Book - Everything Is Illuminated
By Jonathon Safran Foer

Wow.

That’s really all I can say about this novel.

OK, well I can probably be a little more specific.

This novel was bought as a pack of 3 books at a bargain price. (kinda like falling victim to the Borders 3 for the Price of 2 deal – except I actually read at least one of them). As if this wasn’t enough of a hindrance for it, I started reading it concurrently with another book (which will get covered very soon in this blog) Surely both of these facts add up to never finishing it at all.

Apparently not.

And I still feel that I need to say, “Wow!”

I stayed up most of the night last night finishing this novel. And instantly regretted reading it so fast. So much so that I am tempted to read it again for more details. How many books have I finished and instantly wanted to go straight back to the beginning and start again? This is crazy, defeatist talk! (C’mon, music theater fans, you know where this is a quote from – and no, it has nothing to do with the novel)

OK, so what’s it about?

Ummm…. That’s quite difficult to answer.

It weaves 3 different stories together from 3 different generations of people. I guess the overriding theme is of love and honesty. The way the narrative unfolds is incredibly unique. “A new kind of novel… After it, things will never be the same again” (The Times)

I seem to be particularly drawn at the moment towards books that investigate the effects of World War II (Dresden is having an impact!) and the Holocaust is central to the plot of this novel. The author ventures to the Ukraine to find the woman that rescued his Grandfather from the Nazis. He is accompanied by a tour guide and translator that have stories of their own. But to explain the plot this simply really detracts from it.

When I started reading, I was expecting an Augusten Burroughs / Nick Hornby style bittersweet comedic novel. Several of the quotes on the cover refer to the humour of the novel. And I guess it is funny, but none of this prepared me for the depth and beauty of this book.

If this seems like a fairly vague and disordered review of this novel, then I have probably written it much too soon after finishing. Questions and ideas still hang around me and I suspect they will for a long time. I definitely need to re-read this novel. Possibly more than once. From me, that is probably the loftiest praise I can give.