passion for the derring-do and larger-than-life heroes of classic comic books. Now, once more mining the rich past, Chabon summons the rollicking spirit of legendary adventures–from The Arabian Nights to Alexandre Dumas to Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories–in a wonderful new novel brimming with breathless action, raucous humor, cliff-hanging suspense, and a cast of colorful characters worthy of Scheherazade’s most tantalizing tales.

They’re an odd pair, to be sure: pale, rail-thin, black-clad Zelikman, a moody, itinerant physician fond of jaunty headgear, and ex-soldier Amram, a gray-haired giant of a man as quick with a razor-tongued witticism as he is with a sharpened battle-ax. Brothers under the skin, comrades in arms, they make their rootless way through the Caucasus Mountains, circa A.D. 950, living as they please and surviving however they can–as blades and thieves for hire and as practiced bamboozlers, cheerfully separating the gullible from their money. No strangers to tight scrapes and close shaves, they’ve left many a fist shaking in their dust, tasted their share of enemy steel, and made good any number of hasty exits under hostile circumstances.

None of which has necessarily prepared them to be dragooned into service as escorts and defenders to a prince of the Khazar Empire. Usurped by his brutal uncle, the callow and decidedly ill-tempered young royal burns to reclaim his rightful throne. But doing so will demand wicked cunning, outrageous daring, and foolhardy bravado . . . not to mention an army. Zelikman and Amram can at least supply the former. But are these gentlemen of the road prepared to become generals in a full-scale revolution? The only certainty is that getting there–along a path paved with warriors and whores, evil emperors and extraordinary elephants, secrets, swordplay, and such stuff as the grandest adventures are made of–will be much more than half the fun.

From the Hardcover edition.(less)

Paperback, 224 pages

Published September 30th 2008 by Del Rey

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May 29, 2008

Elizabeth added it · review of another edition

Recommended to Elizabeth by: Tim

Shelves: chocolate-club

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 30, 2009

Osho rated it

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Shelves: 2009, fiction-literature

First published serially in The New York Times, this short, picaresque novel follows an unlikely pair of Jewish mercenaries as they become embroiled in the power struggles of the Khazar. Readers from Christian backgrounds may not appreciate how refreshing it is to read a story in which all the main characters are Jewish and are doing something beyond, well, being Jewish. To have the assumption of characters' Christianity replaced by the assumption of their Judaism is a pleasure, and possibly mor...more

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Dec 06, 2008

Seizure Romero rated it

Shelves: fiction, borrowed

I stole this book from my friend Krystal. Ok, not so much stole as co-opted for a few days. I see her at the coffee shop and she shows me the book she just started reading. She then starts talking to other people. Having left my book at home in a rare moment of bibliotardedness, I start reading hers. She wanders off to run errands nearby and by the time she comes back I'm a third of the way into it. She gathers her things to go and tells me, "Go ahead and finish it. I've got another book."...more

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Nov 06, 2007

lia rated it

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Michael Chabon has been making it hard for me lately, to love him in the way I'm used to doing. The Yiddish Policeman's Union was unfinishable for me, but I'm going to try again. This is something totally different however, a swashbuckling adventure story full of Turks, caravans, princes in disguise, swordfights and ruffians of many degree. He says in the afterward that he wanted to name the book "Jews With Swords" but didn't get a lot of positive feedback on that. But it made me like...more

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Oct 10, 2008

Joe rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: didn-t-finish

This is the second Michael Chabon book in a row that I gave up reading. I just couldn't get into the characters. Like in "The Yiddish Policeman's Union" one of the things that dragged me down may have been the research involved. There were so many Yiddish terms in that book I just couldn't read it without a dictionary, and in "Gentlemen of the Road" (or "Jews With Swords" as he wanted to call it) there were so many terms associated directly with life in the medieval...more

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Dec 25, 2011

Blake Charlton rated it

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in his apology...er...afterward to this quick-witted and enjoyable historical adventure story, chabon discloses that the original working title was 'jews with swords.' (personally, i think that would have been a pretty kick ass title.) chabon goes on to explain how it came to be that he, a capital-L-literature-author, ended up writing a story that involved swords. unintentionally it smacks of condescension, of a slight embarrassment of what it was trying to be. that was my only significant compl...more

