Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon

A book review by Anne McFadgen

Michael Chabon clearly had great fun writing Gentlemen of the Road and indulging his inner adventurer. Not just any adventurer, either, but a specifically Jewish one: Jews with Swords was his working title for this swashbuckling take on the road-trip novel, set in tenth century Caucasia.

Amram, a huge black Abyssinian (the brawn), and Zelikman, a skinny white Frank (the brains), make a successful if unlikely team, working their way up and down the Silk Road trade route as multi-talented thieves, con-men and soldiers of fortune. They have one thing in common; both are Jews.

One day a usually sure-fire con trick goes awry, leaving the reluctant duo encumbered with the care of Filaq, obnoxious heir to the Bek of the predominantly Jewish kingdom of Khazaria. Anxious to avoid the assassins hired by duplicitous Khazarian usurper, Buljan, they hastily set out for the safety of Azerbaijan. However, Filaq is determined to go home and escapes, leading the two adventurers on a merry dance through the Caucasus which culminates in a daring attempt to retake Khazaria.

In his writing style Chabon pays deliberate homage to the pulp historical adventure/fantasy writers of the 1920s, '30s and '40s; Harold Lamb, Talbot Mundy, Rafael Sabatini, L. Sprague de Camp and Robert E. Howard, themselves inspired by nineteenth century authors of the high adventure genre like H. Rider Haggard. In the U.K. edition, even the book's physical appearance faithfully mirrors that of the originals, including the iconic illustrations.

Although at face value Gentlemen of the Road is a simple entertaining romp, full of break-neck action and laconic wit, some sophisticated use of language has gone into creating its authentically vintage flavor. This phrase, for example, is one of many which caught my fancy: "Long strings of men and women and animals knotted and coiled as the townspeople abandoned their lives." (2007, 204 pages)