Everything is Illuminated \u0026 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Everything is Illuminated \u0026 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Reviews

• 
  Maxine

  Everything is Illuminated
  
  The only thing worse than being sad is for other to know that you are sad.
  
  The bruises go away, and so does how you hate, and so does the feeling that everything you receive in this life is something you have earned.
  
  Love me, because love doesn’t exist, and I have tried everything that does.
  
  I am afraid of the world moving forward without me, of my absence going unnoticed, or worse, being some natural force propelling life on.
  
  Love is the immovability of truth.
  
  She was so beautiful, like someone who you will never meet, but always dream of meeting, like someone who is too good for you.
  
  He knew that doing right often means feeling wrong, and if you find yourself feeling wrong, you’re probably doing right.
  
  He knew that it is, by love’s definition, impossible to love two people.
  
  It was such a difficult time with talking. You were always afraid of saying the wrong thing, and usually it felt befitting not to say anything at all.
  
  Do you think I’m wonderful?
  No, he said.
  Why?
  Because so many girls are wonderful. I imagine hundreds of men have called their loves wonderful today, and its only noon. You couldn’t be something that hundreds of others are.
  She was the only one who could rightly claim to know him, the only one he missed when she was not there, and missed even before she was absent.
  
  The more you love someone, the harder it is to tell them.
  
  What good is all of that love doing on paper? I said, let love write on you for a little.
  
  We stood next to each other because that is what friends do in the presence of evil or love.
  
  The only thing more painful than being an active forgetter is to be an inert rememberer.
  
  Every love is carved from loss. But we learn to live in that love.
  
  Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close
  
  It’s that I believe that things are extremely complicated.
  
  Sometimes people who seem good end up not being not as good as you might have hoped, you know?
  
  Being with him made my brain quiet. I didn’t have to invent a thing.
  
  Does it break my heart, of course, ever moment of every day, into more pieces than my heart was made of.
  
  Is ignorance bliss? I don’t know, but it’s so painful to think.
  
  Does that make you angry? That he left? That you don’t know why?
  
  I hope that one day you will have the experience of doing something you do not understand for someone you love.
  
  She had fallen in love so many times that she began to suspect she was not falling in love at all, but doing something much more ordinary.
  
  Humans are the only animal that blushes, laughs, has religion, wages war, and kisses with lips. So in a way, the more you kiss with lips, the more human you are.
  
  I like to see people reunited. I like to see people run to each other, I like the kissing and the crying, I like the impatience, the stories that the mouth can’t tell fast enough, the ears that aren’t big enough, the eyes that can’t take in all of the change, I like the hugging, the bringing together, the end of missing someone.
  
  I hated myself for going, why couldn’t I be the kind of person who stays?
  
  She wants to know if I love her, that’s all anyone wants from anyone else, not love itself but the knowledge that love is there, like new batteries in the flashlight in the emergency kit in the hall closet.
  
  I’m sorry for my inability to let the unimportant things go, for my inability to hold on to the important things.
  
  This is where his lips where that I used to kiss a lot. Where are your jokes now, your games, your songs?
  
  I wondered, for the first time in my life, if life was worth all the work it took to live. What exactly made it worth it?
  
  So many people enter and leave your life! Hundreds of thousands of people! You have to keep the door open so they can come in! But it also means you have to let them go!
  
  He looked at me and through me at the same time, like I was a stained-glass window.
  
  I was never mad at you.
  What were you?
  Hurt.
  
  I missed you even when I was with you. That’s been my problem. I miss what I already have, and I surround myself with things that are missing.
  
  I would have done anything for him. Maybe that was my sickness.
  
  There were things that I wanted to tell him. But I knew they would hurt him. So I buried them, and let them hurt me.
  
  Do you think one can feel too much? Or just feel in the wrong ways?
  
  It’s the tragedy of loving; you can’t love anything more than something you miss.
  
  Maybe we’re just missing things we’ve lost, or hoping for what we want to come.
  
  When an animal thinks it’s going to die, it gets panicky and starts to act crazy. But when it knows it’s going to die, it gets very very calm.
  
  Look at me or leave me. But don’t stay and look at anything else.
  
  The next morning, she led me to the coat closet, she went in with me, we were there all day, it was too small, and we needed more space between us. She said, “This is what it’s felt like, except you weren’t here.”
  
  It broke my heart into more pieces than my heart was made of. Why can’t people say what they mean at the time?
  
  I wanted him to have good memories, so that maybe he would come back again one day. Or at least miss me.
• 
  Joprano

  I had first discovered "Everything is Illuminated" through a friend. She had the film version of this book and at the time I did not realize it was originally a book.
  
  "Everything is Illuminated" depicts many emotions, in my opinion the feeling of being lost, sad and uncertain are at the forefront but, there are comical moments that help to lighten the mood of this story.
  
  I found that there were three main characters, Grandfather (the driver for a tour guide company) Sasha (translator/grandson), and Jonathan (Jonfen, Jewish-American).
  
