What I Read: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close was the novel that I had been waiting for it. It, apparently, was also waiting for me for many years. The book was published in 2005. A friend recommended it to me, and let me borrow her copy. Sometimes I don’t like the idea of reading borrowed books because that physical copy now holds a memory for me - almost everything about the season of life I was in can be recalled when I hold an old book. Conversely, it feels good to read it for free, to cut down on waste, and to share having read that physical copy with someone I love!

A few things I’ll note about this book: the writing is just beautiful and felt very fresh. The variation in voice, layered narrative, and complex characters are what I’ve been missing in other recent fiction attempts. It also provides a sort of tour of NYC throughout the book. I wish I would’ve been more familiar with the city while reading it, but even though I’d never been there I felt like I could easily follow the journey being taken. 

Something that kept the book interesting is that much of the story is told through the eyes of a child, Oskar. A wisened, anxious, funny and direct child. The author used him to describe people in honest and direct ways, put forth curiosities we’ve all wondered but would never ask, and express anxiety in a way that many people can relate with. 

There’s not much to sum up here. I loved it! Would recommend!