That quest and what he finds at the end provide the emotional impact of the story.Published in 2005, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close stands as one of the first literary attempts to reconcile and explain the consequences of the events that took place during that horrific time in our history. When he discovers a strange key marked only with the name ‘Black’ that his father had hidden in his closet before he died, Oskar embarks on a months-long journey across the five boroughs of New York City to solve the mystery and bring closure to the grief that he, his widowed mother, and paternal grandparents are feeling at their collective tragedy. He is also an extremely bright boy-overly precocious, really-but suffers from a variety of social maladies, including the inability to fit in well with his colleagues at school. Two years later, Oskar is still struggling with that loss as well as some secrets he has kept buried deeply inside himself. Oskar Schell was seven years old when his father Thomas was killed in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. It would be a good book to read with another person or as part of a book club. I think the overall impression of this book is more effective than the individual parts. The tone is very sad and there are many loose ends.
There were many interesting parallels between the experiences of Oskar and his grandfather. The chapters narrated by Oskar are the strongest and most direct, though his voice is much more analytical and mature than a typical child. However, I found the grandparents’ storylines disjointed and difficult to follow. I felt compassion for the child who has suddenly lost his father and describes what is obviously depression as “heavy boots.” It hits very close to home for me. I thought Oskar’s story, though it stretches the limits of belief, was touching.
This is another book where I can appreciate its artistry but is not a particularly enjoyable reading experience.
Themes include the silence of suffering, the impact of trauma, and how difficult it can be to overcome. Their stories involve letters written from Oskar’s grandfather to his father and from Oskar’s grandmother to Oskar. An intertwined story tells of Oskar's grandparents' difficult lives after surviving the bombing of Dresden during World War II. After finding a key in his father’s closet, Oskar embarks upon a quest to locate what it opens, symbolically paying tribute to his father's life while also helping him heal. Narrated by precocious nine-year-old Oskar Schell, this book relates his journey to express grief for his father, who died in the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
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