Review (Of Sorts): Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
by Jenners • 06/10/2011 • 4 Stars, E Titles, F Authors, Fiction, Literary • 62 Comments
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran FoerPublisher: Mariner Books, 2006
Pages: 368
Genre: Fiction
Where I Got It: Read it on my Kindle
My Rating: 4 stars
A few preliminary words: Sometimes when I sit down to write a book review, I end up writing an unconventional review. This is one of those times. However, I do want to suggest that, if you decide to read this book, you get a paper copy so you can fully appreciate the photos that are used throughout the book. I read this on my Kindle and only saw stuff in black and white. Then Erin at Erin Reads (who hosted a Buddy Read for this book in June) posted a photo of one of the pages in the book and it made me wish I’d read the paper version (or perhaps on Nook Color). Just a bit of advice. Now on with the review (of sorts).
Dear Jonathan:
We meet again! I really thought it was over between us because of my disappointment—almost bordering on intense dislike—with your first book, Everything Is Illuminated. But I decided to give you a second chance based on the brief glimpses of brilliance that I saw in that book. I’m so glad I did because Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was a much better reading experience—funny, touching, heart-breaking, and experimental in a less annoying way. Best of all, you created some truly memorable characters (oh … I how loved Oskar!) and dealt with a difficult topic (September 11th) in a way that was respectful but true to your artistic vision.
First of all, let me say how impressed I am that you felt comfortable taking on a topic like 9/11. I haven’t read too many novels that dealt with a fictionalized version of 9/11, and I think that is because it is imperative that an author deals with it respectfully but in a way that is true to the characters. How daring of you to take it on! We all bring our own images, memories, thoughts and experiences of 9/11 with us, and I think it such a loaded topic that it would be tricky for a novelist to tackle it head-on. (I’ve only seen it touched on tangentially.) But you chose to do so—going so far as to use (what I believe were) actual photos from 9/11 in the book. (By the way, kudos for the “multimedia” aspect of the book. Your use of photos throughout the book was interesting—particularly the multi-colored signatures on the notepad that Oskar finds and the photos used at the very end of the book. And the way you used the photos at the end of the book just did me in and left me in tears. Well done.)
I think the fact that you used Oskar’s loss of his dad in the collapse of the Twin Towers and tied that to the losses that his grandparents experienced during the Dresden firebombing helped to make this book more about the nature of loss and grief than simply a “9/11 novel.” People have been dying senselessly from acts of violence throughout the ages. It is catastrophic to the people left behind regardless of the scale of the violence or whether the violence was during a “sanctioned” war. Loss of all types eviscerates you and causes you to lose your way. By telling Oskar’s story and his grandparents stories concurrently, we come to feel and learn so much about the nature of loss, grief, regret and guilt of survivors. From Oskar’s search for the lock to his grandfather’s loss of words, I thought you made the desperation of grief tangible and vivid.
This could have been a very depressing book, but your choice to make Oskar such an interesting and quirky character was a stroke of genius. Although he seems wildly precocious for his age (he’d get along just fine with Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce!), I fell in love with Oskar from the moment I met him. From his endearing way of cursing (Shittake!) to his creation of unique jewelry (a Morse code bracelet with his father’s last words) to his wild inventions that were simultaneously amusing and heart-breaking, I fell for Oskar hard and fast. Choosing to make him a young boy who isn’t fully cognizant of all that is going on around him helped to add an element of mystery to the story as well. Why is his mother seemingly so unconcerned with his whereabouts? Why does she seem oblivious to his needs and feelings of loss about his father? When her motives and actions were fully explained, I felt such a rush of love for his mother and was so relieved that my beloved Oskar was surrounded by such love, empathy and wisdom. You handled this dynamic perfectly and revealed the reality of the situation in a way that felt like the pieces of the puzzle finally coming together.