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Oct 11, 2011

Sean rated it

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Gentlemen of the Road is a truly enjoyable tale of sword and horse-ery. It follows the fortunes of two “Jews with swords,” Amram and Zelikman, as they become entangled in events larger than their standard fare of swindling and banditry. After a routine scam, they are approached by a stranger and asked to escort the last remaining member of the usurped royal family of the Khazar’s – it goes downhill from there for the protagonists. Killing, sneaking, disguises, brothels, mass killings, assassi...moreGentlemen of the Road is a truly enjoyable tale of sword and horse-ery. It follows the fortunes of two “Jews with swords,” Amram and Zelikman, as they become entangled in events larger than their standard fare of swindling and banditry. After a routine scam, they are approached by a stranger and asked to escort the last remaining member of the usurped royal family of the Khazar’s – it goes downhill from there for the protagonists. Killing, sneaking, disguises, brothels, mass killings, assassinations, and elephants are just a few things that can be found on these pages.

Let it be known that Chabon has a way with words. The language is flowery and descriptive, evoking near perfect imagery in many instances. I can see how it may be a deterrent for many readers though – the language can be thick, using a lot of perhaps obscure vocabulary to firmly set it in its period. That being said, while the novel is descriptive, the story moves quickly – at only 200 pages it is surprising how much happens. Chabon does not waste time describing that which is unnecessary.

I really loved the setting of Gentlemen of the Road. Set before the turn of the first millennium, the novel’s action is set mainly in what would be Southwest Russia on modern maps. Not a lot of time is spent describing the locales, but the reader is given a great sense of it through the language, the people met and described, and the travels of the gentlemen.

The chapters are loosely Point-of-view, generally following the action from one person’s perspective with some exceptions. The POVs are not always our protagonists either – which, for me, was one of the best aspects of the book. This allowed for some good character development for such a short work – there is so much history between Amram and Zelikman and each has an interesting past that the reader is told little of.

I am being too positive, so here is a list of some of my issues with the book: time spent brooding – one or two characters are a little too sullen for my tastes; brevity – the book is short and I wish it wasn’t, I could read this story for at least another 234 pages; dei ex machina – a lot of these going on and though necessary to move the story forward, there are a lot of happy/unhappy coincidences here (if I were to write an essay about it, I would entitle it “Of all the brothels in all the city” or “Elephants: woman’s best friend” or maybe “Who let that horse in”).

I really recommend this book. It as an engaging adventure story, with a few helpings of humour, tragedy, and an axe named “mother-defiler”.
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Nov 20, 2007

Michael rated it

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A rollicking book. If any book deserves the word 'rollicking', this is it. This adventure yarn draws heavily and with much love from Michael Moorcock, Fritz Leiber, and Robert E. Howard, among others. While some readers may wonder 'what's the point?', the reader who does not look for a point to everything will enjoy the ride immensely.

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Feb 05, 2009

Katya Zelevinsky rated it

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Shelves: historical-fiction

In the afterword for this book, Michael Chabon said that his working, half tongue-in-cheek title for the book was Jews With Swords, and that every time he told this title to his friends, they always laughed, picturing in their heads someone who looked like Woody Allen waving a sword around. This book feels like a response to all those people who laughed at the title, and a warning against the danger of stereotyping a whole people in such a way -- it's a dashing tale of swashbuckling and adventur...more

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Sep 29, 2008

Jeff rated it

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Recommends it for: people who like elephants- but only kind of

Part I of the review:
“I want to do nothing. Nothing. Okay, maybe I’ll read a book. Hmm… Gentleman of the Road, by Michael Chabon. Well, I really liked Kavalier and Clay. And I liked Yiddish Policeman’s Union. And this is a short book- maybe I’ll just read this book, and work myself out of this 5 month funk I’ve been in…
… For numberless years a myna had astounded travelers to the caravansary with its ability to spew indecencies in ten languages, and before the fight broke out e...morePart I of the review:
“I want to do nothing. Nothing. Okay, maybe I’ll read a book. Hmm… Gentleman of the Road, by Michael Chabon. Well, I really liked Kavalier and Clay. And I liked Yiddish Policeman’s Union. And this is a short book- maybe I’ll just read this book, and work myself out of this 5 month funk I’ve been in…
… For numberless years a myna had astounded travelers to the caravansary with its ability to spew indecencies in ten languages, and before the fight broke out everyone assumed the old blue-tongued devil on its perch by the fireplace was the one who maligned the giant African with such foulness and verve.