  Jonathan is in search for the woman who saved his Grandfather during the war, he ends up with Sasha and the Grandfather as his accompaniment throughout this journey.
  
  Sasha is conflicted with his present life events and on this exploration he finds himself, he becomes more understanding of his grandfathers behaviours and he finds himself.
  
  Grandfather is consistently conflicted by his past and a difficult choice he had to make, which he never forgave himself for, and attempted to bury his identity and past but, this journey forces him to talk about his past haunting.
  
  Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close
  
  I truly enjoyed this book, has to be one of my favourites.
  
  A young boy is determined to find a treasure to the key he found in his dads closet after his dad was killed in a plane crash.
  
  Even though Oscar is searching for a treasure, and searches with a fine tooth comb all possible areas he finds more than just a treasure.
  
  If you we're in the Sahara Desert and you moved a grain of sand, you would have altered an entire desert. That's how important you are (paraphrased, J.S.F, writes it more eloquently).
• 
  Nawal Hashim

  cried like a baby. for the second time.
• 
  Marigold

  i am challenging myself to read as much as i can out of the 1001 books you must read before you die.
  And it came as no surprise to me that this book made the list.
  I saw the film adaptation of 'Everything is Illuminated' screenplay and direction by Liev Schreiber first before i read the book... Sure there are things altered in the movie but i think both versions are equally as interesting and moving.
  
  Jonathan Safran Foer is an extremely talented writer...beyond his years.
  His novel 'Everything is Illuminated' really is a work of art. A very gripping and compelling story
  in the point of view of two unassuming friends. I myself gravitate strongly to the character of Alex (Sasha)Perchov. Foer's mix of hilarious and comical writing in the beginning with the more dramatic and tragic one towards the end is very becoming and devastating just as the truth in the history of jews during WWII.
  
  must must read.
• 
  Alexa

  I haven't actually read this edition ... I've read both of these books (the first three times, the second only once) and they are stunning. Jonathan Safran Foer is my all-time favorite writer, and my best friend convinced me that I needed this fancy schmancy copy of the two books in one. I can't guarantee that I'll ever lug around the hardcover, 630 page book in order to read it, but the idea of it nestling perfectly into my bookshelf (next to its paperback counterparts, no less) was too perfect to resist. So, happy birthday to me! I bought it at City Lights and felt great about supporting my favorite author, one of my greatest incurable addictions, and an independent bookstore all in one go.
• 
  Donna Doth schneider

  This book is hard to understand with two stories going on and in two different eras. The middle to the end of the book was great but the ending was disappointing! I am talking about the illuminated book
• 
  Les

  I do not see how to add this to my book count given that I read it in January of this year. Thus a different edition. Same claim: review to come.
  
  I still need to read Everything is Illuminated.
• 
  Ivan

  Потрясающая книга! Настолько пронзительно написано и оригинально оформлено, что не мог оторваться!
• 
  Lindsay Schultz

  Hard to follow. I'd like to read it again when I'm less busy
• 
  Paméla Rioux

  I only read the EL&IC part of this 2 in 1 novel.
  
  This book is one of the few that has been automatically added to my favorite pile. He made me laugh aloud, gave me goosebumps and teary-eyes.
  
  The writer has perfectly given an individual voice to each of his characters - who are more than real, authentic and honest. Oscar Shell, a nine-year-old, compulsive inventor, is an incredibly endearing character. His voice is neither too young nor too mature, I think the writer was able to find the perfect tone for him in his narration. Thomas Schell, grandfather of the young protagonist, stopped talking after World War II. He wrote several letters to his son that he never knew, since he abandoned him before his birth. These letters are full of a brutal authenticity, sweet and sad, filled with remorse. Linda Schell, Oscar's grandmother, loves her grandson more than anything in the world and would do anything for the young man. The love that this woman gives to her grandson is so great that it seems to grumble her from within.
  
  The story itself is beautiful. The main characters are so endearing that I felt great pain when the last pages of this book were done. I would have wanted more. I would have wanted to follow Oscar all his life.
  
  It's so difficult to comment a book that made me experience so many emotions. It is even more difficult to comment a book that I liked with my guts and that still haunts me several days after finishing it.
• 
  Emily Vankleeck

  I really loved the"voices" of each character, but it was hard for me to keep switching back and forth so abruptly. Oskar was easy to spot. It was more difficult for me keep the grandfather, his deceased son, and his grandson on track, since they were out of chronological order.. I had to keep going back to the page before and then thinking it through to get by bearings. Otherwise I would have given this 5 stars. It probably didn't help that I was reading in spurts on my phone. So, there was no continuity for me. However, the fast pace and the run on thoughts of Oskar gave me a real feel for his wildly swinging and emotional thought process. His grandfather's letters were so touching, but I had a real love/hate relationship with the him. It seemed like he was always making excuses, and the grandmother was right there with him. The complicated family dynamic and entanglement kept me hanging on to the end for the resolution. Could this really happen?
• 
  Kate Kirton

  Read 'Everything is illuminated' and whilst I didn't hate the book, there actually seems to be zero point to it. Pretty sure Foer forgot to add an actual novel to his prolonged attempts at showing how clever he is.
• 
  Ned

  On forever loss and forever continuing.
  
