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 enlarge | Author: Michael Chabon
Publisher: Highbridge Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $39.95
Buy New: $19.98
You Save: $19.97 (50%)
New (10) from $19.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  137 reviews
Sales Rank: 473512
Format: Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 12
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 6.1 x 5 x 1.4
ISBN: 1565117212
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9781565117211
ASIN: 1565117212
Publication Date: September 16, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 3-1/2 Stars: A Fanciful Romp, Engaging and Imaginative November 6, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
An intriguing mix of Beowolf, Native American lore and baseball, "Summerland" is the coming-of-age story of Ethan Feld. Many of the standard elements of this type of story are found in "Summerland" including a difficult past for Ethan as well as a search for acceptance by his father. Other characters include Ethan's friend and sidekick Jennifer T and his guide, 'Cutbelly,' a werefox.
Mr. Chabon is clearly working within the 'arch-myth' framework. "Star Wars," "The Matrix," and "Harry Potter" (to a degree) are joined by "Summerland" as tales embodying the 'hero's journey.'
"Summerland" is successful because Mr. Chabon is able to wrap enough of his wonderfully descriptive prose around a fantastic mixture of the otherworldly (Norse Mythology, Native American lore and Chabon's own take on the world of faerie) and the familiar (baseball, American tall tales, and the regular human experiences of growing up) to create a engaging whole.
Mr. Chabon set out to write a children's book. He was only marginally successful in that endeavor. Yes, the heavier plot and more obscure vocabulary of "Kavalier & Clay" is absent and the protagonist is an 11 year old boy. That doesn't mean that many of the 11 year olds that I know would be particularly fond of "Summerland." While nothing in the book is inappropriate for an 11 year old, much of the book - in fact much of what is best about the book - would go right over their heads. The 500+ pages of interwoven plot might be a bit much too for kids to read on their own, but if you're looking for something to read outloud to your kids that won't make you want to hit your head against a wall, "Summerland" is a good choice.
That isn't to say that "Summerland" isn't worth reading unless you have a collection of ankle-biters to listen. Any Chabon fan looking for something a bit lighter than "Kavalier & Clay" to read on vacation or on an airplane would certainly enjoy "Summerland."
Forget werewolves. How about werechipmunks? October 23, 2007
To say that Summerland is a quirky novel would be an understatement. First of all, it is marketed as a book equally suitable for adults and `young readers', and somehow it does indeed suit both of these audiences. Second of all, the story and its characters are just plain weird.
The plot concerns one Ethan Feld, an eleven-year-old boy who lives with his father on Clam Island, Washington and is dubbed `The Worst Sportsman in History'. Since the author is American, the sport in question is of course baseball. Ethan hates baseball, and the fact that his dad and his best friend, Jennifer T., will not let him quit the team despite his obvious lack of talent.
Then, one day, while he's on the bench during a game, he is recruited by a hundred-year-old scout called Chiron Brown to save the Summerlands, the magical equivalent of Clam Island's own Summerland. The method is baseball - why The Worst Sportsman In History has been designated for this post is never really explained - and the adversary is the evil Coyote, a creature somewhat symbolic of Satan.
From this point on, the story is just so damn fun that the plot seems unimportant. During the course of their adventures in The Summerlands, Ethan and his friend Jennifer T. are befriended by a host of bizarre creatures. These include a ferisher Chief (a species resembling fairies but who wear Red Indian clothes), a four foot six high `giant', a Sasquatch, and every kind of `were' animal imaginable: werefoxes, wererats, werebears, weresquirrels and even werechipmunks. (Werewolves are evil and on Coyote's side) They often defeat the equally interesting enemies they encounter along the way through a game of baseball. While the baseball `lingo' tends to be a bit bewildering, these scenes are just as exciting as the rest of the book and it is fascinating to watch Ethan's progress in the game.
Chabon sprinkles his prose with a wry wit that is constantly engaging, and manages to neither talk down to his young readers nor leave behind his adult ones. At times, the humour does weaken the story's ability to make the bad guys really scary or to make you bite your nails in anxiety over the heroes' safety. However, Chabon manages to counteract this by creating some genuinely dark, sad and haunting scenes, particularly relating to the death of Ethan's mother before the story began.
There are instances of Chabon's quirkiness becoming a bit excessive and affecting his style, as in the few passages where his narrative voice turns into a storyteller rather than simply being the story, and also in the sections where his explanation of the workings of his magical world become too involved and confusing. In general, though, this is a heart-warming and hugely enjoyable romp; a unique novel and another triumph from the author of Wonder Boys and The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
 Fantastic writing and depth of concept October 13, 2007
The requisite metaphor here would be something about hitting it out of the park - instead I'll simply say that this wonderfully told yarn enthralled not just me but also two daughters, all of us knowing next to nothing about any of the finer points of baseball. The mix of boy's (and girl's) own paper kind of hero-tale and rather cleverly hidden philosophy of life made the novel addictive on at least two levels (I'm pretty sure I missed some others...).
I really enjoyed this book! September 4, 2007
Flash : boy saves world! With baseball...?
A Wrinkle in Time is the only book that comes to mind to compare this one to.
And I think in technical terms to it holds up to the comparison.
Michael Chabon is just very good!
fantasy but not FANTASY March 23, 2007
To me, this book was a clever mix of fantasy with reality. Even though it is clearly a work of fantasy, there is an underlying current of reality that separates from a bit from the usual fantasy genre. This is coming from a lover of pure fantasy books. I definitely enjoyed this book and believe it would be appreciated by lovers of fantasy and adventurous, imaginative fiction alike.
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