Gentlemen of the Road: Swashbuckling historical fiction

Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon

Michael Chabon’s Gentlemen of the Road (2007) is a swashbuckling historical fiction about a pair of Jewish vagabonds in 10^th century Khazaria. Amran is a large Abyssinian, while Zelikman is a somber doctor who explains that he does not save the lives of his patients — he only “prolongs their futility.” We meet our heroes in the midst of a con game and the two rogues soon find themselves in the middle of a royal plot.

Though Gentlemen of the Road is a pretty straightforward historical fiction — there are no sorcerers — there is still plenty here for fantasy fans to enjoy. Chabon’s heroes, for example, strongly recall Fritz Leiber’s Fahfrd and the Grey Mouser. And perhaps only Joe Abercrombie derives more joy from describing his heroes’ broad lats and deadly weapons. Zelikman fights with a lancet, while Amran carries a luxurious, ornate, and massive axe whose name roughly translates to “mother defiler.” He’s a pretty bad dude.

The novel was originally published in serial form, which should perhaps be taken into account if reading the story in one sitting. The plot did not really hook me, and the rich, even indulgent, prose seemed to be more important than the action. Readers don’t even have to turn the first page to get a sense of what kind of writing they’re in for – a few chapter titles are more than sufficient. Here:

• On Discord Arising From the Excessive Love of a Hat
• On Some Peculiarities in the Trading Practices of Northmen
• On the Seizing of a Low Moment

At times, I wondered if Chabon had deliberately chosen a form that would allow him to just write with style and panache — damn all other expectations. In fact, I often suspected while reading this novel that Chabon wanted a form that would allow him the freedom to just have fun at his desk. In his afterword, Chabon shares that the original title was “Jews With Swords.”

Gentlemen of the Road is a neat little book, but I cannot recommend without reservation. I enjoyed the style, liked Amran, and sympathized with Zelikman, but I am not sure this novel stands up to the rest of Chabon’s work. As it appears to be a diversion from the rest of Chabon’s output, it is hard to gauge whether his fans will enjoy Gentlemen of the Road. (If I were a betting man, I’d expect this novel to divide his fans.) Ultimately, even if we ignore all of that, I’m left wondering what it means if the author’s afterword is more interesting than the novel?

I listened to Random House Audio’s production of Gentlemen of the Road, which was read by Andre Braugher. Braugher has a deep and sonorous voice that is a pleasure to listen to. I sometimes felt that his reading took away from the novel’s humor, but I would otherwise listen to him again.