Often in books that feature a young protagonist like Oskar, the adults are not well-drawn, but that wasn’t the case in this book. The letters from his grandfather to his unborn son and the memories of his grandmother helped create a rich back story for Oskar’s family. And, although we never get to meet him, I felt like I knew Oskar’s dad. What a loving father figure you created! I fully understood why Oskar’s world fell apart with his dad’s death, and why he would believe that his father had left him an elaborate mystery to be solved.
But don’t go getting a swelled head! I did have some quibbles with the book that I’d like to bring up. First of all, having incredibly long sentences with few or no paragraph breaks and little punctuation is wearying for a reader! Sometimes when I was reading the letters from Oskar’s grandfather, I got a bit annoyed at you. Would a few periods or paragraphs kill you? I think not!
Second of all, extended dialogue without line breaks is difficult to read. By running it all together in one big paragraph and using only quotation marks, it became difficult for this reader to know who was saying what. It isn’t a sin to follow the basics of grammar and line spacing! It helps the reader fall more completely into your lovingly created world. Instead, I found myself having to backtrack and reread these sections so I could figure out who was saying what. Whenever a reader gets frustrated or removed from the flow of the story because of an author’s refusal to adhere to basic syntax and sentence structure, I think it is a big disservice to both the reader and the story.
Finally, I spent the first third of the book confused about whose stories were being told in the letters and the memories. Once I finally Googled a synopsis of the book and realized who was writing what, things clicked into place a bit more. But I don’t think I should have had to do that. I think you could have made it a bit clearer. To be brutally honest, the best and most fluid writing in the whole book was always in Oskar’s sections. Just write like that!!!
But, in the end, I forgive you because you created a touching work of art with this book that I’ll remember for quite some time. And whenever I fall hard for a character like I fell for Oskar, the creator will always get my devotion. So, Jonathan, we’re back on. I’ll be checking out your Eating Animals next. I hope that goes well, and you’ve worked out your need to sabotage your own stories with sentence structures that grate on your reader’s nerves. Of course, that is just one reader’s opinion. I’m sure there are plenty out there that just revel in all that you do.
With thanks and admiration,
Jenners
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Google helps me out once in a while too. I’m curious about this book now.
It was an interesting book … but it helps to know what to expect going in so you’re not lost like I was.
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i listened to this one and didn’t even realize there was a conceptual art portion of the book. listen, i know many people (including write meg!) who love JSF but i cannot get on board with his writing. it feels so gimmicky to me and i really got nervous from this book and the KEY! argh. while JSF and his wife are obviously brilliant people and authors, the books of theirs that i’ve read just haven’t worked for m.
After the first book I read of his, I thought I was done with him forever. It felt very “show offy” and “gimmicky” (like you said). But I just loved Oskar so much. It tickled my fancy. He reminded me of Max in the movie Rushmore. I guess I have a weakness for precocious oddballs. And I don’t know anything about JSF’s wife. I’ll have to look and see who she is.
I’m so glad you liked this one. I fell for Oskar and his sweet story too. I also loved this one so much more than Everything is Illuminated, which was a pleasant surprise.
I think Oskar is irresistable. I didn’t feel that emotional pull toward anyone in Everything Is Illluminated.
Wonderful review, Jenners! I agree with pretty much everything you said…though the grammar didn’t bother me as much as it bothered you. I can see how it could get annoying, though! Do you mind if I quote from your review in my wrap-up post for Friday? Haven’t written it yet, but I know one of the areas I plan to talk about is 9/11, and you’ve written about it beautifully. Oh, and as for the color…well, the signature pages were the only ones in color, so you didn’t miss THAT much!
Feel free to quote away. I was really bothered by the grammar! Some of those pages dragged on and on and they didn’t have to! And the dialogue…ugh. Glad to know that it was only the signature page in color. (The part of me that knows a little bit about printing knows that was probably kind of expensive to do.) I thought perhaps I was missing out even more. I do think people need to read the print version though … the photos (especially at the end) add so much to the story.
I read this a few years ago pre-blogging and wasn’t crazy about it. What bothered you about this book also bothered me, and that overshadowed everything else. I also was skeptical that a boy his age could just roam about NYC alone on his own. But, lots of other people loved this book, and it seems like you found good things about it, too.
