Everything is Illuminated

i have such mixed feelings about this book. when i read it, i LOVED it... in a large part because j.s.foer was about 20 when he started it, and 25 when he published it, and the writing is quite nice for a boy his age, and i thought, well there, i have to put out a novel as good as this by that time, that's my goal... sure, whatever... i'm 22, so i'll let you know how that goes....

i dog-eared a few of the pages, like the one where little points of light spring up when everyone's coupling up - i liked those images - but when anyone that age tries to write big, grandiose ideas about life and generations etc., well, he comes off sounding a little naive, if only because he practically just graduated high school. i thought it was a an engaging story though, and it's true that i couldn't put it down. i'm a sucker for magical realism.

my opinions of him are tainted now though because i heard an interview with him, during which he came off as pompous and self-satisfied - really, a little twit. a little humility goes a long way.

I know what you mean about younger people attempting to write grandiose, expansive stories appearing a little naive, but part of what I liked about this book was that I didn't get that sense too much.

I think he may have overused his magic realism and more exaggerated storytelling style, perhaps sometimes to cover up an uneasiness with his subject matter. But - first of all - he really has such a terrific and relentless imagination. There are some pages and sections (I remember the bit that you refer to about the lights - extremely vivid, somewhat beautiful) when it just seems that he has the ability to cram in more ideas, gimmicks, feelings, great lines and wonderful story elements than twenty authors working together.

Also - I think what really made this book is the fact that it is partly based on real experiences. I think that shines through. in some ways he uses a technique similar to Dave Eggers in A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by pre-empting criticism within his own pages. Eg// As the book progresses, he uses Alex to voice his concerns about the use of humour and to ask such questions as "would you have written this if your granddad was still alive?". He's obviously been through the emotions that he describes (although obviously not through the horror of the events in Trachimbrod. But this is a master stroke - he doesn't describe them first person, but has someone tell the story. So he is not claiming to be reporting on events but asking you, as he was, to be horrified at the story of what happened and conjour up in your head, as he has, what it must have been like. V effective.)

I read an interview with him the other day on identitytheory.com and I thought he came across pretty well. I think he is obviously HYPER-educated, and that shows through his writing, but you could tell that he was a very perceptive, thoughful passionate guy.

I must say that at the moment this is defintely the best book I have read this year, but maybe like you when I come back to it later I'll be less enamoured with it!

I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned it on this site, but then it's not exactly in keeping with the minimalist Chuck style!

And there is something kinda depressing, yet heartening that this swine finished it off when he was 25. Wonderkid.

well, here's the url of the interview that i heard, so we can have a common reference point:

[url]http://www.here-now.org/shows/2003/07/20030716_5.asp[/url]

i think he's a bit enamored with being a young person finding early fame in the literary scene, and that's reflected in his attitude.

perhaps i'm being dogmatic, in that i would've accepted his worldviews more easily coming from eco, or garcia lorca...

and perhaps it doesn't matter what an author's personality turns out to be - there's no doubt i'm jealous - the book was for the most part a beautiful, imaginative story; i cared about the characters, etc. but two or so years removed, the novelty of his 20-somethingness has worn off for me... now, joyce was a youngster himself writing, but then, i wouldn't compare foer to joyce.

Hey - thanks for that link Vidalia - it's interesting to hear his voice.

I must say though - and I'm not just being a contrary pain in the ass (or am I?) - I thought that he sounded alright! I thought the interviewer was a bit of a cretin (please God let the word "Wacky" be removed from the dictionary, except when used before "Races") but he came across kinda the way I expected. In a strange way, considering the explosion of positive critical reactions he received, you could say he's more unassuming that expected!

Here's another link to an interview when he gets deeper into his story and techniques etc. I think he suffers from being slightly too clever-clever, but I don't have the same negative sense about him that you do.

[URL=http://www.identitytheory.com/interviews/birnbaum108.html]http://www.identitytheory.com/interviews/birnbaum108.html[/URL]

I also think it's an interesting question - should an Author's personality colour the way we read their books? I must say that I wasn't that big a Chuck fan until I found this site and read some of the generous and excellent essays he provides etc. Made me think he was a top bloke!

