Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
11 journalers for this copy...
"...funny, tender, tragic, ingeniously imaginative...has all the kick and brio of a child's wild vision...".
Postal release to Qantaqa in Germany.
Thanks so much for sending this book to me. And by airmail - you shouldn't have! That was horribly expensive!
I'm going to read it right after I finish my current book and then I'll pass it on to someone who's going to appreciate it as much as I do :o)!
I'm going to read it right after I finish my current book and then I'll pass it on to someone who's going to appreciate it as much as I do :o)!
Extremely beautiful and incredibly heart-breaking
I so enjoyed reading this book, it was definitely one of the best books I've read this year. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it really touched me. And now I wish I could meet Oskar... what an amazing person!
There were parts I didn't like as much, though: especially the whole Grandpa story line (I'm not going to go into too much detail here, because I want my review to be spoiler-free).
I find myself unable to stop thinking about this book. But after all, that's what makes a book special...
I'll try and turn this book into a bookring, because I hope other people will enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks again for the RABCK, Oldbroad!
Bookring participants:
- Sternschnuppe28(DE)
- Anke68(DE)
- ink-heart(DE)
- Lilo37fee(DE)
- biba89(NL)
- Spitfirenerd(NL)
- storychaser(UK)
- DJgib(UK)
- Argoitz(PT)
- Ftarazu(PT)
- JohnSteed(CH)
- sintra(DE)
- AmaniS(DE)
- Zoe1971(DE)
- ekaterin4luv(DE)
I so enjoyed reading this book, it was definitely one of the best books I've read this year. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it really touched me. And now I wish I could meet Oskar... what an amazing person!
There were parts I didn't like as much, though: especially the whole Grandpa story line (I'm not going to go into too much detail here, because I want my review to be spoiler-free).
I find myself unable to stop thinking about this book. But after all, that's what makes a book special...
I'll try and turn this book into a bookring, because I hope other people will enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks again for the RABCK, Oldbroad!
Bookring participants:
- Sternschnuppe28(DE)
- Anke68(DE)
- ink-heart(DE)
- Lilo37fee(DE)
- biba89(NL)
- Spitfirenerd(NL)
- storychaser(UK)
- DJgib(UK)
- Argoitz(PT)
- Ftarazu(PT)
- JohnSteed(CH)
- sintra(DE)
- AmaniS(DE)
- Zoe1971(DE)
- ekaterin4luv(DE)
Journal Entry 5 by Qantaqa at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Released 18 yrs ago (10/19/2005 UTC) at by mail in To the next participant, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
On its way to Sternschnuppe...
I hope you'll all enjoy the book as much as I did!
On its way to Sternschnuppe...
I hope you'll all enjoy the book as much as I did!
Journal Entry 6 by Sternschnuppe28 from Flörsheim am Main, Hessen Germany on Saturday, October 22, 2005
Das Buch kam heute mit der Post. Dankeschön für den Ring. Ich bin sehr gespannt auf Jonathan Safran Foer - die Freundin von meinem Bruder hat mich gerade vorgestern mit "Alles ist erleuchtet" versorgt, mal sehr mit welchem Buch ich jetzt beginne.
The book arrived today. Thanks for the ring. I am actually very curious about Jonathan Safran Foer - my brother´s girlfriend just bought along "All is illuminated" (in its German translation) the day before yesterday. Have to see, with which book I am going to start now.
The book arrived today. Thanks for the ring. I am actually very curious about Jonathan Safran Foer - my brother´s girlfriend just bought along "All is illuminated" (in its German translation) the day before yesterday. Have to see, with which book I am going to start now.
Journal Entry 7 by Sternschnuppe28 from Flörsheim am Main, Hessen Germany on Monday, January 16, 2006
incredibly great! This book has made it into my all time-favourites.
To write on September 11 is a very difficult challenge, Foer (28) succeed it by telling a sensitive, smart and deep-grounded story that covers the big topics of love, death, grief and comfort. I liked best:
- the character of Oskar himself: over-educated, over-sensitive, very earnest, multilingual, vegan, musical
- the complex story construction
- the visual dimension (photos, number codes, plays with words, blank pages, ...)
- the parallels to Günter Grass´ "The Tin Drum" (Oskar Matzerath vs. Oskar Schell, drum vs. tambourine, traumatisizing event)
- descriptions of New York (greetings to Paul Auster)
There is a lot more to write about, but I feel it is a bit unfair to those, who will read the book afterwards. Enjoy yourselves by discovering this great piece of literature!
