Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer, Jessica Lomp
- First published 2005
- 326 pages
- English
Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is an inventor, amateur entomologist, and pacifist, but above all, he is a son grieving the loss of his father in the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. A year after his father's death, Oskar discovers a key in a small envelope labeled with the single word "Black" inside a vase in his father's closet. Convinced that the key holds a final message from his father, Oskar embarks on an urgent, secret mission across the five boroughs of New York City to find the lock it belongs to.
This journey brings him into contact with a host of strangers, each with their own story of loss and connection, and forces him to confront his deepest fears about the world. As Oskar navigates the city, he pieces together not only the puzzle of the key but also the fragmented story of his own family's history of trauma, stretching back to the firebombing of Dresden. The narrative explores the intricate and often painful ways people cope with tragedy, the profound weight of unspoken grief, and the small, vital connections that can offer a path toward healing.
This journey brings him into contact with a host of strangers, each with their own story of loss and connection, and forces him to confront his deepest fears about the world. As Oskar navigates the city, he pieces together not only the puzzle of the key but also the fragmented story of his own family's history of trauma, stretching back to the firebombing of Dresden. The narrative explores the intricate and often painful ways people cope with tragedy, the profound weight of unspoken grief, and the small, vital connections that can offer a path toward healing.
- Where and when
- New York City 2000s
- Style
- Form: Novel
What readers say
3.97
441K ratings across the web 7 in 10 readers loved it, 1 didn't like it
Many readers found this book to be a deeply moving and emotionally resonant experience, often evoking strong feelings and tears, particularly regarding the themes of grief and loss following a major tragedy like September 11th. The story is widely praised for its exploration of love, humanity, and the journey towards healing, often offering an optimistic view of human connection. Reviewers highlighted the unique and imaginative writing style, including its multi-genre approach and experimental use of formatting and language, which many found brave, gorgeous, and immersive. The protagonist, Oskar, a boy who lost his father, is frequently described as an unforgettable, intelligent, and empathetic character whose quest to connect with his parent and others is both beautiful and thought-provoking.
Conversely, a significant number of readers found the book's narrative style to be overly gimmicky, pretentious, and self-indulgent, with some describing it as hard to follow or distracting. The protagonist, Oskar, was often criticized for being an unrealistic or unbelievable character, with some reviewers finding his precociousness cloying, manipulative, or even irritating. Critics also pointed to the story as being overly sentimental or emotionally manipulative, suggesting that it leaned too heavily on the tragic subject matter to elicit a reaction. Furthermore, some felt the plot lacked substance or coherence, describing it as convoluted or too sweet, and that certain character actions or narrative choices were illogical or frustrating.
Overall, the book elicits highly polarized reactions, with readers either deeply loving its emotional depth and stylistic innovation or strongly disliking its perceived artifice and sentimentality. It is a book that aims to explore profound themes of loss, connection, and resilience through an unconventional lens. Readers who appreciate experimental storytelling, highly emotional narratives, and child narrators with unique perspectives, and who are willing to overlook or embrace its eccentricities, are most likely to find it a powerful and memorable experience. Those who prefer straightforward plots, realistic characters, and traditional narrative structures may find it frustrating.
Conversely, a significant number of readers found the book's narrative style to be overly gimmicky, pretentious, and self-indulgent, with some describing it as hard to follow or distracting. The protagonist, Oskar, was often criticized for being an unrealistic or unbelievable character, with some reviewers finding his precociousness cloying, manipulative, or even irritating. Critics also pointed to the story as being overly sentimental or emotionally manipulative, suggesting that it leaned too heavily on the tragic subject matter to elicit a reaction. Furthermore, some felt the plot lacked substance or coherence, describing it as convoluted or too sweet, and that certain character actions or narrative choices were illogical or frustrating.
Overall, the book elicits highly polarized reactions, with readers either deeply loving its emotional depth and stylistic innovation or strongly disliking its perceived artifice and sentimentality. It is a book that aims to explore profound themes of loss, connection, and resilience through an unconventional lens. Readers who appreciate experimental storytelling, highly emotional narratives, and child narrators with unique perspectives, and who are willing to overlook or embrace its eccentricities, are most likely to find it a powerful and memorable experience. Those who prefer straightforward plots, realistic characters, and traditional narrative structures may find it frustrating.
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Details & editions
- This edition
- Penguin, 2018
- ISBN
- 9780241983805
- Language
- English
Original edition Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Originally published in 2005 · English · Houghton Mifflin
