Zacappa -your Guide to the World of Fiction

I prefer to read books way after the first appearance, after the review dust has settled, the hype or literary fatwa has faded and -if lucky- the book is nothing more than a sparkling dot on a starry night. If it is still worth reading in this (final) habitat, it’s a good book. If it’s (still) able to stir your perspective on your personal universe, it’s great.
Everything is illuminated was loudly applauded at it’s appearance in 2002, but is it still a good book in August 2008? As mentioned in other reviews, the parallel with the Borat character of Sacha Baron Cohen was hard to ignore (as mentioned in a very subtle, personal review by Bridget). For me, Borat was much funnier. Safran Foer, of course, is far more subtle and eloquent.
Clearly, Foer is a very gifted writer and his debut is full of ambition and urgency. The characters, the complex and intertwining narratives are all impressive and playful. Great! However, the freshness and sparkle of the first half fade out towards the end. The book does not need 276 pages. In my humble opinion 180 or 200 pages would have sufficed, especially regarding composition and balance.
So… a great book? No. A good book then? Yes, but even more a book with a promise of great talent with the potential of writing a great book.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close appeared in 2005. Next year would be safe enough for the next Search for Greatness.

Tags: Borat, Greatness, illuminated, Safran Foer

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 31st, 2008 at 9:56 am and is filed under Review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.