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dyno8426's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close are very appropriate adjectives to convey the feelings of this book. This is one of the books whose intensity of feeling is its MVP. The entire narrative gravity comes from the tragic 9/11 terrorist attack like a black-hole which pulls all events and revelations towards itself. The protagonist is an "unusual" kid who lost his father in this event. He is left with a vacuum of memories and a neglected key as the only legacy. This key metaphorically becomes the unlocking factor of the events that transpired in shaping the severely depressed protagonist that we see before us and also to unlock the other intense thoughts and feelings that he is repressing as a coping mechanism. This mystery to find out what message from his father this key opens also connects his story with his grandparents who are immigrants from Germany and survivor of another such instance of the tragic violence and destruction that humans have inflicted on each other. Foer tells all this in a modern, experimental style where we see his creative freedom getting expressed in varying styles of parallel storylines, symbolically punchy portions of narrative where the smallest expression evokes the most profound feeling and most prominently, the dense prose that jumps seemingly arbitrarily across focal points and multiple emotions but actually weaves a continuous, rich reading experience. The spotlight effect is on our young protagonist and the theme of the pervasive sadness that peeks through the prose. For people with stronger sense of empathy, this will surely be powerfully saddening and moving. There is almost no relief from the intensity of this feeling of loss that grips the readers and the repercussions of human cruelty. Through the use of this stream-of-consciousness style frequently, this book feels heavy - despite the occasional lightness of the protagonist's creativity and his hyperactive imagination. And finally, the book crystallises its impressions and gives form to its flow creatively through images - some so hauntingly beautiful to leave you spellbound and get really into the "heavy boots" that the little Oskar Schell is wearing.
mamallama25's review
Content just seemed too crude for me and I didn’t care to continue further….
mimiashton's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
yeshi's review against another edition
4.0
I wish it were 5, like the first book from this author. The story is 3.5/5 for me but I round it up for how beautifully it was all narrated and also because this story, I am not saying this book but this story, has pictures and photographs and all together felt like a big beautiful piece of art. Despite how sad everything is, the book left me with a fuzzy-sort-of-warm feeling. You might as well just read it. :)
whimsy_and_rigor's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Devastatingly beautiful and creative and innovative. The author includes photos in a beautiful way and the story is absolutely heartbreaking in the best way.
niccinite's review against another edition
2.0
This book is ok..I feel like it's kind of all over the place. The point of view changes so often it can get confusing. It's a good story, but a little hard to follow. I liked it, but probably wouldn't read it again.
herri1je's review against another edition
1.0
I had a very hard time connecting with the story. I found the writing style to be pretentious, lackluster and gimmicky. Did not finish at 50%
dimiii's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
luigiafalce's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5