A review by steph_84
Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer

3.0

This is indeed an ambitious book, both in regards to format (switching between styles and narrators) and content (family life, religion and finding meaning). It’s just so darn long: 571 pages in the edition I read and it’s just excessive. It would have been better as a more tightly-written and more focussed book of 250 pages.

There are some interesting ideas and themes: the cultural, emotional and historical roles that religion play for atheists, what makes or breaks a marriage, what it means to be a good person or live a good life; but often the anecdotes and D&Ms seem self-important or just rambley. Sometimes I felt like I was overhearing one of those slightly-drunken, overly-earnest conversations that uni students have at 1am as a houseparty is winding down. I’ve had enough of those in my life without needing to read them too. Ditto for the long strings of conversation where people are arguing or musing: they were like clips from real life but less interesting because they’re not real. Perhaps if the characters were more likeable we’d care more?

The best parts of the book were where the narrative was stronger, but even then there are scenes or ideas that seem like good opportunities but then disappear into nothing. For example, the most likeable characters for me were Billie and Noam, yet they only appear briefly and we don’t find out what happens to them.

In short: good ideas, no where near enough editing.