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Any Issue - 2005 > Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Safran Foer

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message 1: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie This book was extremely entertaining and incredibly heartwarming. Oscar is now one of my favorite narrators EVER in a novel...he is delightfully precocious, quirky, and simply trying to deal with losing his father during the attacks on New York on September 11th. This is a topic that many have attempted, but I think this is the best book I have read about 9/11.

I STRONGLY recommend listening to this on audiobook because the recording using several narrators. The man who does Oscar is awesome -you will come to love "Oscar talk" like: "wearing heavy boots" (being sad) and "JOSE!" (as in NO WAY!)

This is now one of my most favorite reads ever.


message 2: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie This book was INCREDIBLE. I LOVED it. I liked his first book, but this one had a charm to it that I couldn't get enough of. It was fantastic on audio!


message 3: by Lisa (last edited Mar 26, 2009 12:05PM) (new)

Lisa Hickman (lbhick) | 986 comments I hope to start reading this within the next week or two. I checked it out from the library yesterday, but it's in a stack with six other books to read.


message 4: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie Have I mentioned I LOVED this book?


message 5: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Hickman (lbhick) | 986 comments I thought this was an incredibly quirky and imaginative book. The main character, Oskar Schell, is a precocious 9 yr old by trying to deal with the death of his father in the 9/11 tragedy. Oskar's attempt to make sense of his fathers death, his struggle to keep his memory alive, his guilt over not taking his father's last phone call and his fear seem very real.

I especially liked how Oskar constantly invented things. When he couldn't sleep, his mind operated in overdrive. His inventions helped him feel safe and in control. His lists of things he couldn't or wouldn't do made we want to wrap my arms around him to protect him. I thought this was an accurate portrayal of depression.

The pictures in the book, which were images of Oskar's "Stuff That Happened To Me," helped to see things through Oskar's eyes. Oskar searched for meaning, where sometimes meaning can't be found. We can see things, but it doesn't mean there's an explanation for them. Juxtaposed throughout the story is the tragedy of Oskar's grandparents and their life after the senseless firebombing of Dresden.

I felt for Oskar as he grasped for meaning and answers, and though his search didn't bring him to the conclusion he was hoping for; I think in the end it made his boots feel lighter.



message 6: by Stephanie (new)

Stephanie I listened to this on audio which was incredible, but I know I will read it in print form eventually because of the pictures. Someone in my book group clued me in on this - otherwise I would have missed out!

If you love this book in written form, I encourage you to listen to it on audio because the narrators do a fantastic job.


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