I already mailed the book to Anke68 last Friday. Please apologize for the delay in reading and forwarding.
To write on September 11 is a very difficult challenge, Foer (28) succeed it by telling a sensitive, smart and deep-grounded story that covers the big topics of love, death, grief and comfort. I liked best:
- the character of Oskar himself: over-educated, over-sensitive, very earnest, multilingual, vegan, musical
- the complex story construction
- the visual dimension (photos, number codes, plays with words, blank pages, ...)
- the parallels to Günter Grass´ "The Tin Drum" (Oskar Matzerath vs. Oskar Schell, drum vs. tambourine, traumatisizing event)
- descriptions of New York (greetings to Paul Auster)
There is a lot more to write about, but I feel it is a bit unfair to those, who will read the book afterwards. Enjoy yourselves by discovering this great piece of literature!
I already mailed the book to Anke68 last Friday. Please apologize for the delay in reading and forwarding.
The book arrived here yesterday, but I wasn´t at home, so I had to fetch it from the post office today. There are a few rings waiting already, but I´ll try to read them fast, so that the book won´t stay here too long.
A great book, fantastically written, often quite unusual in visual style. I really enjoyed reading the book. Thanks for letting me share that experience. I´m sure I´ll buy the book for my personal collection.
The book will travel further to ink-heart as soon as I have her address.
The book will travel further to ink-heart as soon as I have her address.
Thank you for sending the book, Anke, and for providing the ring, Quantaqa! I'm very much looking forward to reading this, but as it isn't the only ring that arrived (eternal BC rule: they always come in bunches) it might take a bit longer this time.
Whoa, what a book! The language is just what I love: simple, yet complex and sometimes incredibly beautiful. The changing perspectives and the use of the layout (never as l'art pour l'art, but always reinforcing and widening the story) are masterly. Oskar (Grass WAS one of the inspirations for him, wasn't he?) is moving, touching and someone I would like to know in RL - although not too closely presumably. And that is the one point about which I am actually in two minds: those characters are all so profound, so deep and so extreme - not one of them turns out to be superficial or boring for even a short time. Maybe that is what makes this book so special, so hilariously funny and deeply despairing; I am sure that is what makes it so overwhelming. I was downright exhausted when I finished it yesterday and I've got the feeling it will take me some days to recover. ;o)
Thanks again for this wonderful ring, Quantaqa!
The book is going to continue its journey on Wednesday. Have a good time with it, Lilo37fee!
Thanks again for this wonderful ring, Quantaqa!
The book is going to continue its journey on Wednesday. Have a good time with it, Lilo37fee!
Journal Entry 12 by 
Lilo37fee
from -- Irgendwo in Bayern, Bayern Germany on Saturday, March 11, 2006
Lilo37fee from -- Irgendwo in Bayern, Bayern Germany on Saturday, March 11, 2006
I was a little bit scared- because I loved "Everything is illuminated" and just don´t believe that this book can be as good, and also because of the topic. But I shouldn´t have been, because I read the first few pages and immediately I found it beautiful.
Journal Entry 13 by Lilo37fee from -- Irgendwo in Bayern, Bayern Germany on Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Lilo37fee from -- Irgendwo in Bayern, Bayern Germany on Wednesday, March 15, 2006
I have just finished the book. It is beautiful- even though it has not the same effect on me than "Everything is illuminated". But there are simmilarities- the story of Grandmother and Grandfather reminds me of Jankel and Brod e.g
The most beautiful part is the letter of Stephen Hawking.
The most beautiful part is the letter of Stephen Hawking.
This arrived in the mail today. Thank you for ringing it, I will put my current book aside and start in this one. Although finishing might take a while, since I have my hands full with my newborn son, ten days old.. I will do my best.
The voice of Oskar will be ringing in my mind for a long time. The book breathes love through all its pages. Family love, parental love, child love. I was touched all the more especially because all of a sudden I can imagine these feelings much more deeply - I read it while my son was sleeping right next to me.
I will send the book off to Spitfirenerd.
I will send the book off to Spitfirenerd.
I received the book on the 13th of april.
It has to wait because I have 4 books that have to be read first.
Oldbroad thank you for the ring and Biba89 thank you for sending it to me!!
