Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
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Meet Oskar Schell, an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, pacifist, correspondent with Stephen Hawking and Ringo Starr. He is nine years old. And he is on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11.
An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. Along the way he is always dreaming up inventions to keep those he loves safe from harm. What about a birdseed shirt to let you fly away? What if you could actually hear everyone's heartbeat? His goal is hopeful, but the past speaks a loud warning in stories of those who've lost loved ones before. As Oskar roams New York, he encounters a motley assortment of humanity who are all survivors in their own way. He befriends a 103-year-old war reporter, a tour guide who never leaves the Empire State Building, and lovers enraptured or scorned. Ultimately, Oskar ends his journey where it began, at his father's grave. But now he is accompanied by the silent stranger who has been renting the spare room of his grandmother's apartment. They are there to dig up his father's empty coffin.
Meet Oskar Schell, an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, pacifist, correspondent with Stephen Hawking and Ringo Starr. He is nine years old. And he is on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11.
An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. Along the way he is always dreaming up inventions to keep those he loves safe from harm. What about a birdseed shirt to let you fly away? What if you could actually hear everyone's heartbeat? His goal is hopeful, but the past speaks a loud warning in stories of those who've lost loved ones before. As Oskar roams New York, he encounters a motley assortment of humanity who are all survivors in their own way. He befriends a 103-year-old war reporter, a tour guide who never leaves the Empire State Building, and lovers enraptured or scorned. Ultimately, Oskar ends his journey where it began, at his father's grave. But now he is accompanied by the silent stranger who has been renting the spare room of his grandmother's apartment. They are there to dig up his father's empty coffin.
Baker & Taylor
A new novel by the author of
Blackwell North Amer
Jonathan Safran Foer confronts the traumas of our recent history. What he discovers is solace in that most human quality, imagination.
Meet Oskar Schell, an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, and pacifist. He is nine years old. And he is on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11.
An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. Along the way he is always dreaming up inventions to keep those he loves safe from harm. What about a birdseed shirt to let you fly away? What if you could actually hear everyone's heartbeat? His goal is hopeful, but the past speaks a loud warning in stories of those who've lost loved ones before. As Oskar roams New York, he encounters a motley assortment of humanity who are all survivors in their own way. He befriends a 103-year-old war reporter, a tour guide who never leaves the Empire State Building, and lovers enraptured or scorned. Ultimately, Oskar ends his journey where it began, at his father's grave. But now he is accompanied by the silent stranger who has been renting the spare room of his grandmother's apartment. They are there to dig up his father's empty coffin.
Baker
& Taylor
Oskar Schell, the nine-year-old son of a man killed in the World Trade Center attacks, searches the five boroughs of New York City for a lock that fits a black key his father left behind.
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Age
Add Age SuitabilityJames_Bond thinks this title is suitable for between the ages of 15 and 99
JENBOI thinks this title is suitable for 14 years and over
Summary
Add a Summaryvery wierd but interseting book.
Meet Oskar Schell, and inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, and pacifist. He is nine years old. And he is on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Centre on 9/11. An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. Along the way he is always dreaming up inventions to keep those he loves safe from harm.What about a birdseed shirt to let you fly away? What if you could actually hear everyone's heart beat? His goal is hopeful, but the past speaks a loud warning in stories of those who've lost loved ones before. As Oskar roams New York, he encounters a motley assortment fo humanity who are all survivors in their own way. He befriends a 103-year-old war reporter, a tour guide who never leaves the Empire State Building, and lovers enraptured or scorned. Ultimately, Oskar ends his journey where it began, at his father's grave. But now he is accompanied by the silent stranger who has been renting the spare room of his grandmother's apartment. They are there to dig up his father's empty coffin.
Quotes
Add a QuoteThat's always been my problem. I miss what I already have, and I surround myself with the things that are missing.
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Add a CommentIt was a heartwrenching story of Oskar who loses his father as one of the victims of Sept 11th - He tries to make sense of his world that is broken and how it relates (or doesn't) while meeting people along for his quest to find the answer to the longing question of what this key represents. Loved how the characters developed and the storyline interwove between the characters - Recommend for a comtemporary read.
Definitely not for everybody; the circuitous, rambling, run-on-sentence writing style reminds me of Jose Saramago. The story of an 8 (?) year old boy coping (or not) with the death of his father in the World Trade Center by obsessively trying to discover the way he died. I couldn't decide whether the boy is a high-functioning autistic--and, later, if a couple of the adults were--or if that was just the author trying to write like a child. The writing jumps at random points from the boy's storyline in the 2000's to his grandmother's and then his grandfather's past in wartime Dresden, then jumps back and forth to points in the boy's more or less recent past. There are some good lines, and some unexpectedly poignant parts--I admit I got misty-eyed near the end when you find out exactly WHY the boy is obsessing so much--but you have to work to get to them and try to make sense of what's going on; the author won't necessarily tell you why you're getting this letter or that passage at this or that time, and sometimes different people's stories don't seem to match up. The overall effect is surreal and 'artsy'. Though overall this wasn't my cup of tea, I did put in the work to finish it and I can see other people liking it.
words are too much for this book because it's words are overwhelmingly beautiful, heartbreaking, clever...and oh so much more...
A beautiful read. At times, it can feel a little over the top, but the author is able to tell this story with so much emotion and beauty.
I've seen the movie a couple of times and it is excellent. I read the book after seeing the movie, and was very disappointed. I found the story plodding, some of the author's affectations distracting, and although I found some passages brilliant the book never engaged me for more than a page or two at a time. If I hadn't seen the movie, I doubt I would have bothered finishing the book.
I read this book in just a few days between homework for graduate school and full-time employment. That good. Couldn't keep the young protagonist out of my heart & head
STARTED THE BOOK, DIDN'T FINISH. VERY UNUSUAL. DID LIKE IT.
A perfect book....funny, inventive, creative beyond measure, touching and sentimental. It is also so beautifully crafted that it was nearly breathtaking at moments. I loved it entirely.
Compelling story told in an unusual manner. Pages of this book were literally one word. Although I found it interesting, I disliked the characters. Perhaps if I were more creative I would have enjoyed this book a bit more.
I loved this book. It was so different from anything I've ever read, that I couldn't put it down. The characters were engaging. The story was emotional and, sometimes, a roller coaster. The format was different and sometimes the narrative was something I wasn't expecting. But at no point was this book a disappointment. A definite must read!