Book Review: Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close By Jonathon Safran Foer

I was interested in this book before it was made into movie, but never got around to reading it or buying it until after the movie came out. I did not see the movie (and have no plans to), so I can’t compare the stories, but I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. (That title is an Amazon Affiliate link which means that if you click through and make a purchase I will earn a small commission–thank you for your support!)

As summarized on Amazon:

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11. This seemingly impossible task will bring Oskar into contact with survivors of all sorts on an exhilarating, affecting, often hilarious, and ultimately healing journey.

I was reluctant to buy the book because the story sounded so sad, but when I saw that it was a New York Times Bestseller, I downloaded a free sample (part of the first chapter) on my iPhone Kindle App, and then downloaded the full book so I could keep reading.  It was one of those books that I didn’t want to put down but also didn’t want to end.

This is the second book that I’ve read this year that is told from the perspective of a young boy (the first was Pigeon English), and I once again found myself enjoying the fresh view on things both mundane and profound. It was funny, poignant, and bittersweet.

Do you read this book or see the movie?

Does anyone else read books on their iPhone?