Everything Is Illuminated: A Novel (Paperback)

by Jonathan Safran Foer (Author)
Key Phrases: shtetl proclamation, prostrate mermaid, shtetl square, Sammy Davis, Little Igor, Well-Regarded Rabbi (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man -- also named Jonathan Safran Foer -- sets out to find the woman who may or may not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war; an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior; and the unforgettable Alex, a young Ukrainian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, Jonathan is led on a quixotic journey over a devastated landscape and into an unexpected past.

About the Author

Jonathan Safran Foer was born in 1977. He is the editor of A Convergence of Birds, and his stories have been published in The Paris Review and The New Yorker. This is his first novel, which appeared on Best Books of 2002 lists internationally, won several literary prizes, including the National Jewish Book Award and The Guardian First Book Award, and has been published in twenty-four countries.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; Limited edition (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061686670
• ISBN-13: 978-0061686672
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,839 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly illuminated, September 29, 2008

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Jonathan Safran Foer takes literary risks and entertaining leaps in his debut novel, "Everything is Illuminated," an amusing chunk of magical realism. It's a tragicomic experience, centering on the devastation of the Holocaust, and a modern-day quest for the past.

A young Jewish American man -- same name as the author, Jonathan Safran Foer -- travels to the Ukraine. His reason: to locate Augustine, a woman who apparently saved his grandfather from the Nazis... only he just has a photo to guide him. He's accompanied by an annoying, flatulent dog, and an old man haunted by war memories.

He also corresponds with the old man's quirky grandson Alex, and new revelations are made about both young men through their letters. And in the third story-line, we are treated to the history of Trachimbrod, an endearing shtetl full of peculiar people... which was destroyed by the Nazis long ago.

"Everything is Illuminated" seems to be primarily about the past and present, and how those two things connect. To twentysomethings now, World War II seems as distant in some ways as the Trojan War, unless brought to life by someone else's words. Foer may not have been there during the Holocaust, but his unique novel will leave you thinking and wondering about the past.

It's certainly an unconventional story. Foer has a quirky, offbeat style that gets a little off-kilter. And he bends everything from his narrative to the characters to the English language ("spleening"?). Not to mention reality -- by naming his alter ego Jonathan Safran Foer, he blurs the line between fiction and reality. Is this based on anything real? Does Alex exist? Is there a Trachimbrod? At the end of the day, none of it matters. Even if these things don't actually exist, they certainly do have real counterparts.

Foer's book is not quite a work of genius. Sometimes the fragmented, topsy-turvy narrative runs away from him. Not to mention that the in-jokes -- the flatulent dog, the Russo-American dialect -- do not age terribly well. But the humor and magical realism tinges start to fade as the Holocaust looms overhead. While the opening chapters may make you laugh, it becomes far deeper and more intricate later on.

"Everything" may not be totally illuminated, but it is a quirky, sometimes saddening book that stumbles and takes a few risks. A flawed but excellent debut.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Literary Flair and Exuberant Creativity Do Not A Novel Make, April 19, 2009

By	Quickhappy "quickhappy" (Big city, big country) - See all my reviews

Spread across the different editions of this book there are three camps of reviews. (A) The-omigod-this-is-brilliant camp, (B) the This-is-an-insult-to-Ukranians (and/or ignorant of Ukraine/WWII/history/language) camp, and (C) The YES-FOER'S-GOT-TALENT-BUT-THIS-BOOK-DOESN'T-HOLD-TOGETHER-AMIDST-THE-FLAIR CAMP.

For me, the clear choice is C. I certainly am impressed that an author as young as Foer (was) could write this book. He evinces tremendous dexterity and creativity as a writer. He is bold and inventive. And like a circus performer, he can juggle many odd-shaped and strange objects in the air with only a rare drop.

But, like the other C-camp reviewers, I found that the juggling and circus show ultimately took over the novel. There was too much "look at me" by the author and not enough substance to the novel. The novel was buried beneath layers of writing, if you will.

As the book went on it took me more and more effort to pick up the book and turn the pages. With many other reviewers I agree that the wildly funny broken English gets to be a tad old and a bit of a hindrance after a while. And, with some others, I felt that the magical realism of the old shetl bogged down. I got very tired of the shetl, its goofy accidents, and its wild (hetero-male oriented) sex... this impacted the outcome of the novel, because I felt less connected to these people, whose victimhood at the hands of the Nazis (and Ukrainian goyim) is meant to provide the combustion of the entire novel. It almost works, in a "Life Is Beautiful," Roberto Benigni sort of way. And I certainly was moved by the genocidal imagery. But literary flair again interrupts here. For example, in one of its most important narrations of the Nazi murders, by the Ukrainian grandfather, is done in a heavily stylized stream-of-consciousness.

Several of my fellow C-camp reviewers note that the absurdly laudatory praise for this book (book of the year from a few quarters) is unwarranted and sets the book up for a real letdown. Some also noted that Foer has big-time connections in the elite literary-publishing world--thus, they imply, some of his reviews and attention might be a bit hyped up personal networking and by savvy business insiders. I myself was certainly drawn to the praise from on high, and feel a bit cheated in the process. And, with my other C-campers, I do feel that Foer--so young, and so gifted--is one to watch. Next time we'll afford him less of the benefit of youth, and try not to crown him a Great Novelist prematurely. We'll try to let him find his own voice--hopefully one that does not impede the path of the novel.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb.... a premium novel ;), December 12, 2008

By	CEK "Equestrienne" (Ames, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews

Regarding Everything is Illuminated, I won't go into specifics about plot and message, because this is one of those rare novels which defies description and which ends up being so much more than the sum of its parts. If I tried to abbreviate here the story or meaning, I'd belittle the book; it's one of those once-in-a-long-while works you just have to read to appreciate, because any attempt at summary is going to fall so short as to render the mere attempt frivolous.

So, as un-helpful as that probably was, let me just say this: Everything is Illuminated is one of the best books I've read in a long time (perhaps even that I've ever read), and you would be doing yourself a great literary and spiritual disservice not to read it yourself, and as soon as possible! I promise that if you have a modicum of intelligence or soul, you won't regret it!!!

(I will also add this for those who have seen the movie but not read the book: as wonderful as the movie is [and it is certainly an excellent movie], it cannot even touch the book in scope, and it is only at best loosely based on the book. While some dialogue and anecdotes are similar, and the "search" plot quite analogous, there are many different key details between the two works, as well as an entirely exorcised subplot [or 2], However, it's safe to say that if you liked the movie, you'll love the book. I just can't say enough good things about this book!!!)