Tom De Haven

Extremely well written and fascinating "what if" look at the origins of Superman. Very reminiscent of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, while still keeping its uniqueness. The strength of the book were not the characters you already knew -- Clark, Lois, or Lex -- but the cast of original characters that fleshed out not only the story but the entire universe. This is the Silver Age Superman re-conceptualized for the real world (killer robots notwithstanding).

This book looked appealing, because it promised a literary and intelligent look at a cultural icon, and that sort of thing has always appealed to me. It was literary, and literate. It's a well-written book. And it was intelligent. And it didn't insult the intelligence of the reader.

What it wasn't was very interesting. I feel like this was a huge opportunity for something as dynamic as the title character, yet De Haven seemed intent on avoiding the big scenes and the big themes that could show more well have suited this subject. Everything he writes is interesting and very well researched, insofar as authenticity to its time, it seems to me. But if you're going to write a book about Superman and how he got to be who he is, I would hope you wouldn't save all your extraordinary action and conflict until the final quarter. I enjoyed reading along, but kept thinking, "When's it going to start?" Right after it finally did start, it stopped.

A serious novel on Superman, as well-written as this one is, should leave the reader deeply moved, intensely affected in some way. This one left me remembering how I'd cried over the death of Superman story back in one of the 1960s comic books, and wondering why I felt so much more moved then. show less

I don't know if I can praise this book enough.

The atmosphere De Haven creates with his dusty, detailed Depression setting merges with the well-known Superman origin story to create something of an entirely different style, but with the same lasting poignancy. His sharp present-tense prose has the punch of a comic strip, and he takes his time with both setting and characters. This book is a commentary not just on Superman, but also on the hero's influence in American culture--and, even more show more prominently, the influence of American culture on him.

Incredibly well-crafted. Fantastic. show less

Tom De Haven begins with "Our version of the story opens..." and tells a new origin story for Superman. This story has no mention of where Clark Kent came from. No one knows the answer and whatever it was he rode in on was completely destroyed. This leaves Clark with a sense of isolation and confusion about who he is that lasts throughout the entire story. There are not a lot of "super" feats through the book, as it is mostly about Clark Kent learning what he is capable of and trying to find show more a place in the world where he can feel significant.

And that is why this is another Superman book that leaves me disappointed. Tom De Haven has written this superhero book from the point of view that heroes just don't exist. Everyone is hopelessly flawed and the only reason anyone is worthy of respect is because they've hidden faults better than other people.

Clark's part in the story is all about his selfish desires to be significant in his own eyes. I don't mind leaving knowledge about Krypton out of the story. That's a valid take. I do mind making both Clark and Superman unintelligent hicks that have no idea what to do... ever. This Superman is one full of self-pity and self-doubt that leaves him paralyzed and unable to find meaning in anything that he does. He has no real desire to help people, he just doesn't want to feel like he should be doing something when he's not. Throw in a pervasive agnosticism that is displayed as every character's main attribute, Lois lane who seems to always be in her underwear and jumps into bed with three different guys, and no one is likeable. None of them have superior morals to Lex Luthor, they just don't break the law as much. Of course, that's what you'd expect in a fictional world where agnosticism is the best version of truth you can find.

This is a good fiction novel. It's just not a good Superman novel. show less