What the hell is a ‘myna’? What’s a ‘caravansary’? Dammit- I’m reading a Michael Chabon book! Which means words I’ve never heard and… yep, there they are- Zelikman- funny Jewish names. Sigh… I want to do nothing… nothing… I really don’t even want to read this book. I don’t want to do anything. Nothing. NOTHING EVER AGAIN!”

Part II of the review:
So, yes, I have finally read this book. Okay- so I guess this was the story that Michael Chabon published over a period of time through the New York Times. I remember hearing about this and thinking, "I'd like to read that..." but it turns out a full subscription to the New York Times would cost me $350, or $245 for just weekends, and let's face it- I'm not going to pay a few hundred dollars for "All the news that's fit to print" when I can get all that same news (all the news that's fit to upload into a web browser?) for free (or for whatever internet costs- it should be free). Anyway- but this isn't about how little I care about the "paper of record" and their fancy crossword puzzles- and how I’d probably be smarter if I read that particular paper- but New York doesn’t need the ego boost of having me read their paper- this is about how I muddled through the 193 pages of Gentleman of the Road, and king of enjoyed myself while doing it.
It does read like a serialized story- which isn’t a bad thing, but every chapter did end with that cliffhanger type of feeling… or did it?

Part III of the book review.
Overall- I didn’t feel the same connections with these characters as I did with Chabon’s other characters in his other novels- but then again, he only had 200 pages to work with (whereas his other books have 400 plus pages to cram full of words that I have to look up and names that I pronounce phonetically in my head) but I still enjoyed myself reading the book. It was apparently steeped in historic Jewish culture- maybe- I wouldn’t know. There was a big deal about elephants- though- it wasn’t really a big deal. Overall I think it’s a pretty good quick read. It brought me out of my five-month-long funk. Or did it?

Part IV
I’ll say this: The ending was so-so. There was all this build-up till the end, and then it just sort of ended. It made me wonder if it being published in a newspaper had anything to do with the ending. And then there’s this weird afterward by Michael Chabon. In the afterward Chabon discusses why he wrote the book (he’s experimenting with different formats?) and then he talks about going on adventures, and there’s this big to do about ‘Jews with swords’ and then he says something that almost sounds like a backhanded compliment about people not reading books anymore… or people reading books instead of carrying swords as a way of escapism, or something like that. I could have misunderstood what he was saying, but still Dude- I just bought your freaking $22 dollar book (which is still a way better deal than the $350 newspaper subscription) stop lecturing me about being afraid of going on adventure with swords and what not. Let’s just all of us read a comic book and relax.
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Mar 15, 2008

Sophia rated it

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Shelves: 2008, mainstreamfiction, own

I love Chabon's writing; his characters are so real they breathe, his prose is beautiful, and he wraps you in the blanket of the magnificent tale he weaves. Unfortunately, that blanket is often so tangled even he has a hard time getting out of it. In other words, his endings drive me nuts.

At first I thought this one would be a change, since it's shorter and the story is smaller in scope. The plot and style is well-suited to him too, as it concerns the travels of two ninth century kni...more

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Dec 29, 2007

Joaquin rated it

· review of another edition

This was just a plain old fun book to read. The writing was excellent - very clear and evocative without being overly pretentious or here-let-me-get-my-dictionary-y. There were several times when I laughed out loud or reread a passage aloud to myself or my wife just to hear the words. In fact, I think this would be a perfect book to read aloud to or with your honey. The story itself, like the title suggests, was a standard 'two dudes go wandering and adventure/hilarity ensues.' This is an ex...more