P.S - maybe I'm more inclined to stick up for him 'cause I'm just finishing off his book and I am in awe of the fact that someone could have written it, at any age

I started reading this book when I took a Recent Popular Literature class my last semester at Kansas. I got through the first couple chapters of the book but never went through with the rest of it. The class went through a lot of books kind of haphazardly. I don't know why but I sold it and I'm tempted to start reading it again. I remember reading the first chapter and for some reason, I was reading the narrative in the voice of Dr. Nick from the Simpsons. Oh man did I laugh my ass off.

Our class also thought Foer looks like he got caught getting a blowjob in that photo in the book.

Undertow-

You have to persevere with it until it all clicks into place. He's got this strange triple narrative thang going on which is a little confusing at first, but becomes one of the major strengths of the book.

The Dr Nick thing isn't so far off bat! The first half of the book I found very, very funny, particularly the massacred English. Later though, he starts to tone the comedy down and bring in the pathos. Works brilliantly.

Well worth sticking with it mate - Best I've read this year

My book doesn't have a photo of Foer, but from what I've read of him he'd probably be suprised to be getting a blow job at all.

[QUOTE=Riddlegimp]Undertow-

You have to persevere with it until it all clicks into place. He's got this strange triple narrative thang going on which is a little confusing at first, but becomes one of the major strengths of the book.

The Dr Nick thing isn't so far off bat! The first half of the book I found very, very funny, particularly the massacred English. Later though, he starts to tone the comedy down and bring in the pathos. Works brilliantly.

Well worth sticking with it mate - Best I've read this year

My book doesn't have a photo of Foer, but from what I've read of him he'd probably be suprised to be getting a blow job at all.[/QUOTE]
foer's no knock-out but he's an average looking guy, dark hair, glasses, and very intelligent, and i'll bet he's enjoying the book groupies that accompany best-seller-dom.

it is worth sticking with, though. i'll admit, right here on the internet!, that i cried at the end.

I haven't heard/read any interviews with Foer to know what kind of person he is, but I have read the book, and thought it was brilliant, especially for a debut novel from someone so young. Time will tell if he is the real deal or another one-hit wonder. I'm looking forward to his next book. Hopefully the sudden fame and money will not affect the quality of his writing. Sammy Davis Junior, Junior still cracks me up.

[QUOTE=vidalia]foer's no knock-out but he's an average looking guy, dark hair, glasses, and very intelligent, and i'll bet he's enjoying the book groupies that accompany best-seller-dom.

it is worth sticking with, though. i'll admit, right here on the internet!, that i cried at the end.[/QUOTE]

Yeh...I know. I was just thinking of his own references to being a bit of a sexual muppet.

I'm sure he could paper his house with the amount of post-its with numbers on slipped to him at book readings. Success is sexy. I better start working harder...

[QUOTE=vidalia]i have such mixed feelings about this book. when i read it, i LOVED it... in a large part because j.s.foer was about 20 when he started it, and 25 when he published it, and the writing is quite nice for a boy his age, and i thought, well there, i have to put out a novel as good as this by that time, that's my goal... sure, whatever... i'm 22, so i'll let you know how that goes....

i dog-eared a few of the pages, like the one where little points of light spring up when everyone's coupling up - i liked those images - but when anyone that age tries to write big, grandiose ideas about life and generations etc., well, he comes off sounding a little naive, if only because he practically just graduated high school. i thought it was a an engaging story though, and it's true that i couldn't put it down. i'm a sucker for magical realism.

my opinions of him are tainted now though because i heard an interview with him, during which he came off as pompous and self-satisfied - really, a little twit. a little humility goes a long way.[/QUOTE]
i couldn't agree more. in fact, i think i said the exact same thing... i've become so disenchanted with foer and the authors of his peer group (eggers, franzen, DFW, etc.) because they all come off like a bunch of fucking tools. i hear franzen is pretty chill in person, however.

