"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," by Jonathan Safran Foer is a book following the adventures of Oskar Schell after his dad died due to 9/ll. Oskar Shell is an intelligent and curious kid who tries to use logic and rational to solve his problems, but can't use logic to solve the suffering he feels from his father's death. One day, Oskar discovers a key in a broken vase that inspires him to go all around NYC to find info on that key.
As Oskar explores Manhattan, Foer also reaches throughout history to other horrific attacks that shattered people's lives, including his traumatized grandparents, which is parallel to Oskar's suffering. Their lives are tragically connected, and while their relationship is sparse, tense, and full of rigid rules, there's a higher connection that connects them together in a way that makes sense. Horrifying imagery of the Dresden bombings, and the fallout of it all make the book extremely intriguing. Though the book is sprinkled with letters and stories from before Oskar's time, the boy's quest is the center of the book. And through his journey, he'll hope to learn a little bit about humanity, too. Historically, only a short time has passed since 9/11, and in some ways "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" reopens the wounds.
Oskar's story can be moving, because there are some wonderful and truly brilliant passages. But for me, it was marred by both his precociousness and his preciousness. One without the other would have simply destroyed the narrative, but both together make Oskar Schell relatable to me. For example, the story was a rare one in that it captured the extreme closeness between a father and son. Yes, it was laugh out loud funny in parts, but it was also a gut wrenching sobbing at other times. The kid is dying inside over the loss of his dad - he just wants his pain to be validated, and wants to tell his story.
All in all, this book delivers on the quirky writing style of Foer, and the story's sentimentalism told through Oskar's suffering. All though the book changes between Oskar's adventures and his grandparent's notes and letters, there's always a clear narrative between the two. So far, it's fair to say that this book is not perfect, but I cannot deny how much feeling this book has already evoked in me. Re-living the 9/11 attacks through the point of view of Dad in the book was brutal. Half way through the book, I will give it an 8.5/10.
