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What are readers saying about Everything Is Illuminated?
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Rebecca posted a review at .
(Language: English)
 
OMG. If you don't laugh out loud and also find this a most unusual read, I'll be sad.
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Irene posted a review at .
(Language: English)
An interesting young writer with a different point of view. I saw a tragedy from an unusual perspective.
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Mary Kate posted a review at .
(Language: English)
The movie version of this book is my FAVORITE movie, which speaks volumes since I did not have a favorite movie for 36 years until I saw this. The movie was based on this book, which is part memoir, part family history. I am eagerly anticipating its arrival from Amazon.com.
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A reader posted a review at .
(Language: English)
 
I had to give this book a try because I loved the movie so much. However, I found myself skipping over certain parts of the book so that I could read only the Ukrainian, Alexander Perchov's, story and letters to the protagonist...dubbed "hero" by Alex...however, the "hero's" part was tiresome and didn't add anything to the story at all, according to my own taste. What is most enjoyable is the language of Alex in his story that he attempts to write about what has happened to him and his family and also in his letters to Jonathon. A book description calls it "a sublimely butchered English. An example from the opening: "My legal name is Alexander Perchov. But all of my many friends dub me Alex, because that is a more flaccid-to-utter version of my legal name. Mother dubs me Alexi-stop-spleening-me!, because I am always spleening her. If you want to know why I am always spleening her, it is because I am always elsewhere with friends, and disseminating so much currency..."
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A reader posted a review at .
(Language: English)
One of the best books I've ever read. Also a good movie
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Kelsey posted a review at .
(Language: English)
After reading the fantastic and powerful Incredibly Close and Extremely Loud, going back and reading Foer's debut novel came as a slight disappointment. The same themes are present in both of his novels-- the past and present and the collision of the two, loneliness and the effects of the second world war-- but it doesn't quite follow through as well. The narrative is split into three different sections, starting with the character Foer's writings on his ancestors, Alex, a young Ukrainian who guides Foer on his journey, writing to Foer, and Alex writing of his past. The reason for giving the main character the same name as the author himself is unclear, but the character remains remote, although the entire book is centered on his journey. He is the one being written to, not the one telling the story. Even the chapters on his ancestory are written detachedly, and it soon becomes illuminated that Alex is in reality the protagonist of the tale. As a matter of fact, Alex is the only character we truly get to know and care for and is the only character who ends up even remotely happy. Foer's stories are so encased in loneliness-- a melancholic, philosophical isolation that is utterly deconnected from the rest of the outside world. There is not a whisper of reality in these sections where love is dissected and analyzed in ways that normal human beings would never do. Symbolism that the reader should draw from the story is instead blatently put forward, especially in the ancestor sections, as physical actions instead, making the ambiance slightly skewed and unnatural. Often confused and jumbled, the story itself was interesting at times, but quite frequently fell into the mess of transitions leaving us with no solid base.
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michael posted a review at .
(Language: English)
had to read it 4 times...;every time found something new. the film is great, even if it doesn't stick to the book. eugene hutz (gogol bordello) is great.
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Stephen posted a review at .
(Language: English)
An amazing book.
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A reader posted a review at .
(Language: English)
It falls apart at the end, but up until then it is a hilarious and touching read.
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