Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

This book, by Jonathan Safron Foer, is about a boy named Oskar who lost his dad in 9/11 and misses him terribly. His dad used to give him mysteries to solve, and they had been working on a mystery before he died, and Oskar tries to solve the mystery, but he can't. Then he finds a key in a vase in his dad's closet and goes to search for the lock that it opens.

But really, this story is a tapestry of life. It's also about Oskar's paternal grandparents, and it's about a gazillion people named Black, and it's about Oskar's mom.

It's wicked sad. It's one of those books that lightly torture me the whole time I'm reading, opening cans of worms and rotten things I thought I'd thrown out years ago.

But that's also part of the beauty of this book. It's an attempt to deal with the tough stuff. It says, "Yes, there is pain. What are we going to do about it?"

This book doesn't really offer much of an answer. It's very . . . postmodern, in that regard. It knows what the right questions are, but it doesn't know what comes next.  I have a feeling the author would say something along the lines of, "Everyone asks the same questions, but everyone should find a unique answer that works for him or her."

I think this is a book worth reading. It's not a relaxing afternoon experience, though. It's tough and deep. It's just a little bit . . . lost. But through all of that, it tells a wonderful story and it speaks to the heart of a nation. It also reminded me that each generation has its problems, and each generation leans on the ones around it. It spoke to unselfishness, too.

I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read it.

Here's a much better review, with quotes: http://girlwithacoin.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/extremely-loud-and-incredibly-close-quotes/