Everything Is Illuminated
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Houghton
With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man - also named Jonathan Safran Foer - sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war, an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Junior,
… More »Houghton
Baker & Taylor
Hilarious, energetic, and profoundly touching, a debut novel follows a young writer as he travels to the farmlands of eastern Europe, where he embarks on a quest to find Augustine, the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis, and, guided by his young Ukrainian translator, he discovers an unexpected past that will resonate far into the future. Excerpt inThe New Yorker.
Blackwell North Amer
With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man - also named Jonathan Safran Foer - sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war, an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior, and the unforgettable Alex, a young Ukranian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, Jonathan is led on a quixotic journey over a devastated landscape and into an unexpected past.
As their adventure unfolds, Jonathan imagines the history of his grandfather's village, conjuring a magical fable of startling symmetries that unite generations across time.
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With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man - also named Jonathan Safran Foer - sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war, an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior, and the unforgettable Alex, a young Ukrainian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, Jonathan is led on a quixotic journey over a devastated landscape and into an unexpected past.
As their adventure unfolds, Jonathan imagines the history of his grandfather's village, conjuring a magical fable of startling symmetries that unite generations across time. Lit by passion, fear, guilt, memory, and hope, the characters in Everything Is Illuminated mine the black holes of history. As the search moves back in time, the fantastical history moves forward, until reality collides with fiction in a heart-stopping scene of extraordinary power.
An arresting blend of high comedy and great tragedy, this is a story about searching for people and places that no longer exist, for the hidden truths that haunt every family, and for the delicate but necessary tales that link past and future. Exuberant and wise, hysterically funny and deeply moving, EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED is an astonishing debut.
As their adventure unfolds, Jonathan imagines the history of his grandfather's village, conjuring a magical fable of startling symmetries that unite generations across time. Lit by passion, fear, guilt, memory, and hope, the characters in Everything Is Illuminated mine the black holes of history. As the search moves back in time, the fantastical history moves forward, until reality collides with fiction in a heart-stopping scene of extraordinary power.
An arresting blend of high comedy and great tragedy, this is a story about searching for people and places that no longer exist, for the hidden truths that haunt every family, and for the delicate but necessary tales that link past and future. Exuberant and wise, hysterically funny and deeply moving, EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED is an astonishing debut.
Baker & Taylor
Hilarious, energetic, and profoundly touching, a debut novel follows a young writer as he travels to the farmlands of eastern Europe, where he embarks on a quest to find Augustine, the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis, and, guided by his young Ukrainian translator, he discovers an unexpected past that will resonate far into the future. Excerpt in
Blackwell North Amer
With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man - also named Jonathan Safran Foer - sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war, an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior, and the unforgettable Alex, a young Ukranian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, Jonathan is led on a quixotic journey over a devastated landscape and into an unexpected past.
As their adventure unfolds, Jonathan imagines the history of his grandfather's village, conjuring a magical fable of startling symmetries that unite generations across time.
Imprint:
Boston - Houghton Mifflin Co
Pages:
276
ISBN:
9780618173877
Language:
English
Statement of responsibility:
Jonathan Safran Foer
Characteristics:
276 p. ;,24 cm.
Author (Original Script):
Foer, Jonathan Safran
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Add a CommentI don't really know how to describe my feelings about this book. The book is many things. Pretentious? I thought so. Tedious? Sometimes. Confusing? Yes yes yes. But still, there is something here. Moments of something. It is all of those negative things, while also being a sad, funny and beautiful novel about being human.
I was extremely excited about this book and I laughed heartily at the prologue where the Ukranian translator introduces himself. The translator's parts recount the author's arrival in Ukraine (apparently "The Ukraine" is not what we should be saying any longer) to find the village where his grandfather was saved from the Nazis and the woman who saved him. The structure of the book is such that it alternates between "the translator" as he recounts the search, and reconstructions of the author's family's history. These parts were extremely confusing to me, they seemed to be full of things I didn't understand, although I believe myself to be fairly well read in Jewish lit, and puzzling in their perversion. I spent considerable time on the internet after finishing the book to read reviews and Jewish-Ukranian history. I thought the book could have been a lot better than it was and I wonder what Foer's family has to say about it...
Started out on a more light hearted, comic note. Ended in disturbing details about the Nazi war and the atrocities that occurred not only in Germany, but also in Poland and other areas of Europe. Difficult to read right before bed!
I had an interesting experience with this book. I actively tried to stop reading it as I was finding the characters really annoying at first. But I kept picking it up again. Finally I reached a point where I couldn't put it down. Now I feel it is one of the best books, best written and crafted books, that I've read.
some very amusing moments, but overall really a disappointment to me.
Not my cup of tea at all...
Jonathan Safran Foer has a gift for unique, unforgettable narrative voices. Amongst the multiple generations fighting to survive oppression and war on many fronts, there are innumerable vivid scenes and characters.
Quirky, but pretentious.