Foer Review by Jaclyn Brown

This review written and submitted by Jaclyn E. Brown

Review of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, a novel written by Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer’s 2005 novel Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is one of those things you either like or hate; either way it’s an experience. After reading the first pages of run-on senten.ces, interesting ideas and crazy inventions from the perspective of a nine year old, you’re either going to eagerly read more or need a nap. Foer is a new breed of writer and that of an acquired taste. His characters, diverse storyline, and organization of this book make and break a unique journey each reader experiences. Foer is both provocatively original and insensitively bold; I’d recommend his writing to anyone.

Nine year old Oskar Schell is Foer’s leading character/narrator. Oskar is a little bit of everything who knows a little bit about everything – or so he thinks. He's an avid Beatles fan, plays the tambourine, only wears white, speaks French, is a pacifist and has a wild imagination. He also happens to be a former atheist, a jeweler and most importantly a son. He frequently uses quirky sayings such as “José?”(no way) and “heavy boots”(being unhappy); I found these to be endearing although you may not. Oskar’s comfortable yet awkward manner is a good representation of the 8 to 12 year old age group. He seems to be inappropriate and kind of annoying yet charming in most cases. -- He is a literary character of whom I think we might all be able to relate our childhood self to in some tiny way.

The book’s main story revolves around Oskar’s search for answers about a key that was owned by his father, who was killed in 9/11. The key, found in an envelope labeled “Black”, triggers Oskar to alphabetically investigate every person in New York City with the last name Black. This search consumes Oskar and ultimately helps him to overcome the loss of his father.

The chronicle of this liberating journey is mixed with an oddly placed back story of Oskar’s German immigrant grandparents. Again, as a reader you either find great interest in this story of needed and lost companionship or you want to skip it all together. Products of the WWII Dresden bombings, Oskar’s grandparents also have a unique story that Foer tells through the use of completely blank pages, pages with single sentences and indecipherable morphed together words. This unusual form of artistic writing inserts the reader into the story, developing a better understanding of the grandparent’s relationship. At times I appreciated it; other times I was very annoyed.

There are many different adventures and relationships happening throughout the novel. Although the grandparent’s story is enlightening, I wish we could know less about it and more about Oskar’s interactions with all of the Blacks. Foer’s lack of expansion on most of Oskar’s encounters with these interesting people is disappointing to say the very least. The people really seem to have an appreciation for Oskar despite his peculiarity. At one visit Oskar asks a forty-eight year old woman “Can we kiss for a little bit?”, at another he meets a man over 100 years old who hasn’t left his apartment in the last 25 years and at another meets a woman who lives atop the empire state building. -All of which are quite intriguing and inspire the reader to want and need to know more. However, this need is not met; instead we are constantly interrupted with the confusing, sad grandparents. Some might value the grandparent’s story; for the most part, it was not for me.

One could say that parts of this novel are hit and miss. I would agree, but insist that most parts are a direct hit. Foer’s unique and overconfident writing style is different yet effective. He exemplifies his talent in great perspectives; for instance Oskar’s father’s solution to how “relatively insignificant we are [in the universe…]”. Oskar’s father explains that if Oskar were to move a single grain of sand in the Sahara desert he would change “…the course of human history!” Foer’s talent is also illustrated in many of Oskar’s thoughts for instance “What if everyone swallowed them [tiny microphones], and they played the sounds of our hearts through tiny speakers, which could be in the pouches of our overalls.” Finishing the paragraph with “…And at the finish line at the New York City Marathon it would sound like war.” What imagination!

We give credit to the character Oskar, without realizing that he is Foer’s genius written creation. Foer’s fluent, ingenious narration of Oskar throughout the book depicts a remarkably intelligent, mature, somewhat peculiar boy fighting the overwhelming reality of grief, disappointment, and every-day life. It is this character and Foer’s distinctive and artistic writing style that give this book its undeniable appeal. The story of Oskar Schell teaches us about closure, forgiveness and undeniable love while challenging us to question how we face our own problems. It is leisure reading that is enjoyable and thought provoking. As I finish Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close I expect great things from Foer, knowing this is only one of his first attempts at a great career.