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Dec 04, 2007

Michael rated it

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Reading this directly after Lawrence Block's "Tanner's Twelve Swingers" was quite eye-opening. Unlike Block, who relied on flimsy flash and sex to barrel through his story, Chabon created a complex world for his two Jews with swords - a French Jew (before there was a France) who looks like a scarecrow and a giant Abyssinian black Jew who wields a battle ax called Motherfucker. Sure, it sounds like the stuff of fantasy, but with this little novel, Chabon achieves what only the best fa...moreReading this directly after Lawrence Block's "Tanner's Twelve Swingers" was quite eye-opening. Unlike Block, who relied on flimsy flash and sex to barrel through his story, Chabon created a complex world for his two Jews with swords - a French Jew (before there was a France) who looks like a scarecrow and a giant Abyssinian black Jew who wields a battle ax called Motherfucker. Sure, it sounds like the stuff of fantasy, but with this little novel, Chabon achieves what only the best fantasy stories can. His world, though immensely removed from our own (I mean, Jews with swords, how crazy can you get? (Chabon makes sure to address the anomaly in his Afterword)), seems much more real than much naturalism that purports to show modern life as it exists.

The two gentlemen of the road - Zelikman and Amram - take on a task - a quest, if you will - that rewards them less monetarily than politically, and perhaps morally - when they set out to escort a young royal to his grandfather's fortress and out of the way of the new bek's (king's) mercenaries.

The twists and turns of Chabon's tale delight in a rather light manner. This young royal isn't what he at first seems. The relationship between the two unorthodox Jews proves to be comically warm and the political climate of the Near East is much more interesting and varied than one would have thought. Chabon does a good job of showing that ages old fault line where the three masses of men - Christians, Jews, and Muslims - smash into each other with devastating consequences - not that Chabon delves too much into the conflict between the religions, but the obvious rifts are evident.

One of the more interesting political devices in the novel is the structure of the government of Atil - a great massive city-state split down the middle between the Jews and the Muslims - in which the bek rules over the lives of his subjects, but the kagan - a man who lives in a fortress on an island in the delta of Atil and never sees another soul except for his blind servant - tells the bek what to do. Sounds like Cheney and Bush.

A land of elephants, caravans, silk embroidered head gear, daggers, whores (love the whorehouse scenes), and Vikings makes this little book burst. A fun, fun read.(less)

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Aug 30, 2007

vladimir rated it

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Recommends it for: Sword and sorcery fans; fans pulp adventure novels; swashbuckling in all its forms..

I'm rewriting my review now that the book has finally come out (read it in August as an advance); I knew it would divide fans and perplex even more.

"Gentlemen of the Road" draws from what some might call 'pulp' fiction styles, or in other cases 'adventure fiction'. The language is very much a product of these styles of writing; frankly, prose was more complex back then (not that I'm saying it was better, but it was definitely different)-- longer sentences, oddly constructed...more

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Nov 30, 2007

Tim rated it

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Recommends it for: you

Shelves: 2007reads, theroad

Okay, this book was f****** great. And for those of you who are a little slow those asterisks stand for ucking. I would give it 6 stars if I could.
Really though, this book was just excently written. It was fun, had great character development (which I think was the main thing lacking in Chabon's last novella experiment, The Final Solution), and of course a great story with unexpected turns and an excellent ending.
I've seen that some other people have written lesser reviews and I'm...more

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Aug 07, 2008

Tim rated it

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Shelves: contemporary-fiction, mediocre-as-a-frozen-pizza, not-as-good-as-everyone-says

I didn't want to believe the negative reviews when I started this book. I'm a big fan of Michael Chabon and have been impressed with his writing. However, this novel seems to tread the line of wanting to be literary fiction or pulp adventure fiction as a result it fails at both.

The novel is bland and empty. Things happen and there is a fast pace at times, but I didn't care. That's the first for a Chabon novel. I don't care about any characters or what happens to them.