[QUOTE=moe.ron]i couldn't agree more. in fact, i think i said the exact same thing... i've become so disenchanted with foer and the authors of his peer group (eggers, franzen, DFW, etc.) because they all come off like a bunch of fucking tools. i hear franzen is pretty chill in person, however.[/QUOTE]
yeah. i didn't want to get into eggers, and i still don't, but... yes.

franzen can get really, really masturbatory... the harper's essay, for example. can someone send over an editor, please? he was a personal hero in a small way for a while because of the oprah mess, but beyond that... the corrections was a good novel... but didn't need to be half as long... and updike does suburbia better. (my father's brain is a really good essay, though.)

and over lunch yesterday, i remembered that foer is dating someone really fantabulous - natalie portman, i think? someone can confirm this with a quick googling, i'm sure.

i thought she dated the hotness that is gael garcia bernal?

[QUOTE=moe.ron]i thought she dated the hotness that is gael garcia bernal?[/QUOTE]
she DID? he's delectable. ahem. someone also told me she was dating zach braff.

she's always "spotted!" eating across the river - every single twit in this town has some "i saw natalie portman at the howard zinn lecture!" story. meh.

isn't there a movie being made of this, by the way?

i guess i'll save my "i saw natalie portman at that one vegetarian cafe" story for another day...

forgot about zach braff, i think that's who she's with now. maybe we should refer to this sunday's parade magazine; there's a whole article on queen amidala!

here we go: from style -

Then there's the celebratedly postmodern Everything Is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safran Foer, whom she met at a reading; they subsequently had a brief epistolary relationship.

how fucking henry and june of them... OK, i've decided i need to have a brief epistolary relationship before i die. any takers?

<<<

[QUOTE=jane s.]<<<

[QUOTE=moe.ron]how fucking henry and june of them... OK, i've decided i need to have a brief epistolary relationship before i die. any takers?[/QUOTE]
you'll have to post a picture of yourself licking something first.

[QUOTE=vidalia]you'll have to post a picture of yourself licking something first.[/QUOTE]
lawdy lawdy...it's hot in here. is it just me, or is this post on fi-yah? as in, OOOO...BURRRRRNNNNN!

[QUOTE=moe.ron]how fucking henry and june of them... OK, i've decided i need to have a brief epistolary relationship before i die. any takers?[/QUOTE]

when should we start, moe?

[QUOTE=moe.ron]lawdy lawdy...it's hot in here. is it just me, or is this post on fi-yah? as in, OOOO...BURRRRRNNNNN![/QUOTE]
cough cough.

[QUOTE=moe.ron]i couldn't agree more. in fact, i think i said the exact same thing... i've become so disenchanted with foer and the authors of his peer group (eggers, franzen, DFW, etc.) because they all come off like a bunch of fucking tools. i hear franzen is pretty chill in person, however.[/QUOTE]

As in Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections? I have that book. Again, I started it but never really finished it. I guess it's alright. Kind of funny.

Not that I disagree with you or anything but I'm curious why you think they're a bunch of tools. I'm asking this because I barely know of these guys so any insight would be cool.

[QUOTE=Undertow]As in Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections? I have that book. Again, I started it but never really finished it. I guess it's alright. Kind of funny.

Not that I disagree with you or anything but I'm curious why you think they're a bunch of tools. I'm asking this because I barely know of these guys so any insight would be cool.[/QUOTE]
it has its moments. it also has its moments of sounding like lots of other books i've read... there's an identity crisis going on. it's as if he wanted to rewrite "the world according to garp."

just by reading some interviews here and there...sometimes it's like they think they're the "voice of the generation" or some shit. like vidalia said, humility goes a long way. take chuck for example...he's got about a billion fanboys all clamoring to make his latest book a bestseller, but he's a cool guy. not toolish at all

i just remembered, i want to add james frey to the tool-box. a million little pieces was OK, but what else ya got?

[QUOTE=moe.ron]
i just remembered, i want to add james frey to the tool-box. a million little pieces was OK, but what else ya got?[/QUOTE]

you just can't give this guy a break, can you?

but seriously, you will soon have the chance to know, as amazon declares that his next book, My Friend Leonard, will be published in may of aught-five.

Sorry guys - I just don't see it.

That interview that Vidalia linked to was kind of annoying, but hardly as up his own ass as you're suggesting.

What is it that's pissing people off about him? I think he's acting in a way that his book entitles him to act:
i.e. It's a fantastic book, he's receiveing plaudits and letters from fans every day of his life, he's put five long years into writing it, he's wrenched the guts out of his family history, he's a bloody clever guy.