It has to wait because I have 4 books that have to be read first.
Oldbroad thank you for the ring and Biba89 thank you for sending it to me!!
I really loved this book...It is so incredible to see how he (Oskar) deals with the loss of his father..
Oskar is just great, I love his charactere..The thing I did not like about the story was the story about the grandfather..
I liked the part about the replies on the letters Oskar send...Well I just loved the book en thank you for sharing it with me..
Ok storychaser your up next!!!
Oskar is just great, I love his charactere..The thing I did not like about the story was the story about the grandfather..
I liked the part about the replies on the letters Oskar send...Well I just loved the book en thank you for sharing it with me..
Ok storychaser your up next!!!
Journal Entry 18 by StoryChaser from Waterlooville, Hampshire United Kingdom on Thursday, June 15, 2006
Received today safe and sound. Thanks Spitfirenerd:)
Journal Entry 19 by StoryChaser from Waterlooville, Hampshire United Kingdom on Monday, June 19, 2006
Just lovely, beautifully written. I had no idea what the book was about when I signed up, or else I might not have bothered (just shows what preconceived ideas we get about a particular subject...)I thought Oskar was brill, I felt really close to him. I will certainly be on the look-out for more by this author. Thanks Qantaga for starting this bookring:)
Xanthe-pup has asked to be skipped, so sending on to DJgib.
Arrived safely, thanks StoryChaser. I'm in the middle of a big book and got another bookring waiting, but I'll try to be quick. I'm off sick today so should get a lot of reading done, as long as my head doesn't hurt too much :-(
Wow! This was really really beautiful, on so many levels. From the first page I was stuck into this. I actually read it while I was on holiday with friends and finished it while people around me were playing games and laughing. I had to go to another room to have a little cry.
I noticed that some people didn't like the story of the grandad, but I thought it was really interesting. Especially the bit during their marriage. I found the theme of using writing to express things that cannot be said very strong and interesting. I also liked how his and her points of view differ, how clearly they don't understand one another, which becomes most poignant when she's writing her life story.
Oskar is also a wonderful character and I feel so sorry for him but also quite envious of his intense intelligence. I loved his letters, and this has actually inspired me to write more letters.
I thought the visual stuff was absolutely brilliant, the pictures, the colour, and the writing getting closer and closer together. All in all it was a real experience that left me quite emotional, and I give it a rare 10. Thanks Qantaqa for starting the ring, I'm really glad to have read this one.
I've PM'd Argoitz and got an address so the book will be moving again soon.
I noticed that some people didn't like the story of the grandad, but I thought it was really interesting. Especially the bit during their marriage. I found the theme of using writing to express things that cannot be said very strong and interesting. I also liked how his and her points of view differ, how clearly they don't understand one another, which becomes most poignant when she's writing her life story.
Oskar is also a wonderful character and I feel so sorry for him but also quite envious of his intense intelligence. I loved his letters, and this has actually inspired me to write more letters.
I thought the visual stuff was absolutely brilliant, the pictures, the colour, and the writing getting closer and closer together. All in all it was a real experience that left me quite emotional, and I give it a rare 10. Thanks Qantaqa for starting the ring, I'm really glad to have read this one.
I've PM'd Argoitz and got an address so the book will be moving again soon.
I posted the book to Argoitz today.
So sorry for only now make this journal entry but I was on vacation and only got back today. Anyway I hope to enjoy this book as much as you did. Thanx Qantaga and Djgib. I'll try and read it ASAP but I'm a slow reader I must warn you. I want to experience it with no rush. Don't worry, I wont slow down the bookring. Thanx again for this. Obrigado.
(\~~/) ( \~~/)
(~'.'~) (~^.^~)
(_ (_ ) (_ (_ )~*^-^*
Love & Peace, Argoitz
(\~~/) ( \~~/)
(~'.'~) (~^.^~)
(_ (_ ) (_ (_ )~*^-^*
Love & Peace, Argoitz
I forgot! Thanx DJgib for the "Bond of Union" postcard. I love it. Thanx a lot. Obrigado. xox :)))
See this link here to view this lovely work of art:
http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/escher/bond_of_union.jpg
See this link here to view this lovely work of art:
http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/escher/bond_of_union.jpg
Looks like this wonderful book is lost. What a shame - it was one of my favorite books ever! I've tried to contact Argoitz lots and lots of times in the last few months but unfortunately I never got an answer.