...more

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Nov 27, 2007

Stephanie rated it

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I should mark this book "partially read and discarded." I was bored with this so-called adventure story. It was a disappointment, considering that I have like most of Chabon's other works, including Summerland. I can see the model of the boy's adventure story that Chabon is trying to adhere to, but the story lacks the drama and the pacing that make such a story exciting to read. Ostensibly those elements are there -- but it didn't grab me. This might be what happens when a writer ...more

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Jun 13, 2009

Jeremy Allan rated it

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Shelves: modern-fiction

Rich setting, but in the end, all flash, no fire. Chabon is brave for trying an adventure novel, but I'd say that's the best extent of the adventure.

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Dec 27, 2007

Kellan rated it

· review of another edition

Read the books for the afterwords. The book is amusing, but slight. Chabon's meditations in the afterwords on the nature of adventure, identity, and the writing process are worth the price of admission. (though his protests as "I'm not a genre fiction writer, no really" are amusingly flimsy)

Additionally this is a book which would be greatly enhanced by being a hyperlinked document, backed by a rich wikipedia-esque data store. Rather then suffer I think the option t...more

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Jan 02, 2008

James rated it

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Recommends it for: fans of chabon or jews with swords

It took a while to get into this book--I feel like I have a pretty strong vocabulary, but I had to go to the dictionary every other page at first. However, it became clear that this was not because I'm not amazingly smart (obviously) but rather because Chabon kept drawing on archaic terms relating to the governments, games, and weapons of 10th century muslims...once google helped me figure out what the hell beks, shatranj, and kagans were, I found a very entertaining little story. If you have ...more

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Feb 05, 2009

Bookmarks Magazine added it · review of another edition

Gentlemen of the Road, compared by the New York Times Book Review to "the stories found in 19th-century dime novels and the fantastic escapades invented by Edgar Rice Burroughs and H. Rider Haggard," was first published in serial form in the New York Times Sunday Magazine. Critics quickly pointed out the telltale signs of the multiple-installment format: new characters, settings, and plot twists in every chapter, which result in a fast, sometimes confusing, pace. Chabon's lush, memorab

...more

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Dec 02, 2007

Evan rated it

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Charming tale of adventure, all the promise of a serialized penny dreadful fulfilled by a first rate writer like Chabon. For such a short piece, I fell in love with the characters.

Marred by a curiously hostile afterward which chastises the reader for thinking that adventure tales are frivolous, though such readers are the least likely to reach the end of the book. It is clear that Chabon has moved on from the "late twentieth century realism genre" as he calls it, and that...more

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Nov 20, 2011

Andy Quan rated it

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Michael Chabon is one of those names that I scan bookshelves for, all on the basis of one book: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. It was a big, substantial novel with ideas and history, whimsy and sadness, and unforgettable characters. And a comic-book theme: as a former collector, I loved it.

I think I read Mysteries of Pittsburgh, which was OK but didn't stay with me. So, here's another try - I found it on the shelves of a used bookshop, and the description of a swashbuckli...more

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Nov 15, 2011

Rebecca Grace rated it

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Michael Chabon’s Gentlemen of the Road is an adventure story set around the tenth century in Khazaria. Lauded as a “swashbuckling adventure,” by the back of the cover and various reviews, it attempts to adhere to the ideals of classic adventure stories.

The plot is straightforward: two con artists end up being roped into a story of political intrigue and assist in returning a prince to the throne. There are a few twists and turns and the imagery is rich and incredibly detailed at t...more Michael Chabon’s Gentlemen of the Road is an adventure story set around the tenth century in Khazaria. Lauded as a “swashbuckling adventure,” by the back of the cover and various reviews, it attempts to adhere to the ideals of classic adventure stories.

The plot is straightforward: two con artists end up being roped into a story of political intrigue and assist in returning a prince to the throne. There are a few twists and turns and the imagery is rich and incredibly detailed at times. However, for readers who are unused to the classical swashbuckling tale, the writing style might become confusing and, at times, tedious. A large part of the confusion is due to the rapid pacing of the story as well as Chabon’s unwillingness to call characters by their proper names. One of the main characters, Zelikman, is often referred to as “the scarecrow,” “the Frank,” and a few other nicknames as opposed to his actual name. In fact, nicknames far outweigh the use of actual names in the narration for nearly every character and it leads to some uncertainties. Another unfortunately confusing aspect of this book is its winding sentences. While beautiful on their own, often the sentences become so long and convoluted that the reader is left questioning what just happened. There are also a large number of specialized words that are never really fully described to the reader. At times it feels like in order to properly understand the book, you must have above-average knowledge of the setting and time period. As someone who did not, I found myself wanting to know exactly what a shatranj board was (I assumed it was a type of game and the pieces looked like elephants. Unfortunately, that was all I learned). It felt as if I was looking in at a scene that didn’t involve me, as opposed to one that draws its readers in by being easily accessible.

