From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Pulitzer Prize winner–Chabon (The Yiddish Policemen's Union) recreates 10th-century Khazaria, the fabled kingdom of wild red-haired Jews on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, in this sprightly historical adventure. Zelikman and Amram, respectively a gawky Frank and a gigantic Abyssinian, make their living by means of confidence tricks, doctoring, bodyguarding and the occasional bit of skullduggery along the Silk Road. The unlikely duo find themselves caught up in larger events when they befriend Filaq, the headstrong and unlikable heir to the recently deposed war king of the Khazars. Their attempts to restore Filaq to the throne make for a terrifically entertaining modern pulp adventure replete with marauding armies, drunken Vikings, beautiful prostitutes, rampaging elephants and mildly telegraphed plot points that aren't as they seem. Chabon has a wonderful time writing intentionally purple prose and playing with conventions that were most popular in the days of Rudyard Kipling and Talbot Mundy. Gary Gianni's elegant illustrations, a cross between Vierge's art for Don Quixote and Brundage's Weird Tales covers, perfectly complement the historical adventure. A significant change from Chabon's weightier novels, this dazzling trifle is simply terrific fun. (Oct.)
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Audiofile
Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon delves into a mysterious world of barbarians, city-states, and crafty travelers in the oddly named GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD. The book owes much to Robert E. Howards CONAN. Andre Braugher, star of the tele?vision show Homicide, reads the exposition-heavy book set a thousand years ago in the Khazar kingdom near the Black Sea. His delivery is straightforward but does not exploit the actors range of talent. His performance might have been more engaging if the book had more dialogue. As it stands, the work drags in places. A rapier-wielding Jewish doctor and horse thief and his companion, a surly African ax-wielder, become involved in restoring an heir to a kingdom. Chabon is featured in a bonus afterword in the set. M.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
