About this title: Oskar Schell, living in New York, is nine years old and precocious (his interests range from astrophysics to playing the tambourine), and all his intelligence is called into play when his father dies in the destruction of the World Trade Center. Left with an envelope containing a key and a one-word clue, Oskar tries to find out what door the key ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. 0618329706 Quality used book. Clean inside with very little cover wear. May not come with dust jacket. Ships quickly with free tracking! Questions or concerns? Contact me or check my feedback. read more
Edition: 6th printing
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company: A Mariner Book, Boston and New York
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780618711659ISBN:0618711651
Description: Fine. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 326 pp., illus.; 21 cm. Tight, clean copy. "Jonathan Safran Foer emerged as one of the most original writers of his generation with his best-selling debut novel, Everything Is Illuminated. Now, with humor, tenderness, and awe, he confronts the traumas of our recent history. What he discovers is solace in that most human quality, imagination. Meet Oskar Schell, an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, pacifist, correspondent with ... read more
Edition: Audio Book edition
Binding: Audiobook (cassette)
Publisher: Recorded Books
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9781402537844ISBN:1402537840
Description: Good in good dust jacket. Former public library copy with library stamps/stickers. In plastic hardshell case. Tapes, storage case in good condition. Unabridged; Narrated by: Various; includes ALL 8 tapes.; read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Mariner Books
Date Published: 2006-04-04
ISBN-13:9780618711659ISBN:0618711651
Description: Like New. No names, no remainder marks, no stickers. Binding is tight and square. No creases in cover or spine. Text is clean and bright. We recommend PRIORITY MAIL for even faster delivery! Careful packaging and fast shipping. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: New York: Mariner Books, 2006
ISBN-13:9780618711659ISBN:0618711651
Description: Gently used softcover. There is a stain at the bottom of the textblock near the spine. Pages are clean. No previous owner's mane, no dog ears. Very Good. ISBN 0618711651. read more
Edition: Audio Book edition
Binding: Audiobook (cassette)
Publisher: Recorded Books
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9781402537844ISBN:1402537840
Description: Good in good dust jacket. Former public library copy with library stamps/stickers. In plastic hardshell case. Tapes, set case in great condition. Unabridged; Narrated by: Various; includes ALL 8 tapes.; read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Date Published: first printing, 2005
ISBN-13:9780618329700ISBN:0618329706
Description: Very Good-/Very Good hard cover. 8vo, boards, 326+pp, illus. edgewear, rubbing, scratches, edgewrinkles, dust jacket. light shelfwear & light slant spine, cover. small stain foredges, number of foot corners creased, light gutter stress through title page else tight, clean, text. fiction. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
ISBN-13:9780618329700ISBN:0618329706
Description: Used-Very Good in Very Good jacket. FIRST EDITION hardcover; Very good condition. Clean pages; Almost no shelfwear; Tight spine; Reliable customer service and no-hassle return policy. read more
Edition: 1st Mariner Bks Ed.2006, 1st Print.
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: A Mariner Book/ Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, New York
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780618711659ISBN:0618711651
Description: Anne Chalmers (Book Design); Gray 318 (Cover Design and Illustrations); Meg Handler/Polaris (Author Photo) Very Good. First Editions, Collectibles! 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 326 pp. Nearly perfect book with solid binding and minimal external wear. read more
"I hate to keep pointing out to everyone that I listened to the audio version of this or that book, as it gets repetitive after awhile, and for the most part, it is usually irrelevant. In this case, though, it seems to have made a difference.
When I finished Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, I went online to read some reviews. I was surprised by what I read. It seemed that just about everyone who gave their opinion on this book, whether positive or negative, commented on Foer's "experimental" writing style. Apparently, Foer would at times not use proper punctuation, or would clump words on top of each other so that they appeared to look like scribbles, or would insert photographs, or even leave several pages blank. I hate to look like I'm trying to be cute by using the phrase which appeared so often in the book, but my reaction to this was exactly that: What the.... ?
