Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
Oct 12th, 2006 by B.
Even though I’m an avid reader I tend not to post reviews because, in my mind, just about every book written is a winner in one way or another. I have my favorites… novels, authors, themes… but I figure if you’re a reader yourself, you already know about them. And if you’re not a reader, well, it makes for a pretty boring entry.
But today I’m going against the grain and posting a quick review. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is an amazing read. I put off reading it for a long time because I generally don’t like themed books, and this one being written through the eyes of a 9 year old boy who’s just lost in father to the atrocities of 9/11 seemed a little too themey.
Still, I’m so glad I finally read it. Jonathan Safran Foer’s characters are as quirky as some of my favorite indy films. And through the innocent dealings of rambunctious Oskar Schell, I did a lot of laughing and even more crying. And in the end I felt profoundly sad that it was over… which, for me, is the sign of a great book.
Another nice surprise… my current home of Dresden, Germany was part of the fabric of the story, as it connected Oskar’s loss with that of his grandfather’s. Bonus!
On this day..
- TKS can kiss my ass. - 2006
Once I get back to reading I will have to get the book and read.
I loved Dresden when I visited and I need to go back and see friends that I have there.
I just read this and my book group is reading it next year. Its great.
Try “Everything is Illuminated”. Its really good too. Not so good for ESL-ers because the narrator in a Ukrainian using a theasurus so the humor in word choices might be difficult to understand.
Jen- I’ll have to check out Everything is Illuminated. I think EL&IC hit me at the right time because I needed a good cry… and boy did it deliver.
I loved both those books! Pure BLISS.