BTW what kind of commenting system are you using now? I can’t see your responses to everyone else’s comments unless I click on every single “view the reply to “….”‘s comment”.
I agree with you that a 9-year-old doing what Oskar does (like roam around NYC alone) is unrealistic but I just thought he was so quirky and fun and I just went with it. It didn’t feel totally like a “real” book to me. More like a fable of some sort. It seemed of the real world but not quite either, if that makes sense.
And I can turn it on so that everyone can see all my replies. I wasn’t sure if that would be of interest to everyone or not. Maybe I should do that though.
Another wonderfu review, I loved the format you used and am so glad that you enjoyed this book so much more than Mr Foer’s last offering.
I’m so glad I liked it so much more too. I was ready to bail if things got too bad!
I haven’t read this one yet, but it’s on my reserve list at the library. I’m hoping it comes in the next couple of weeks.
I’m glad you mentioned the issue with the sentence structure. Good to know going in. That bugs the crap out of me! I think that’s why The Road bothered me so much. There were no quotations and there would be a long string of dialogue and I would get confused as to who was saying what. I hate that! I’ll still read it, but I already know that will bug me.
It just annoys me when authors do stuff like that. It doesn’t really add to the “art,” I don’t think. It just makes it harder on the reader. However, Foer behaved himself better in this book than he did in his first book.
I loved this book but had to attempt it three times! The first time was in the spring and the weather didn’t match the mood of the book so I when my book club suggested it for our September meeting, it was the perfect time. AMAZING book. (although, I don’t recall my print copy having COLOR photographs – my memory tells me it was all black and white but I ‘ll have to doublecheck now.)
BethFish – yea, I don’t think an audio version would be the best way to try this.
I think September would be the perfect time to read this book. The weather would fit the mood and spirit of the book. It isn’t a beach read .. that is for sure.
I’m thinking that your few criticisms don’t outweigh what appears to be a very intriguing story, but I do agree that it can be tiresome to a reader to deal with punctuation and styling issues for too long.
It is worth reading despite some of the annoying stuff. Oskar is just such a delight.
Sounds like a wonderful read and I loved the way you chose to review the book by writing a letter to the author. I just hope he finds your blog and reads it!
I would just FREAK OUT if the author actually read this letter.
I LOVED this book, it was so touching, I just adored Oskar. the style was unusual but worth it. I have not been able to get into Everything is Illuminated, glad to know I’m not alone. Awesome review
I’m so glad that Everything Is Illuminated didn’t keep me from this gem of a book. It almost did!
It sounded really good to me, but I just don’t know if I’m willing to take it on with the issues that you listed.
Oh you could totally handle it. It was annoying but it was bearable. It is worth it just to meet Oskar!
I read this book quite some time ago. It is the only Foer I have read, but if it’s any indication of his genius, I am sure he is a very talented author!
Well, in my opinion, I wouldn’t rush out to read Everything Is Illuminated!
Creative review Jenners! Glad you gave the author a second chance and enjoyed this book.
I am glad I gave him another chance. I guess you can’t judge an author by one book alone. I had the same experience with Jeffrey Eugenides. Didn’t like The Virgin Suicides but LOVED Middlesex. : )
great review, and i completely agree. i can forgive
confusion or plot glitches, if the author gives me a
character i LOVE>
Amazing how much we can forgive with a lovable character, isn’t it?
I really liked Everything is Illuminated but I really haven’t gotten around to this one. I still have a case of cold feet about it and I’m not sure where I sit after this review. Hmmm…
I would encourage you to try it. It was a very rewarding book in many ways … and filled with enough humor to leaven the sadness of the theme.
I was surprised to here you liked this book as I never made it through the first book. Perhaps i will attempt this one but only if I can get it at the library
This is much more readable than his first one!
I tend to shy away from post 9/11 stories. But you’ve convinced me that this could be worth the time.