In my opinion, the strongest part of this book is its characterization. Zelikman and Amram have an amazing camaraderie despite their many differences and Chabon often throws unexpected humor into situations. As someone who isn’t particularly fond of winding sentences and confusing descriptions, I found it difficult to get into Gentlemen of the Road. However, I suggest that any potential reader finish the first chapter before giving up on this book. Right as I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy Zelikman and Amram, Chabon revealed their true nature and immediately endeared me to them. From then on, my attachment to the characters and Chabon’s portrayal of them was more than enough to make up for my initial dislike of his stylistic choices.

If you’re a big fan of classic pulp novels, this is a book you’ll probably enjoy. While not being particularly “literary,” the story and characters are entertaining and Chabon has a good grip on his stylized use of language.
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Jun 17, 2011

Yorkshiresoul rated it

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Gentlemen Of The Road is a fantasy adventure novel for readers who don't like orcs and elves but do appreciate a bit of sword play and a pub brawl. Chabon pilfers outrageously from various fantasy sources, most notably Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion for the character of Zelikman, while the giant African Amram is Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd.

From the 'borrowing' of the main characters Chabon then proceeds to set them on the path so well trodden in the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series ...moreGentlemen Of The Road is a fantasy adventure novel for readers who don't like orcs and elves but do appreciate a bit of sword play and a pub brawl. Chabon pilfers outrageously from various fantasy sources, most notably Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion for the character of Zelikman, while the giant African Amram is Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd.

From the 'borrowing' of the main characters Chabon then proceeds to set them on the path so well trodden in the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series of novels. Amram and Zelikman are swords for hire, rogues with good hearts who accept the coin of their employers without giving up their own (admittedly well hidden at times) personal sense of right and wrong.

The great thing is though, no matter how much of the protagonists character traits are borrowed, and Zelikman's educated dour and fatalistic mannerisms and appearance could make him Elrik's twin, Chabon writes his swords without sorcery story in such a manner, and with tongue so firmly in cheek, that the book is a real pleasure to read. The two friends fight, cheat, steal and bicker their way through life, following lost cause after lost cause until they eventually let their consciences lead them into a holy war.

At the heart of the novel is the great love and respect that the two men have for each other, and the heroic feats they are prepared to undertake in defence of the life of their friend, they fight like an old married couple because as life goes, they are almost married, all they really have is each other, the road and their wits.

This highly enjoyable tale isn't really a story of right versus wrong or good versus evil, Chabon's heroes exist more in shades of grey than they do in black and white, but they are good characters to involve yourself with, heroic enough to make you like them, complex enough to keep you interested, and both gifted with a wry, self-deprecating sense of black humour. Great fun to read, I don't know if Michael Chabon is the sort of author who revisits previous characters, but I would certainly enjoy further volumes of Amram and Zelikman. (less)

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Feb 19, 2011

Kiesha rated it

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Shelves: m-chabon, fiction

I like this author well enough to have a special shelf devoted to his books so it goes without saying that he is a favorite of mine.

