The Sharpening of Pencils

My brother often comes to visit me and browses my bookshelves for my latest purchases. Sometimes I recommend things to him that I think will knock his socks off, and recently I threw Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay his way. He does comic book heroes and World War Two in a big way, you see.

I thought I'd found the perfect book for him.

So I was a bit surprised when he metaphorically demanded his money back. He hated it. Loathed the entire thing. But there was one moment