extremely loud and incredibly close read

His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. And he is on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. Meet Oskar Schell, an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, pacifist, correspondent with Stephen Hawking and Ringo Starr. What he discovers is solace in that most human quality, imagination. Now, with humor, tenderness, and awe, he confronts the traumas of our recent history. Jonathan Safran Foer emerged as one of the most original writers of his generation with his best-selling debut novel, Everything Is Illuminated. Though the prose is at times dense, 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close' is a book well worth reading.Summary: A new novel by the author of Everything Is Illuminated introduces Oskar Schell, the nine-year-old son of a man killed in the World Trade Center bombing who searches the city for a lock that fits a black key his father left behind. The book ends a wonderful, heartbreaking twist. Unafraid to show his traumatized characters' constant groping for emotional catharsis, Foer risks sentimentalism in order to address the great questions of truth, love and beauty. 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close' employs the power of its protagonist's voice to transform the September 11 tragedy from raw current event to something both visceral and mythical. His quest intertwines with the intricate sub-plot of his grandparents, whose lives were blighted by the firebombing of Dresden. Using flawless kid logic, Oskar sets out to speak to everyone in New York City with the last name of Black. Upon discovering a key in an envelope marked 'Black' in his parents' closet, Oskar turns his innocently precocious mind to understanding the historical tragedy, searching New York City for the lock that matches the mysterious key. His boots 'are very heavy,' as he is fond of saying, since his father, whom he worshiped, perished in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Protagonist Oskar Schell is a nine-year-old amateur inventor, jewelry designer, astrophysicist, tambourine player, pacifist and Shakespearean actor. Jonathan Safran Foer is one of the first writers to deal directly with the September 11 attacks in his novel 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.' The narrative is enhanced with evocative graphics- including photographs, colored highlights and passages of illegibly overwritten text, reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut's 'Breakfast of Champions.' As in his first novel, 'Everything Is Illuminated,' Foer takes a dark subject and weaves in offbeat humor with puns and wordplay. Powerful Look at September 11 through 9-Year-Old Eyes

Extremely loud and incredibly close read