Gentlemen of the Road had an almost Rushdie-like feel to it, with its sweeping prose. It had a decidedly different feel than some of Chabon's earlier novels - just a brief 196 pages all set circa A.D. 950. His previous novels have all had a Harper's feel to them - contemporary stories where the main male protagonists suffer through a melange of emotional...more

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Feb 16, 2011

Jared Kidder rated it

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Book: “Gentlemen of the Road”
Author: Michael Chabon
Publishing Info: Del Ray Books, 2008, New York

“Gentlemen of the Road” by Michael Chabon is a story that the author originally wanted to title “Jews with Swords”. It is set near the end of the first millennium A.D., and follows two mercenaries – Amram and Zelikman. While the story starts with the two of them swindling a tavern for money off of a fixed fight, they are soon confronted with a genuine challenge. An old man, lo...moreBook: “Gentlemen of the Road”
Author: Michael Chabon
Publishing Info: Del Ray Books, 2008, New York

“Gentlemen of the Road” by Michael Chabon is a story that the author originally wanted to title “Jews with Swords”. It is set near the end of the first millennium A.D., and follows two mercenaries – Amram and Zelikman. While the story starts with the two of them swindling a tavern for money off of a fixed fight, they are soon confronted with a genuine challenge. An old man, loyal to the former bek – war king – of the Khazars is running from the armies of his usurper, along with the bek’s son. Unfortunately, he is killed almost immediately, and they are forced to run with the son (Filaq) to attempt to bring him to another family member and receive an award.
This story takes a turn when Filaq escapes, hoping to get back to his kingdom and kill the usurper. After tracking him down, they ultimately agree to help him attempt to get his throne back. In the process they fight several battles, including multiple battles with the Usurper – Buljan – suffer imprisonment on more than one occasion, the rescue attempts that go along with them, and a very surprising secret is revealed.
While the story portrayed by Chabon is generally more of an adventure filled with excitement, there are many deeper and darker undertones. The first is displayed throughout the entirety of the book, a casual and almost cavalier attitude toward death taken by every character. This is first displayed in the first chapter, when Zelikman pretends to kill Amram to hustle the villagers out of some money. It is reinforced in nearly every chapter and brings a darker tone to the book. Another theme displayed by Chabon is the extremely unjust treatment of the Jewish people by those in other lands. This is portrayed the most fiercely in Zelikman’s background, when his mother and sister are raped and murdered right in front of him, and it is illegal for him to pick up a weapon to stop them. These things combined with several other things, such as Filaq being sent to a brothel when the secret is revealed and the brother – Alp - being sold into slavery, and several others mentioned throughout the book give a much more serious tone than is generally used in the “adventure” genre today.
Overall, “Gentlemen of the Road” is a very engaging tale, filled with battles, chases and intrigue. The mostly non-stop action leaves the reader no wanting to put the book down, and the interactions between Amram, Zelikman and Filaq add some well needed and often hilarious comedic action. After reading this book, I would definitely recommend it to others, and I am going to be reading some of his other works with the hope that they are just as good.
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Dec 29, 2010

Neil rated it

· review of another edition

since Kavalier and Clay, I've been checking out the blurbs on the back of his new books,
none of which have grabbed me. until now. "swashbuckling adventure" + 200 pages (and
large type, at that) = Sold! Bonus: it's historical fiction in a setting that hasn't gotten much
attention: the late middle ages (960 AD) around what is now southwestern Russia along
the Azerbaijan border.

slight warning: his writing here is "fancy". Chabon's sentences have alw...more

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Jul 15, 2010

ICPL Staff Picks added it · review of another edition

Shelves: john, fiction, staff-picks-blog

Ever the chameleon, Michael Chabon seems to choose projects based on not repeating whatever he’s written before. He’s finally gotten around to the wandering adventurer tale in his new Gentlemen of the Road, which is largely to a tribute to authors he’s enjoyed. He dedicates this book to Michael Moorcock, whose character Elric he largely appropriates, circumcisizing him (this book’s working title was Jews With Swords) and renaming him Zelikman, a physician, a melancholy adventurer, an herbalist a...more

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Jul 06, 2010

Paul Mckee rated it

Recommends it for: cyberpunk fans, history buffs

I first read this book serialized in the NYT magazine. I picked it up again in one of those travelers' exchange bookshelves in a guest house in the back country of BC. It works better as a book you can immerse yourself in all at once.
This book evokes the middle ages in the middle east really well. There is a lot of archaic language which you can pretty much puzzle out from context. A good dictionary or access to a search engine can take you on some wild tangents. A map of the Caspian Sea ...more

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Michael Chabon is the bestselling author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, which won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

He lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife, the novelist Ayelet Waldman, and their children.

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