“You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.”
This uniquely touching and layered story by Jonathan Safran Foer is a fictional account that centres around 9-year-old Oscar who has lost his father in 9/11. As the main protagonist, he is a likeable and witty pacifist, going around looking for cues and inventions while processing brutal and complex emotions. The tone of the book effortlessly ranges from heartbreakingly tragic to amusing and light-hearted in a matter of a page, though keeping the tinge of Foer’s signature melancholy.
To be honest, Oscar’s mind inventions, such a reservoir of tears in New York (should be seriously considered by the authorities by the way), are one of my favourite parts of the narrative that manages to be entertaining, deeply tragic and heart-warming all at the same time.
There is also a diverse range of exciting characters that push the story forward with bits of brilliantly written dialogue, thematically ranging from war and the human condition to New York’s 6th borough and lost keys.
Foer explores the layers of generational trauma in intelligently intertwined sections of the book featuring letters of Oscar’s grandparents complemented by pictures and notes. The visual sections of the book consistently compliment the narrative utilising illustrations, photographs and journal pages. Notably, these are not merely aesthetic devices - they actively engage with the plot line and carry emotional significance to readers and characters alike.
Also, as a bonus, the book is so extremely quotable!