There is no evidence of any of these experimental writing tactics in the audio version whatsoever. I mean, there is mention of a memoir having nothing but blank pages, but that is part of the story itself... there was no sense of actual blank pages within Foer's book. There was no sense of words piling up on each other, either. And, clearly, there were no pictures.
I'm not sure how I would have felt about the book with all of the above thrown in. Many seemed to have found it distracting, and I think I may have felt the same. Without them, though, you are left with nothing but the story itself, pure and uncluttered, and which I found to be beautifully written.
The narration by the various actors was also superbly done. Sometimes I get annoyed by the fact that my current situation limits me to audiobooks, as I miss having a real book in my hand and reading the words on a page in my own voice with my own interpretation. And then I come across a book like this one, and I am glad. Some books, it seems, are even better read aloud."
"The 5 star system here on goodreads, means that you thought the Book was amazing. That being the case I logically could have rated it a 10. There is soooo much that is amazing about this book. I only finished last night, this morning while shaving I thought of even another amazing thing.
There are some that complain , "I couldn't get into the writing style", or "I hate the way he did the conversation parts, they were confusing". Well, IMHO, those are just lame ass reasons for not liking this book. I know that I should not cast judgement, and I really am not. I feel bad for them because, again IMHO they are missing one of the greatest books that I have read in 2008. Sure there may be people with black and shriveled hearts that don't "get" this book. I feel badly for them as well.
How an author can take so much pain,hurt,despair and regret,and make it such an enjoyable read DESPITE these things is laudable. If you don't feel something for one of the characters, perhaps you should make a Dr's Appt. maybe you are dead, or a zombie. Oskar Schell will live in my memory as one of my Favorite Characters of all time. Undaunted, by the enormity of his task he with much thought ( but not much caring about what needed to be done) simply did it. Talk with everyone in NYC with the last name of Black?? Most of us would have quit right there,claiming it's impossibility.
I will admit I did not care for Oskar's Mom very much in the beginning,actually not until about the middle of the book when Oskar and his Mom have an arguement and He tells her if he could have chosen who died,he would have chosen her. I began to feel her pain more at that point.
Then near the end when we find out that his Mom had been helping as much as she could, I began to Love her. She knew, she understood, that the search for the lock his key opened was something he had to do on his own. She did not get in his way, or try to hinder him in any way. In fact she acted as if she knew nothing about it, all the time, doing what she could to make his journey an easier one.
It made me think alot about how much parents (I think Mothers moreso)do really go out of their way to guide, Nurture and protect the things they hold most dear. But the thing is MOST of what they do will go unnoticed,it will fly under the radar. The most wonderful thing about that is they (the parents/Mothers) know what they did or are doing will not be acknowledged,they do it anyway.
In the end No one really got what they wanted, except maybe a little more understanding of Love and the way it works. Dad did not miraculously miss the attack. Mom did not find a new love,in fact said she would never fall in love again. Oskar did find the Lock but it was in no way what he wanted or needed it to be, or perhaps it was exactly what he needed it to be. Grandma and Grandpa,did Love each other deeply but neither could escape the Ghosts from their past and therefore could not be together. The last letter we read from his Grandma, in which she finally realized it was important to tell the ones you love that you do indeed love them was a 3 tissue passage for me. Some people never get it,others get it but it comes to them too late. I would like to thank those who recommended this book to me, it was amazing. I know it will stay with me for a long time to come."
"This book is really a piece of artwork, so much more than a book. The ending for me was a little bit of a letdown, because as tremendous as the book was, I was expecting more from the ending. Having said that, the book was beautifully written, and although it ran me all the way from laughter to tears, it was well worth the ride. I can't remember ever having read a book that had such an impact on me, and made me even want to read while watching the Ravens. That never happens. Anyway. Well worth it, definitely read it."
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