Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
By Jonathan Safran Foer
Finishing “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” was kind of bittersweet. Sure, I was happy that I got to finish a book after so long but, I was also quite sad to leave Oskar and the rest of the Schells behind. As I got to know each character more through the many letters that revealed their individual stories bit by bit, I found myself getting incredibly attached and affected by the pain that they were all going through. They were all suffering, each and every one of them, in their own way. Oskar, with his cleverness and rather wild ideas, distracts himself from the pain and the reality by inventing, always. Even as he tries to sleep, he invents things that are way too advanced for a little kid like him. What got me the most was his blurry relationship with his mother. I kind of hated him for being that way at first, but I eventually understood. He’s only a kid, after all.
What affected me the most was the story about Oskar’s grandparents. It was quite painful to read, their story and their life together.
So, I now say goodbye to Oskar and the Schells as well as the Blacks of New York. It was quite a journey! I’m considering adding another Jonathan Safran Foer book to my book list.
