Summary:
Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is an inventor, amateur entomologist, Francophile, letter writer, pacifist, natural historian, percussionist, romantic, Great Explorer, jeweller, detective, vegan, and collector of butterflies. When his father is killed in the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre, Oskar sets out to solve the mystery of a key he discovers in his father’s closet. It is a search which leads him into the lives of strangers, through the five boroughs of New York, into history, to the bombings of Dresden and Hiroshima, and on an inward journey which brings him ever closer to some kind of peace.
My take: 4 looks
Originally reviewed April 1, 2010
This book is so beautifully written. It combines various perspective, time shifts, internal monologue, journal entries, entries and photographs to tell the story. Nothing here is wasted. It was a slow read for me, since I wanted to savor each line, let it take root in me, and read more. I highly recommend this very unusual book.
I highly recommend this very unusual book.
