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I am no fan of American comic books. Grown up men wearing swimming trunks over tight pants is ridiculous.

However, this has been a most enjoyable read! Prague, New York, Jews, Americans, Germans, war, comic books, masked heroes, friendship, love, struggle, mystery, American dream, Golem, escapistry...there's just about everything. And it is well mixed with a set of unique characters who are believable. Nice intro into the comic books industry of pre-war and post-war US + interesting language-wise, too.

I hope Sammy is happy in LA.

This is a depressing read about the Russians, Russia and the proverbial Russian soul. About the omnipresent material and moral poverty and alcoholism. About despair and futility. Applicable to modern-day Russia, unfortunately.

The story is irrelevant. There are no likeable characters. Conrad means to show the European and Russian worldviews not as competing, but as intrinsically alien to each other.

Imagine the French Revolution covertly instigated and conducted by a few influential figures of the establishment. With the sole aim of screwing other such people. Just to reinstall the monarchy in the end. A noble cause, perhaps. And a cunning plan. Quite naturally, things do not go as planned and take a turn for the worse. Things burn and people die in spectacular manner.

Surprisingly, the one who emerges as a complex character is Leo dan Brock. And that's it, as anything else in the book is predictable and happens exactly the way a reader had suspected since a certain prophecy in A Little Hatred. Still a great page turner.

Joe Abercrombie writes top contemporary fantasy, so do get The Age of Madness Series. You won't regret it.