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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
2.5**
Oskar Schell is trying to make sense of his dad’s death in the World Trade Towers on 9/11. He comes across a key inside a vase on the top shelf of his father’s closet and is convinced that if he can find the lock that the key fits he’ll find out something important about his father. So without telling his mother, or anyone else for that matter, he begins to search the boroughs of New York for the answer.
This is a great premise and I really wanted to like this book. I loved Oskar and the parts of the book written in his voice were the ones with which I most easily connected. But Foer is also telling the story of Oskar’s grandparents and includes chapters from both his grandmother’s and grandfather’s perspectives. These quickly become disjointed. Then there are the illustrations and photos interspersed throughout the book, as well as the red-ink editing notations (something Oskar’s father would do with the Sunday NY Times). These “interesting” typefaces, coupled with the occasional sudden changes in narrative voice, were just distracting to me. They seemed to be screaming “Look how clever I am!” rather than actually adding anything of value to the narrative. The title is, therefore, perfect. Foer’s effort is “extremely loud and incredibly close” … but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, not in literature.
Oskar Schell is trying to make sense of his dad’s death in the World Trade Towers on 9/11. He comes across a key inside a vase on the top shelf of his father’s closet and is convinced that if he can find the lock that the key fits he’ll find out something important about his father. So without telling his mother, or anyone else for that matter, he begins to search the boroughs of New York for the answer.
This is a great premise and I really wanted to like this book. I loved Oskar and the parts of the book written in his voice were the ones with which I most easily connected. But Foer is also telling the story of Oskar’s grandparents and includes chapters from both his grandmother’s and grandfather’s perspectives. These quickly become disjointed. Then there are the illustrations and photos interspersed throughout the book, as well as the red-ink editing notations (something Oskar’s father would do with the Sunday NY Times). These “interesting” typefaces, coupled with the occasional sudden changes in narrative voice, were just distracting to me. They seemed to be screaming “Look how clever I am!” rather than actually adding anything of value to the narrative. The title is, therefore, perfect. Foer’s effort is “extremely loud and incredibly close” … but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, not in literature.
This book was so full of different emotions it was hard for me to keep track at times what I was supposed to be feeling.
Sometimes it made me feel confused and sometimes it took me a few sentences to realise who the letter I was reading was from. Sometimes it made me laugh when I read some of the crazy thoughts that came in to Oskar's mind and his interesting view of the world and how thing (should) work. Sometimes it made me really sad to read some of the parts about 9/11, and then in the next sentence it would be back to quirky when telling me about some of the characters that Oskar was meeting in New York on his mission to find the lock that fit the key.
It isn't going to be a book that appeals to everyone as the writing style, although very clever, witty and engaging, could sometimes get a little confusing when trying to follow the thought process of Oskar and the Grandma, but once you get used to it you are taken on an almost magical (but realistic) journey that you can't help but want to tag along on. I can't wait to see the movie.
Sometimes it made me feel confused and sometimes it took me a few sentences to realise who the letter I was reading was from. Sometimes it made me laugh when I read some of the crazy thoughts that came in to Oskar's mind and his interesting view of the world and how thing (should) work. Sometimes it made me really sad to read some of the parts about 9/11, and then in the next sentence it would be back to quirky when telling me about some of the characters that Oskar was meeting in New York on his mission to find the lock that fit the key.
It isn't going to be a book that appeals to everyone as the writing style, although very clever, witty and engaging, could sometimes get a little confusing when trying to follow the thought process of Oskar and the Grandma, but once you get used to it you are taken on an almost magical (but realistic) journey that you can't help but want to tag along on. I can't wait to see the movie.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Such, SUCH an incredibly powerful, quirky, somber, depressing, funny, poignant book about a boy on the spectrum who travels around NYC to find the lock to a key that his father "hid" for him (a game they used to play). But, his father died during the 9/11 bombing, so this becomes more about a search for Oscar's connection to his dad and forgiveness towards himself more so than just trying to solve a puzzle.
I have never been struck speechless more so than by this book, and at one time I had to pull over from driving because I couldn't stop weeping. The audiobook, btw, is spectacular and I highly recommend it because you will hear all the accents, the voices, the sounds of Oscar's speech patterns, and you will not want to stop listening until the final word is read.
In his search, Oscar literally knocks on nearly every door in NYC that has the last name "Black" so he can find someone who knew his dad, and you get to hear all their stories - some are fun, others are heartbreaking, terrible narratives from Hiroshima, from the Dresden bombings, and finally 9/11. Yet you will also read about love, what it means to LIVE, to be afraid, and to take chances. You will also get into the mind of a child on the spectrum that can't possibly fathom the existential crisis into which he is invariably thrown.
This book is not exactly hopeful, but Foer did such a phenomenal job with making this vividly raw and real, and at the end I feel that Oscar found some semblance of peace amidst his mourning.
Please read this book and never forget that this is one story out of thousands of souls that perished on that day. It is one that brings 9/11 back to remembrance where it should stay, and not only that day - but this powerful novel - will haunt you.
I have never been struck speechless more so than by this book, and at one time I had to pull over from driving because I couldn't stop weeping. The audiobook, btw, is spectacular and I highly recommend it because you will hear all the accents, the voices, the sounds of Oscar's speech patterns, and you will not want to stop listening until the final word is read.
In his search, Oscar literally knocks on nearly every door in NYC that has the last name "Black" so he can find someone who knew his dad, and you get to hear all their stories - some are fun, others are heartbreaking, terrible narratives from Hiroshima, from the Dresden bombings, and finally 9/11. Yet you will also read about love, what it means to LIVE, to be afraid, and to take chances. You will also get into the mind of a child on the spectrum that can't possibly fathom the existential crisis into which he is invariably thrown.
This book is not exactly hopeful, but Foer did such a phenomenal job with making this vividly raw and real, and at the end I feel that Oscar found some semblance of peace amidst his mourning.
Please read this book and never forget that this is one story out of thousands of souls that perished on that day. It is one that brings 9/11 back to remembrance where it should stay, and not only that day - but this powerful novel - will haunt you.
Wow. This book was so incredible. However, I struggled so hard to get into it. It took me about 5 times. I would pick it up and put it down. Pick it up and put it down. Then I tried to read it as an ePub. That didn’t work. Finally I just kept telling myself to keep reading the paperback until I’m at least a chapter or two in. It worked! I fell in love and binged the entire book. I cried like a baby. It was such a moving book and did a great job pulling at my heart strings. I think a huge reason why I couldn’t get into it was because it was so confusing jumping back and forth. There were parts I didn’t understand who was talking and why that character was important in the story. As the story goes on, you then understand but at the beginning it was difficult. Overall, I loved it and I’m so glad I stuck with it. It really makes you think about how limited our time is here on earth and to live it to the fullest. It also taught me that sometimes we won’t find the answers we’re looking for and that’s just a part of the journey. If you’re thinking of reading it, I highly recommend that you do!