From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

All the Light We Cannot See

Anthony Doerr

Start date: June 15, 2015

Finish date: July 1, 2015

Discussion: Reading List

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What Members Thought

Mar 01, 2018 Roy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: war, literary-fiction

Extraordinary. This book won a Pulitzer Prize* for good reason. The plot is deceptively simple, though the narrative is laid out in intricate and inventive fashion. A young German orphan boy is handy at mechanical fidgeting, including the self taught ability to fix just about any radio and pick up whatever transmissions are able to reach him. One such transmission that gets to Werner and his sister Jutta comes from France, sent by the great uncle of a blind girl that it is his destiny to one day Extraordinary. This book won a Pulitzer Prize* for good reason. The plot is deceptively simple, though the narrative is laid out in intricate and inventive fashion. A young German orphan boy is handy at mechanical fidgeting, including the self taught ability to fix just about any radio and pick up whatever transmissions are able to reach him. One such transmission that gets to Werner and his sister Jutta comes from France, sent by the great uncle of a blind girl that it is his destiny to one day meet. A great deal takes place between Werner hearing the broadcasts of Marie-Laure's great uncle and finally crossing paths with her. That great deal is World War II. Due to his talent, Werner lands in an academy that trains German boys to become German soldiers. Since the alternative is working in the mines, and since the school is a much more likely place for his abilities to be expanded and lead him to a better life than would unthinking manual labor, the school seems to be a superior path for Werner, allowing him to escape the standard trajectory for someone raised in an orphanage. Even though it means leaving his sister behind. But when your country is waging a war against the world that it is destined to lose, there is no straightforward path to success and happiness, only orders to put on a uniform, pick up a weapon, and fight for Hitler's warped vision. As for Marie-Laure, who is taught to handle herself in perpetual darkness as well as can be done by her doting father, she ends up in the home of her great uncle and his top secret radio transmitter in a small French town on the sea. Eventually she is separated from her father when he is taken prisoner, but left behind with her is an invaluable gift, a rare gem removed from the museum he worked in to keep it safe from treasure seeking Nazis. There is one in particular who is determined to find it, though not so much for its monetary worth as for its rumored magical properties. It is a gift that Marie-Laure is unaware is in her possession until finally figuring out clues sent by her father that lead to its discovery. The book's point of view jumps back and forth, largely between Werner and Marie-Laure, but several other significant characters get turns as well. Sequences are not entirely in chronological order. Although the narrative mostly marches forward, it also hops back or ahead without warning in a fashion that somehow manages not to be disorienting. The chapters are quite short, typically no more than five pages. I found this to be an appealing literary tactic that resulted in particularly easy reading. That plus Anthony Doerr's wonderful style of prose and the riveting story line. I could say more, a lot more, about this special novel. But I won't, as I don't want to let slip any spoilers and do not believe that I can adequately sum up with my humble words what Doerr constructs for readers with his majestic ones. Instead I end this review here by urging you to read All the Light We Cannot See. Like right now.

* http://lineaday.blogspot.com/2009/03/... ...more

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Jul 17, 2018 Leslie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Updated review.

***I was dealing with life/health issues that didn’t allow me the luxury of reading as often as I liked, unfortunately. That’s why it seems too have taken so long. So, I don’t want people to think it truly took me that long. I did had medical issues intervene.

The story itself is beautiful - I did stop many times and reread sections, turns of phrase because as a writer I was simply in AWE.

This book should be savored. Take your time. Not something to speed read but you might find Updated review.

***I was dealing with life/health issues that didn’t allow me the luxury of reading as often as I liked, unfortunately. That’s why it seems too have taken so long. So, I don’t want people to think it truly took me that long. I did had medical issues intervene.

The story itself is beautiful - I did stop many times and reread sections, turns of phrase because as a writer I was simply in AWE.

This book should be savored. Take your time. Not something to speed read but you might find yourself re-reading sentences and paragraphs for the beauty and elegant prose it evokes on the page. The language is poetic and each word has a purpose it seemed. These characters were *SO* real weren’t they? I thought I was going to have Marie-Laure be my favorite but then I don’t know ... the two soldier buddies Werner and Frederick ended up really capturing it for me. And talk about heartbreak and it is done so well, especially with the solider Frederick who loved birds, Audubon prints. Yet, truly each character, is done with such a masterful hand and thoughtfulness.

World War II - I do read about this as a genre both historical fiction, fiction, and memoir and I always “take my time” with it. It is not one to hurry along. I’ve noticed that as I have got older I feel as though I don’t have a steel heart! Ha!You might laugh! But it has taken awhile for me to feel such things while reading. This really got me. And I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters after it was over.

It helps me often times learn more about history reading books like Doerr’s rather than straight nonfiction because it serves as a jumping off point and I want to know more anyway now thanI did say in high school or even college. In this book,for example I learned about cars specifically German vehicles began being built at that time; how music played a role in WWII [in terms of the radios]; what affects the war had on people (Jutta had mentioned some toward the end of the book.), and much more. I can’t even imagine as an author what Doerr must have done for research on this book. WOW.

He is an incredible author. A true craftsman. He is definitely one of my top, top now in terms of character development, details, pacing, etc. There is so much to learn from him, this book - in particular.

I am so glad privileged to be able to see Anthony “Tony” Doerr in 2009 (Moscow, Idaho) during a reading. It was a highlight. I want to read his Rome book next.

...more

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Aug 02, 2016 Pang rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, 2016

This was a book that kept me up all night listening to it. It was a beautiful story and narrated well. It was what a book should be: take you away to another place.

It took a while to get into because I was "reading" the audiobook version, which was difficult to keep track of the timeline. It wasn't so bad once you got what was going on.

***SPOILER ALERT***
While it was obvious that Marie-Laure and Werner would meet eventually, I certainly didn't foresee his death. It was sad, because I was hoping ...more

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Mar 20, 2015 Victoria rated it it was amazing

Wow. This book. Truly exceptional. Every time I had to put it down I couldn't wait to get back to it. Doerr is such a lovely writer and a true story teller. I didn't want it to end. ...more

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