Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

As I`ve spent Easter in Whitmore Reans and not in Norway with my family, I have found time to do a lot of coursework for University. That is the positive part.

Among a few other projects I have written a book review, I`m thinking I should post it here for comments.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

By Jonathan Safran Foer

Review by Den Tenksomme Vraslosken

I wasn‘t in New York during the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre, but having read young American novelist Jonathan Safran Foer’s latest novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, I now feel I have a very good idea what it must have been like.

Jonathan Safran Foer‘s debut book, “Everything is illuminated” (2002) granted him the Los Angels Times book award and was adopted into a film in 2005. He is seen as a spokesman of young Jews in America, and much have been expected of this second novel.

The story is one of how this day changed a young boy and his family. It is told through nine-year-old Oskar Schell, who‘s father died during that fateful day. The novel begins sometime after the attacks, as Oskar finds a mysterious key in his father‘s bathroom cabinet.

Oskar sets out on a journey through New York, leaving his traumatized mother and grandmother, trying to find a lock to fit the key left behind by his father.

Jonathan Safran Foer is at twenty-nine a very young novelist, and he is able to portray the innocent and fragile mind of a nine-year old. Oskar is a very intelligent young boy, and it is painful to see the horror caused by this day through the eyes of a child.

In addition to Oskar’s first person, the story is told through letters from Oskar’s grandfather to his son, Thomas, which adds to the mystery Oskar is nesting up through the course of the novel. It serves as a very successful technique in order to tell the story, and one that makes the story more trustworthy.

The book is also full of photographs and drawings, things Oskar collects through his journey. These images are probably intended to portray Oskar’s attempt to solve the mystery, but I found them distracting and feel they doesn‘t really add anything to the novel.

By the end of this story you know how that horrible day happened for all members of Oskar’s family, which closes the story very well. You are left feeling part of the pain and horror caused by this very important day in history, and if Safran Foer’s project is to make us understand this day better, I think he has probably succeeded.

The Whitmore Deans and spider movement

Whitmore Deans
The Little Civic
Saturday 02/04/2006
Attendance: Ca. 150

As the name suggests, this is a local band. A cupple of the lads looked like they had just hit puberty, and the way they had angrily refused to cut their hair in any shape or form since becoming a teenager made me think of myself in that age.

I really didn`t know what to expect when I saw them make their way through the room, looking like what they undoubtedly were, awkward and nervous teenagers.

But once on stage, they had us moving playing excellent cover songs by The Specials and Madness. Wearing what must have been their dad`s old party outfit, their parents sound LP-collections and wise investment in music lessions came to good use.

In addition to the guitars, drums and bass - these lads made use of saxophone, trombone, electrical piano and lots of positive energy. They need to practice their dancing while playing if they really want to emulate their heroes, though. They couldn`t really do that, but I know what it`s like being in the middle of puberty. The co-ordination of your arms and legs is suffering.

But this was well worth my fiver, I found myself dancing, wishing I had a suit from the late seventies with a matching hat.

I also nearly got into a fight, caused by the caracteristic spider movement my Norwegian friends will know all about. I am six feet four and need a lot of space when dancing, I aslo easily get carried away in that state of mind.

I happened to knock somebody over, he fell to the floor and my laughing about it didn`t go down too well.

The young Deans of Whitmore Reans made all of this happen, and fortunately their happy faces got rid of the angry victim of my spider routine and any drunken idea of violence. I really can`t ask for more of a young local band.