Books like Gentlemen of the Road

"All the evil in the world derives from the actions of men acting in a mass against other masses of men."- Michael Chabon, Gentlemen of the RoadJews with Swords? I guess that was Chabon's working title, if Chabon is to be believed. He is a bit unreliable. His prose, however, is delicious. His perspective is always new and fresh. I don't think this is nearly one of his great ones*, but it seems like it might have been the most enjoyable (that I've read so far) for Chabon to write. It is a yarn, a tale, a swashbuckler, a grift, a rollick, a legend. I'm not sure why it hasn't been made into a movie. It is NOT, however, a live promotions company, record label and organizer of the global series of Stopover Festivals. That is a different set of Gentlemen. This short novel seems like some Jewish equivalent to The Princess Bride (yes, I understand that William Goldman is Jewish, but the Princess Bride was not directly a Jewish adventure). Anyway, it was the perfect book to read as I flew from Phoenix to Dallas to start a weeklong eclipse road trip with my brother and Douglas Laux. It was tight and the prose was classic Chabon. One of my favorite things about this book? The chapters:"On Discord Arising from the Excessive Love of a Hat""On the Seizing of a Low Moment""On Anxieties Arising from the Impermissibility, However Unreasonable, of an Elephant's Rounding Out a Prayer Quorum""On the Melancholy Duty of Soldiers to Contend with the Messes Left By Kings"* Great Ones:1. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay2. Moonglow3. Wonder Boys4. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh5. The Yiddish Policemen's Union