As far as I've read he's been straight and honest about the work and how it's affected him. I've certainly never heard him go off a voice of a generation sort of rant.

I don't know what else it could be - I really think there's some kind of jealousy at work here...but maybe I'm wrong.

[QUOTE=TastesLikeChicken]you just can't give this guy a break, can you?

but seriously, you will soon have the chance to know, as amazon declares that his next book, My Friend Leonard, will be published in may of aught-five.[/QUOTE]
jesus christ, you really ARE james frey. no sign of you in months, but at the first mention of the dude's name you come runnin'...

OK mr. frey, i'll be first in line to pick up your new book. my friend leonard, huh? more non-fic?

[QUOTE=Riddlegimp]Sorry guys - I just don't see it.

That interview that Vidalia linked to was kind of annoying, but hardly as up his own ass as you're suggesting.

What is it that's pissing people off about him? I think he's acting in a way that his book entitles him to act:
i.e. It's a fantastic book, he's receiveing plaudits and letters from fans every day of his life, he's put five long years into writing it, he's wrenched the guts out of his family history, he's a bloody clever guy.

As far as I've read he's been straight and honest about the work and how it's affected him. I've certainly never heard him go off a voice of a generation sort of rant.

I don't know what else it could be - I really think there's some kind of jealousy at work here...but maybe I'm wrong.[/QUOTE]
it's not that he's trying to be the voice of his generation... he's trying to be the voice of someone *else's* generation, and it doesn't resonate for me. the entitled, snarky new yorker lifestyle irritates the hell out of me as i simultaneously loath and covet it, but then again, i said that way up top in one of my first posts about this, anyway...

Whose read the book or seen the movie? I'm 100 pages into the book and loving the mixed bag of textures. I haven't laughed this much while reading in years. It's a brilliant spin on cultural clash confusion.

anyway, talk about movie and book. Please put [COLOR=DarkOrange]SPOIL [/COLOR] if you cut into details.

[IMG]http://www.jonathansafranfoerbooks.com/images/jacket.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://www.hideout.it/articoli/290_4.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://cdn.channel.aol.com/mf_movies/18649_p_m[/IMG]

[URL=http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=17889&highlight=Illuminated]It's been done[/URL].

Gimper, can you merge the thread or delete this one?

You can delete it yourself, can't you?
I think this is out of Riddlegimp's jurisdiction....[SIZE=1]sp?[/SIZE]

This aint my juridisction baby! I aint got no powers in the dark lands of the book club...

[QUOTE=Vendetta]You can delete it yourself, can't you?
I think this is out of Riddlegimp's jurisdiction....[SIZE=1]sp?[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Weird. I just had the same internal dilemmas about spelling jurisdiction and there you are, writing away

i'll ask Mirka to merge it so Gimp's thread is bumped up. Mr. Snuffy did to for me before. If not I'll delete it, but I think I can only delete it if there are no responses. errrr. i'll be back.

[QUOTE=Dr.Jekyll&Mr.Hyde]i'll ask Mirka to merge it so Gimp's thread is bumped up. Mr. Snuffy did to for me before. If not I'll delete it, but I think I can only delete it if there are no responses. errrr. i'll be back.[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure you can just delete it. Try it and then repost in Riddlegimp's thread.

[QUOTE=Riddlegimp]Weird. I just had the same internal dilemmas about spelling jurisdiction and there you are, writing away[/QUOTE]
Makes me wonder how many people across the country were doing the old qualm-type at that very moment.

THANK YOU MIRKA!

Back on topic:

[URL=http://www.threemonkeysonline.com/threemon_article_everything_is_illuminated_jonathan_safran_foer_interview.htm]Everything is illuminated? Jonathan Safran Foer in interview.[/URL]

I haven’t read the interviews. I’m looking at this as words running naked.

Mr. gimp I agree.

This is a textured talented book that is brilliant in construction and voice. I love the fantastical nature in which Foer writes about his history. Alex’s letters alongside the author’s narrative really makes this a complex web of humor, tradition, history, and present. I think the basic theme is an elaboration and exploration on LOVE, and the lengths we will go for loved ones.

