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macsuga's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse and War
Minor: Sexual assault, Torture, and Violence
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Author: Anthony Doerr
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: May 6, 2014
T H R E E • W O R D S
Daring • Vivid • Dense
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure's reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum's most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie- Laure's converge.
💭 T H O U G H T S
All the Light We Cannot See has sat unread on my shelf for far too long, yet with the release of the mini-series slated for December, I knew there was no better time to finally dive in. My expectations were incredibly high knowing it's beloved by so many, yet the size really had me hesitating. Unfortunately, the timing just wasn't right and my sky high expectations left me feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.
I'll start out by saying the imagery was stunning, the writing was evocative, and the relationship between Marie-Laure and her father was beautiful. I greatly appreciated the way she learned to find her own way in the world. It also paints a realistic depiction of young men being drawn into the Hitler Youth. However, the structure made it hard to follow the story at times, which made it unnecessarily long.
Even though I enjoyed the story overall, I never found myself totally invested. I know part of that was the timing and my expectations, but another part is just poor execution in putting the story onto paper. This is one case where I think I may enjoy the movie more than I did the book and I look forward to watching it sometime soon.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• WWII historical fiction buffs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?"
"It's embarrassingly plain how inadequate language is."
Graphic: War, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Blood, Death, Murder, Violence, Genocide, Xenophobia, Racism, and Torture
Moderate: Sexual assault, Grief, Sexual violence, Rape, Confinement, Bullying, and Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Death of parent, Child death, Cancer, and Mental illness
PTSDmiaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
‘Does she grieve over his absence? Or has she calcified her feelings, protected herself, as he is learning to do?’
‘Thats how it feels… as though his love for his daughter will outstrip the limits of his body’
‘Silence is the fruit of occupation; it hangs in branches, steps from gutters.’
Graphic: Ableism, Antisemitism, Blood, Death of parent, Cancer, War, Child death, Confinement, Death, Grief, Mental illness, and Torture
esjackson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Antisemitism, War, Physical abuse, and Genocide
Moderate: Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Ableism, Abandonment, Murder, and Cancer
Minor: Cursing and Death of parent
kim_lommaert's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Antisemitism, Racism, War, Death, Murder, Hate crime, Xenophobia, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, and Deportation
Minor: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Violence, Infertility, and Rape
medini_l's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, War, Xenophobia, and Bullying
venice_the_vampire's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: War, Racism, Violence, Hate crime, Genocide, Death, Torture, Bullying, Antisemitism, Child death, and Ableism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Mental illness, and Classism
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use
twdlover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Antisemitism
Moderate: Rape and Torture
belleden's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
I strongly disliked the way the framing device of a shifting timeline was used. The dates were sometimes clearly labeled, but often not, and I had to go back and reread several times to understand where we were in the story. I even felt that the opening chapters of the book were a spoiler and I think it would have worked much better chronologically.
Marie-Laure and her family were extremely lovable and the main reason why I kept reading. Marie-Laure felt so real and I had a deep desire to protect her the entire time I was reading. The Sea of Flames storyline was fascinating and kept me wondering until the end.
I appreciate how this book handles trauma and the realities of war.
This book was recommended for me for the Red TV prompt of the Taylor Swift reading challenge - "a book over 450 pages that will break your heart".
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Child death, Antisemitism, Bullying, and War
Moderate: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Cancer
Minor: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Rape
jiao_li's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is an incredible journey through the complexities of World War II. This book takes us into the lives of characters from both France and Germany, offering a unique perspective on the war.
First of all I found the portrayal of both the French and German perspectives to be a refreshing and enlightening aspect of the book. It adds depth to the story and allows readers to see the war from different angles.
Doerr's writing really paints a beautiful picture of the settings and brings the emotions of the characters to life. Doerr delves into the lives of the characters, giving us a nuanced understanding of their experiences and how the war impacts them.
I must also mention the excellent narration by Zach Appelman, which brings the characters to life and enhances the overall experience.
It is a must-read for hisfic fans. You should read this before the Netflix series release on November!!!
Moderate: Torture, War, Bullying, and Death