Shaun's Reviews > Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

** spoiler alert ** Started this one on Thursday afternoon, December 22nd and finished it by Monday morning, December 26th. Compelling and oft-haunting book with characters -- e.g. Oskar, his grandfather (the mute "renter"), his grandmother and the elder Mr. Black -- this reader GREATLY cared about; especially Oskar! Extremely well-written novel by an incredibly gifted writer -- Jonathan Safran Foer -- making this the second of his novels read this year. I enjoyed "Everything is Illuminated" and his wife's Nicole Krauss's novel, "Great House" -- this mere mortal can only imagine what kind of other-worldly discussions take place at their dinner table!

My heart broke for Oskar when he learns about the secular purpose of his deceased father' "key" -- albeit the "key" that opens Oskar's heart and allows him to grieve and open up to another human who likewise "lost" his father. Interesting turn on the classic "The Odyssey" here! Oskar is not unlike Daedulus in his quest for his father and/or his "father figure." I guess we are all doing that; especially those of us who have lost their father or parent(s) recently.

I recall "the worst day ever" and how I could not take my eyes off of the T.V. once I witnessed the second airplane crashing into the World Trade Center. I stayed up all night and for the next three days without sleep watching events unfold. Late at night, at around 2:30 a.m. on September 12th (CST), CNN broadcast footage of the group of a dozen or more men and women -- some of whom who were pregnant -- leaping together off of the roof of the second World Trade Center holding hands in their last act of humanity. I cried and cursed God and asked how, why and for what purpose this had to happen. No answer came. No answer came then and none has come 10 years, three months and 15 days later. My daughter was only a year and half old at the time of "the worst day ever" and I thought I am terribly irresponsible as a father, adult and human for bring such precious life into this accursed and wretched world. Mr. Foer's novel offered me solace and redemption.

God Bless you, Jonathan Safran Foer; and your wife, Nicole Krauss for that matter! I have carried this weird form of "survior guilt" for far too long and your book offers hope. My only regret is that I did not read it sooner.