Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

This will be one of my all-time favorite books. Harper Lee's quote, “the book to read is not one that thinks for you but the one which makes you think” perfectly applies here. I loved the journey it took me on and I was sorry to see it end. As a rule, I don't reread books but I will probably make an exception with this book. I lauged, I cried, I reflected on the smaller details of life, imagination, and relationships. Thank you Jonathan Safran Foer for giving us such a delightful story and told in such a creative way.

sidenote: I don't know how the movie will be able to convey the story the way the book did but I don't really care. I'm sure it will be a good movie but I feel like I have a genuine treasure from reading the book.

I am a sucker for books written from a child's perspective, especially when that child is troubled or has some special needs (think Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightitme, T.S Spivit, etc). So in addition to this being a rich and layered tale of the big three - love, loss, and life - the narrator is captivating and oddly lovable.

I don't know that I have ever read a book like this one. It's a fascinating that the subject of the September 11 terrorist attacks is addressed through the eyes of nine-year-old Oskar Schell, and a very unique and intelligent nine-year-old at that. Oskar's father was in the World Trade Center and died when the tower he was in collapsed on September 11, 2001.

The author explores humans and our emotions in a realistic way - messy, vulnerable, self-conscious, angry, hypothetical, repressed, sad, nostalgic and uncertain. While reading the book, I was led to tears, felt uncomfortable, laughed and wanted so desperately for Oskar to find what he is searching for (read the book to find out what that is exactly!). Oskar is an exceptionally perceptive and intelligent character, and I caught myself more than a few times wondering how he could be so immature and naive and had to remind myself that he is only 9 years old.

Nothing in the novel felt artificial or forced; the characters and situations all seem real and I felt as if they could have happened to me or to someone I know. Maybe that is what helps this novel resonate with the reader. Can't wait to see how the movie adaptation rates coming from such an interesting and fantastic novel.

I really don't know how to rate this book. I went into it expecting to like a lot, and parts of it I liked quite a bit. But most of it I thought was a muddled mess, and I resented reading it. I wonder if it would work better as a short story.

Wow. Just finished with this book.

Every once in a while you run into a gem like this. It's hard to put your finger on why it touches you but it does. All the seemingly random statements, random comments and random thoughts converge into the feeling that it was supposed to convey. And it hits you right in the face. The fear, the anguish, the pain and the sadness. But also the beauty, the joy and the lightheartedness of a young man.

It's all in there. And it's so great.

Teary and beautiful and bizarre and sweet.

Wow, this one was heart wrenching and amazing. I lost count of the time my eyes filled with tears! The writing is beautiful, the storylines heartbreaking. The author uses various visual techniques that includes photographs, diagrams, blank pages etc. that creates a true intensity to the story. I really don't know what else to say other then I think this should be on everyone's must read list!

This book forever teetered on the brink of being too precious, but to me it ultimately never crossed over. Oskar is a hilarious and tragic character. At first I was annoyed with the grandparents' storyline but it grew on me. I also really liked all the visual elements of the book.

Great book! Somewhat gimmicky, but a sad, sweet story of mourning, forgiveness, and love.