AP Literature: Everything is Illuminated discussion

Although I enjoyed reading the book I think the end was a bit too strong. I think that the end has too much emphasis on dying. First of all, the story about the end of Trachimbrod, which really allowed for it to make sense how the town completely dissapeared so quickly, made me feel nauseas - I really felt sick when reading all the details about how there was blood in the water where everyone was, and how Safran's baby was just moving around attached to the umbilical cord meanwhile people were so crowded and dying. After such horrible scene the book inmediately switches to Alex's grandfather's letter, which describes how he is committing suicide - and this is without doubt another really shocking thing to read. In summary, I really think that the book's ending was way too harsh, way too much to "digest" at once because of the horrible events it describes. I wish the book's ending had more to do with Augustine, or Alex going to America, or something about what happened after Safran was able to get out if the water and go away from the Nazis, among many other possible things that could have occured and would have had more to do with issues discussed/described/written about/present throughout the whole book and not only in the end.
-APB3 Camila Vasquez

I believe that this is one of the best pieces of literature that I have across with. If I had to place it on my top five book list this would be number 3 just after the kite runner. It is full of emotion, it made me laugh like I thought a book will never doo. I feel deeply for this book because its not the everyday jewish book. It is no Anne Frank, it is mostly comedy to the best Jerry Singfield style. I have to say mister that I did NOT trusted your taste in books from what you had made us read through out the year but I have to say that you absolutely changed my mind with this book. Im absolutely in love with the theme, the characters everything that involves the book!!!!

Even though I feel disappointed and I’m full of rage because of that stupid ending, I would definitely say that Everything is Illuminated has been one of my favorite books. It was the funniest and most entertaining book ever, mostly because of Alex and his humorous stories, but the author made me engaged and loved the book. As Camila commented before, the last chapters were simply dissapointing, it definitely was. How come Alex’s grandfather commit suicide, the author doesn’t include Alex’s future in the book so readers never know what happens to Alex next, Trachimbrod gets destroyed completely and we never know who did Jonathan’s grandfather escaped from the Nazis and went to America? Basically, the book ends up the same way it started and the main purpose of the author was to maintain readers engage with a story that never resolved its problems. I agree with Mariana too, because no book had ever made me laugh so much and feel so connected with the characters.

APB2

Valentina Balcazar

Contrary to what many people have commented I think the books ending is really good because it adds to the overall tone of mystery the author wanted to portray. I think that the charm of books like this one is that we can make up our own ending and decide what most likely happened to each character. Its true its a rough ending because of all the violence but its a book that talks about the Nazi occupation of Ukrain so the violence just makes it more realistic. As we all know the 20th century was a really difficult time for Europe and specially eastern Europe, not only because of the Holocaust but because of the uprising of communism. Because of this I like the ending of the book.
Maria Luisa Angel

I like unexpected endings. I have never liked the typical hollywood stories where one expects there to be a happy ending where everything turns around in the end and the characters have happy endings and live happily ever after. That is why I apreciaste the ending of Everything is Illuminated. I think that it shows things as they are, the experience of being a human and the deep abyss that drives people into despair. I think that the author did a good job portraying the insignificance of living and that no matter how hard we try, we can never really do anything that lingers. In the end, we return to the hole where we came from. That is another point that the author makes by vanishing Trachimbrod in an instant when they drown in the water and making the ending seem like the beginning where the baby rises from the water, this unification of events makes the novel end where it began as to show that after all, we never do anything that transcends. I liked the fact that it was very graphic because it exalted our real self. Humans are graphic, we are cruel, we have a violent side of us and in a way the reader can experience a unique way of catharsis as he/she releases all of her/his emotions.
-Manuela Restrepo
APB3

