By Carlos Ruiz Zafon, translated from the Spanish by Lucia Graves
Spanish author Zafon brings the culture of post WW II Barcelona to life in this book about a young man, Daniel, who visits the ‘cemetery of forgotton books’ with his father as a 10 year old boy. Read the rest of this entry »
By Jonathan Safran Foer ♦♦♦♦
Oskar Schell is a nine year old amateur inventor, vegan, jewelry maker, pacifist and the son of a jeweler killed in the World Trade Center on September 11. This book weaves a beautiful, quirky and profound story of Oskar’s process of working through his grief by searching for the lock which matches a key he found in his father’s belongings after his death. Along the way, we are introduced to many interesting characters with whom Oskar makes a connection, some briefly and some more lasting and profound.
I loved this book. Foer does a beautiful job of telling Oskar’s story in a way that communicates the complexity of human relationships. The themes of intimacy, loss, grief, humor and love are woven into a beautiful and compelling story. The absurd resides alongside the profound in ways that capture the truth of our own lives when we are reflective enough to be observant.
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