What’s your take on the end? Is it Alex refusing to translate further or is that how the grandfather left it?

I haven’t read the interviews but if he is cocky he a right to be, a lot of work went into this.

[I]OBJECTS THAT EXIST
Objects that exist are those things that God doesn’t even like.

OBJECTS THAT DON’T EXIST
Objects that don’t exist. If we were to imagine such a thing as an object that didn’t exist, it would be that thing that God hated. This is the strongest argument against the nonbeliever. If god didn’t exist, he would have to hate himself, and that is obviously nonsense.

Every morning, she’d clean me from excrement, bathe me, dress me, and see that my hair was combed like a sane’s man, even if it meant an elbow to the nose of broken rib. She polished the blade. She wore my teeth marks on her body like wives might wear jewelry. The hole didn’t mater. We paid it no attention. We shared a room. [COLOR=Orange]She was with me. She did all of those things and so many more, things I would never tell anyone, and she never even loved me. Now that’s love.[/I][/COLOR]

i'm excited to see the movie adaptation, written and directed by liev schreiber. JSF is in the movie as well, as a "leaf blower" (according to IMDB). from what i gather, the movie JSF is a more central character to the story whereas "augustine" is just a girl in a picture. i guess it got pretty good reviews at the TFF...

hey dr/mr, have you read JSF's latest extremely loud and incredibly close?

[QUOTE=moe.ron]i'm excited to see the movie adaptation, written and directed by liev schreiber. JSF is in the movie as well, as a "leaf blower" (according to IMDB). from what i gather, the movie JSF is a more central character to the story whereas "augustine" is just a girl in a picture. i guess it got pretty good reviews at the TFF...

hey dr/mr, have you read JSF's latest [I][B]extremely loud and incredibly close[/B][/I]?[/QUOTE]
Moe I just saw this, and have no idea what your talking about. Is that the title?
And I have my doubts about the [I]Illuminated [/I]movie which isn't playing in this beat of a town so I'll have to wait for DVD.
Oh yeah, someone told me they're making a movie out of [COLOR=Blue][I]House [/COLOR]of Leaves[/I]. Come on!

[QUOTE=Dr.Jekyll&Mr.Hyde]Moe I just saw this, and have no idea what your talking about. Is that the title?
And I have my doubts about the [I]Illuminated [/I]movie which isn't playing in this beat of a town so I'll have to wait for DVD.
Oh yeah, someone told me they're making a movie out of [COLOR=Blue][I]House [/COLOR]of Leaves[/I]. Come on![/QUOTE]
yes, the title is [URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618329706/002-8833910-8368832?v=glance&n=283155]Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close[/URL]. it seems some people are turned off by the idea of the author being the proverbial knows-too-much-for-his-own-good type of kid, but the themes and expressions of this book are powerful. i know more than a few people who have admitted to crying while reading it.

[QUOTE=moe.ron]yes, the title is [URL=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618329706/002-8833910-8368832?v=glance&n=283155]Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close[/URL]. it seems some people are turned off by the idea of the author being the proverbial knows-too-much-for-his-own-good type of kid, but the themes and expressions of this book are powerful. i know more than a few people who have admitted to crying while reading it.[/QUOTE]
thank you...
Looks great, it will have to be a Christmas present to myself. [I]Illuminated [/I]blew me away, especially the texture of Alex's letter, gave the story incredible character. And yeah he's young but a brilliant writer, so it's inevitable that some are threatened looking for any cut to bite into.

ha...i was actually talking about the narrarator being the the know it all, not the author...oops! i was going to edit it all sly and leave you to be the one looking like a fool, but since it's christmas, i'll take full responsibility

This is a great interview. Especially when he gets to the process, struggle, and torments of writing, and his take on 911. His opinion on narrative voice is unique. I have yet to get a copy, but will shortly with the gold Smartazboy sent me for Christmas..

[URL=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/talkingvolumes/]Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Interview: Talking Volumes (Dec. 7) [/URL]
By Jonathan Safran Foer

[IMG]http://cdn.channel.aol.com/mf_movies/18649_p_m[/IMG]:madfawk:
if you're a fan of the book don't watch this absolute crap spin off.
Gimp you know how much texture, depth, details, and color run through this story.
They completely raped it.
yep.