I don't know my feeling right now towards the ending of the book. I think it's one of the best books I've ever read, because it explores the different and complex situations revolving around humans' head and society. Also, the ending was kind of tragic but summed up everything, Trachimbrod was destroyed, as all Jews were being killed, a page from "The book of Recurrent Dreams" where Brod had written a dream of hers of the end of the world, Safran has his first orgasm at the same time the bomb exploded, Zosha's baby is born just as her mother is killed, but unlike Brod she doesn't survive because she's stuck to the umbilical cord, grandfather is finally happy in his life and for this he commits suicide. The ending of this book is full of events that make us not only think about the historical connection of WWII but how these people felt, it is not just a story written in history textbooks, but a tremendously cruel portion of the story of the world. This book also helps us to understand the diverse moments in a person's mind, there are millions of ways to think about a situation, and this book refelcts that perfectly.
MARIANA VELÁSQUEZ TORO

I think that this is a great book really different to the books that I usually have read through out my life. I believe that the book showed a different perspective of what we know about the holocaust and of WWII I also think that the way the book was written gave the reader a reason to keep reading. I think that at the beginning it was really hard to understand how the story worked but when you start getting the hang of it it gets really good. I think that the ending was a bit extreme and I did not liked the way that the end was describes but I think that it was a acceptable final for this kind of story. I don't really like bad, sad endings but for this kind of novels I think it is a surprising ending that keeps you reading until the end.

Daniela Arango

I really enjoy the book even thought at the beginning was really complicated to understand. At the end it was really interesting how Jonathan found the letter from his grandfather just before he committed suicide. He tells Jonathan about Alex but I think the most interesting part is when his grandfathers tells him he can die because he feels happy and is not a weak action. this makes an impression to me because people that commit suicide is seen like weak people because they are not able to face their lives. But the grandfather looks it like he´s now at age to die so he decides to take his live in good way.

Mariana wrote: "I believe that this is one of the best pieces of literature that I have across with. If I had to place it on my top five book list this would be number 3 just after the kite runner. It is full of e..."

Glad this changed your mind. But how could you not like Hamlet?

I think that the end of the book answers many questions we have had during the book. I think the tittle connects too much to the end of the book because even thought the end resolves many questions. The "everything is illuminated" may be connected to the grandfather because the past and present becomes together and the grandfather feels forgiven for his sins committed. And the grandfather lives has been illuminated because the is able to put the past and present to generate love for the future. this may be complicated to understand but is a teaching for our lives because we see it as a sin but he see it as a satisfactory.

Manuela wrote: "I like unexpected endings. I have never liked the typical hollywood stories where one expects there to be a happy ending where everything turns around in the end and the characters have happy endin..."

I think you're onto something with the violence as a means of catharsis. In my opinion books that refuse to tie up loose ends are more satisfying because they don't pretend that answers can be found in fiction. It more honestly reflects life than say "Romeo and Juliet" where everyone learns a lesson about tolerance and we all fix things for the future.

I must agree with Camila Vasquez in all that she said. I feel that the book has a very strong ending and that it should have had something different in which there is at least one positive outcome. I wanted something a little happier of the end of the book and it was a bit depressing to look at what happened in the end. Its too graphic and i feel that it was exactly what i didn´t want to read. What i liked the least was how the ending is so bleak. The way the author unifies the last event of the nazis bombing Trachimbrod with the rest of the story makes total sense because in the end, they all drowned because they had no space to breathe and they were all crowded in the water. However i agree with the fact that it was too much. Also i feel that i kind of lost my time because i was reading the book waiting for something to happen, something that would change the course of the book, and that would add something to my life. However, they never find Agustine, and their search was in vain.
LAURA AGUDELO

I think the book was a different book that shows the reader history past and also is an entertainment book that shows also the history of the holocaust and a different perspective about it like daniela said before. I also think that this book is different and it may be confusing but is interesting is another way of writing. towards the end i think is sad but is different because usually all the books have an exiting ending or a happy ending but this one doesn't have a sad ending at all but resolves the doubts we as reader may had before. this book also is interesting because is fictional but at the same time is realistic and show us many things about WWI and all the histories of alex that have something fun on it.

barbara palacio