Wednesday, September 13, 2006
BOOK CLUB: EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED
Last night, I finished reading the most fantastic book - Everything is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safran Foer. The writing is like nothing I've read, although there were moments it did remind me of Yann Martel's style in Life of Pi (my favourite book of all time).
I love a book that can make me laugh and cry at the same time. And I especially love a book that can leave you wondering what the hell is going on and then make everything come into focus in such a wonderful way. It was hilarious, tragic, and moving, and I would have to say, one of the best books I've read.
It's about a young man, also named Jonathan Safran Foer, as he travels to the Ukraine to learn about his family's history there, and to find the woman who supposedly saved his grandfather from the Nazis. He is led by a young translator/tour guide named Alex as well as Alex's grandfather, who both have their own histories to discover and stories to share. Their lives are all connected in some manner or meaning.
I will admit that the book makes absolutely no sense in the beginning and at various points throughout, but this is what makes it so wonderful. Even the confusing parts are made enjoyable by the laugh out loud language. And as the story unfolds the confusion can be appreciated even more as "everything is illuminated" for us in such a great way. Mainly, I loved the many messages throughout the book about war, the Holocaust, politics, religion, love, loss, history, family, friendship, courage, selfishness and the nature of man.
As I read, I was moved by some of the things the characters said and the ideas behind them. I wrote down some quotes as I read ...
About Love: "This is love, she thought, isn't it? When you notice someone's absence and hate that absence more than anything? More even, than you love his presence?"
About Death: "Death is the only thing in life that you absolutely have to be aware of as it's happening!"
About Good vs. Bad: "Everyone performs bad actions.
I do. Father does. Even you do. But we are not bad persons. A bad person is someone who does not lament his bad actions."
-- About God/The Holocaust: "It is said that the Messiah will come at the end of the world," she said. "But it was not the end of the world," my grandfather said. "It was. He just did not come!" "Why did He not come?" "This was the lesson that we learned from everything that happened - there is no God." "What if it was all a challenge of your faith?" I asked her. "I could not believe in a God that would challenge faith like this." "What it if was not in His power to do anything?" "I could not believe in a God that could not stop what happened." "What if it was man and not God that did all of this?" "I do not believe in man, either!"
The book has also been made into a movie, starring Elijah Wood and I can't wait to see it.
Last night, I finished reading the most fantastic book - Everything is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safran Foer. The writing is like nothing I've read, although there were moments it did remind me of Yann Martel's style in Life of Pi (my favourite book of all time).I love a book that can make me laugh and cry at the same time. And I especially love a book that can leave you wondering what the hell is going on and then make everything come into focus in such a wonderful way. It was hilarious, tragic, and moving, and I would have to say, one of the best books I've read.
It's about a young man, also named Jonathan Safran Foer, as he travels to the Ukraine to learn about his family's history there, and to find the woman who supposedly saved his grandfather from the Nazis. He is led by a young translator/tour guide named Alex as well as Alex's grandfather, who both have their own histories to discover and stories to share. Their lives are all connected in some manner or meaning.
I will admit that the book makes absolutely no sense in the beginning and at various points throughout, but this is what makes it so wonderful. Even the confusing parts are made enjoyable by the laugh out loud language. And as the story unfolds the confusion can be appreciated even more as "everything is illuminated" for us in such a great way. Mainly, I loved the many messages throughout the book about war, the Holocaust, politics, religion, love, loss, history, family, friendship, courage, selfishness and the nature of man.
As I read, I was moved by some of the things the characters said and the ideas behind them. I wrote down some quotes as I read ...
About Love: "This is love, she thought, isn't it? When you notice someone's absence and hate that absence more than anything? More even, than you love his presence?"
About Death: "Death is the only thing in life that you absolutely have to be aware of as it's happening!"
About Good vs. Bad: "Everyone performs bad actions.
I do. Father does. Even you do. But we are not bad persons. A bad person is someone who does not lament his bad actions." -- About God/The Holocaust: "It is said that the Messiah will come at the end of the world," she said. "But it was not the end of the world," my grandfather said. "It was. He just did not come!" "Why did He not come?" "This was the lesson that we learned from everything that happened - there is no God." "What if it was all a challenge of your faith?" I asked her. "I could not believe in a God that would challenge faith like this." "What it if was not in His power to do anything?" "I could not believe in a God that could not stop what happened." "What if it was man and not God that did all of this?" "I do not believe in man, either!"
The book has also been made into a movie, starring Elijah Wood and I can't wait to see it.
:: posted by Ray of Delight, 11:32 AM
1 Comments:
I love some of the qoutes there. I'll definatly have to check this book out, as it seems to be my kind of thing...
Thanks for the heads-up.
Thanks for the heads-up.