I personally thought it was well done. I’d be curious to hear what people who are more connected to 9/11 think of it though.
Despite this creative and excellent review, I don’t think this is a book I care to read. Maybe someday.
I could see that it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Jenners, I am constantly amazed at the variety and creativity of your reviews. Often when I read one like this, I think to myself “why didn’t I think of writing a review that way?” I loved this book as well when I read it several years ago, and loved the fact that Foer used mixed media so well. Oskar was the most loveable little guy, and though like you, I had some trouble with the mechanics of the writing, overall it was a book that I loved. I still have my copy and now I feel like I need to read it again. Tremendously wonderful review today!
You should try the letter to the author review format sometime. It is really freeing and fun to write. I’m glad you were an Oskar fan too! He reminded me a bit of that character Max from the movie Rushmore (not sure if you saw that) — he had the same quirky, follow my own drummer vibe that I just love in characters.
Great review. I enjoyed Everything is illuminated so will no doubt love this one!
I’m impressed that you could enjoy Everything Is Illuminated. I really struggled with that book!
Sounds confusing to me!
It actually isn’t really confusing once you figure out who is writing/narrating each part. I could just be a dumbo when I started it.
Your first paragraph was a life-saver for me. I have this in audio! Argh! I had no idea it was illustrated. Scratching the audio idea right now.
Because of how much the photos add (especially at the end of the book), I do think that print is the way to go on this one.
that was an enlightening way to do a book review–I liked it. I can’t count the times I’d like to sit down and talk with an author about their book. I’ve never read a novel about 9/11, I think you are right–it should be treated respectfully.
It is a freeing way to review a book. Some books just make you want to do that, don’t they? You should try it sometimes … it is fun to write and helps break up the monotony of always writing reviews in the same way.
I had read several reviews of Foer’s “Everything is Illuminated” —and nearly every one said that it broke many rules, including the one that “the book is always better than the movie.” So I skipped the book and watched the movie on Netflix. I enjoyed it. It was quirky and funny and heartbreaking all at once. And the Ukrainian countryside is breathtakingly photographed.
Maybe I’ll wait until this one comes out on film, too.
I am somewhat curious about the movie version of Everything Is Illuminated … though I don’t envy whoever had to adapt it. I know they are making a movie version of this one now.
It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who has to stop while reading and do a few quick clicks to get some reading assistance! While this looks good, it also looks like a bit of work. But I am interested in the 9/11 aspect.
Every so often, I have to use Google to help me with a book … like I would have never made it through The Brothers Karamazov without Sparks Notes!
I am thinking this sounds like a good book to try and get through. I will look for a paper copy!
I think it is worth the effort and it wasn’t a horribly difficult read … just a bit confusing at times.
I really enjoyed your review! I have also read what Erin had to say about this book. I think I’ll probably read a paper copy of this book…got to take advantage of pictures since so few of my books seem to have them! Oskar sounds wonderful and is the reason I want to read this book!
I’m glad that when I read this book, I’ll know it’s pretty normal to be confused for several pages. I hate being confused when reading a book and not knowing it’s the way it goes for a while.
I’m guessing you really like this author despite disliking his first book and having some problems with this book since you’re already planning to read Eating Animals!
I’m having a love-hate relationship with this author. I love some of what he does but just wish he wouldn’t “show off” so much … it gets in the way of his story telling. And it was kind of neat to have photos used in a book. I don’t get to read many illustrated books either!
What a fabulous review or sorts. Now I must read this book. You are right not too many books out there with this subject matter. I hope you risk sending this on to Jonathan. Love, love your letter. You are a unique creations. One minute you got me searching for the perfect baseball cap the next I’m trying to hide my Twilight book, (I’ve made myself a microfibre book cover.)
I love that you are covering up your Twilight books with a cover! Don’t be ashamed … let it all hang out!! : )
The book was sounding pretty good until you said you had to Google a synopsis of it to figure out who was speaking. I’m going to have to think about this one.
It could also be that I’m a little slow. Don’t discount that possibility!