• 
  A.J. Curtis

  Read both of these books and saw both of the film versions. I have to say I enjoyed both versions immensely. Everything is illuminated is just a great story and a unique take on the holocaust or rather looking back at it, loved the old man and his dog Sammy Davis Jr, Jr. The movie was extremely well done and honestly I found it a bit more captivating. Extremely loud... I enjoyed the book, loved the relationship between father and son and the games he would make his son play. it was actually quite beautiful. The movie was well done and I thought they did a great job capturing it. This writer has a great way with story telling and definitely stands out. I recommend reading both. A.J Curtis Author of Memoirs of a Monster
• 
  Rissa Flores

  I read
  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (
  Review) last year and I was blown away, so I definitely had expectations for Everything is Illuminated. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Without a doubt, it was another Jonathan Safran Foer masterpiece.
  
  The novel is about a man named Jonathan, who travels to Ukraine to find a woman named Augustine, who saved his grandfather's life back in WWII. Upon arrival, he meets a Ukranian man named Alex, who acts as his translator, Alex's grandfather and their dog, Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior. As the search for Augustine set about, the novel also brings us back to the history of a village called Trachimbrod, as well as to the different stories of different people who have lived tragic lives in the past. Everything is Illuminated is a story of regret, loss, secrets, pain, moving on, and illumination.
  
  I am terrified of giving reviews to books like this. Maybe it's because I am 100% sure that I would not be able to really put into words what I have experienced. I have a lot to say but at the same time I am struggling to find the right words. (But I shall try. Haha.)
  
  The novel moved me. I've read books about loss and pain, but this time, it felt different. It was a different kind of pain; in a way, it was not familiar but it affected me nonetheless. It was like a subtle, slow-moving, passive-aggressive kind of pain...see how I'm struggling? Haha. Anyway. Sometimes, while reading the novel, I also felt lost. But in a good way? It was Jonathan Safran Foer's narration, his choice of words, his style-- that really impressed me. One of my favorite parts was Grandfather's story in the end; the words simply capture you and take you in.
  
  Lastly, every character was memorable. Every story was worth reading, every story had its own message.
  
  A powerful read. A must-read!
• 
  Karen Sage

  Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - what an endearing story - i was concerned that it would be somewhat taking advantage of 9/11 and the terrible tragedy that occurred, but it was an endearing tale about a little boy and his brilliant mind. Really enjoyed his thought process, the build up of the characters and the search for the key.
  
  Everything is Illuminated - weird, not as good to me as the other, but still very interesting characters developed. Strange the way the author became part of the story - I got confused at times. There was a lot of yiddish or something that I didn't understand well.......
• 
  Kim Williams

  I actually read Extremely Loud first. Being one of those New Yorkers who lived through the nightmarish day that was 9/11 and the awful days and weeks that followed, I like to read other people's take on the events of those times. This book drew me right in to the mind of a child trying to cope with a loss that was too big for many adults to handle. The image of the falling man is a central image, one seared in our collective minds following the tragedy. The other work in this collection took a bit of time to get through but it was an enjoyable read which was at times laugh out loud funny.
• 
  Daniel Patrick

  Both books absolutely fantastic, with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close being the better of the two, by a tiny margin. The first time I read Foer, he reminded me of Kurt Vonnegut. Same ability to create tight little situations, (the second of these books really reminds me of Mother Night, for some reason,) but without as much of the zany humour. Having said that, he's a stunning writer and I can't wait for him to out something new out. (It's been a long wait!)
• 
  Sarah

  Engaging book with engaging characters. The story of a tragic historical event intermingled with humor from narrative of improperly translated English of young Ukraine character and comedy of errors that unfold during search by a young American author to find the woman who saved his grandfather during the Holocaust.
• 
  Rae Hittinger

  It has been a little while since I read this- but I recall quite enjoying this book. It has some really interesting 'modern' elements to it that don't feel gimicky at all - rathger they are interesting and exciting and new. One interesting aspect is the letter writing between the subject and the narrator/author. The characters are really interesting. A great read. Very powerful & interesting.
• 
  Catalina

  I have just finished Everything is Illuminated. It is a perfect exaple of Jewish literature since it has a good combination of the following ingrediants: magic realism, tradition, rememberance, temporal disparity, story in a story, paralell storytelling, some Eastern Europe, love, duty, friendship, drama.
• 
  Maxwell

  I have read both of these books. I gave Everything is Illuminated a 4/5 stars, and gave Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close a 5/5 stars, because it's my favorite book.
  
  I own this copy, but haven't read the two books out of this edition. I read them in their individual copies. Was just going through my Goodreads and noticed that I hadn't added this one though.
• 
  Hailee

  I just finished "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" and have to say I was not a fan. I did not like some of the characters and the plot. However I forced myself to finish it because I do not like stopping halfway and leaving a book unfinished.
• 
  Sarah

  only read the second half