This book was universally praised when initially released and every trip to the bookstore I would spot it on the shelf and consider taking it home. It wasn’t until I saw the new copy of the book with the movie cover on it that I decided I had to pick it up since there were still a few copies of the book with the original cover left. I detest the movie cover edition of books. It is sacrilege to change the original work based on an adaptation to the screen that usually falls short of the original. I think the only book I own with a movie cover is Fight Club, and that is because I absolutely had to read the book after seeing the movie and it was the only version available. Everything is Illuminated sat on my shelf for a couple months after I brought it home until I again selected it from the stack of books to read next.
Everything Is Illuminated is an excellent book that makes use of some interesting writing techniques to tell a unique and incredible story. The book comes dangerously close to being too clever, but in the end the story and writing won me over. The basic premise of the story is that the main character, who shares the same name as the author, is going to the Ukraine to try and find a woman who saved his Jewish grandfather from the Nazis. Now the clever part is how the story is told. The book consists of a number of different stories being told at the same time in alternating “chapters”. The first story is from a book being written by the fictional main character about his ancestors and the shetl they live in. This story has a supernatural quality and in some places includes what must be intentional historical ignorance (but is often pointed out by Amazon reviewers who just don’t get that these are chapters from a fictional book, a book within a book).
The second story is written by Alex, a young tour guide who was hired to help Jonathan to find what he was looking for in the Ukraine. It details their trip through the Ukraine and everything they encounter. Alex’s grandfather is their driver, and their dog Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. is along for the ride as well.
The third story consists of letters from Alex being written at the present and sent to Jonathan. These letters are often mentioned for Alex’s humorous use of the English language but more importantly are a method of foreshadowing the events in the second story (and in some ways the first story).
Through all three of these narratives a wonderful, sometimes hysterically funny, sometimes heartbreakingly sad, story is woven together.
-James
Comments on this entry are closed.