All the Light We Cannot See
discussion
Did anyone else have difficulty connecting with this book.
Susan wrote: "This book has great ratings, but I could never get involved with it. And it went on for soooo long. Did anyone else have a negative reaction to this?"I couldn't get involved either. I tried longer than I should have..LOL
NO! Absolutely did not have a problem reading. I LOVED THIS BOOK! Heart-warming and great prose. Very short (3-4 page) chapters. Keep reading if you have difficulty getting into the book - worth it!!!! I loved all the characters. I have recommended this novel to over 50+ people.
This book was so boring and pointless. The ending was too open-ended.
I am glad to see that I was not alone in having a problem with this highly rated book! I waited months for it on my e-library system, which added to my expectation, not to mention it made so many "best books" lists. But was very disappointed in the story overall, and had similar reactions in the end--what was the point? especially when Werner ended up the way he did?
Susan wrote: "This book has great ratings, but I could never get involved with it. And it went on for soooo long. Did anyone else have a negative reaction to this?"
I thought it was overrated,tedious,and not worth my time. Couldn,t connect with the main characters at all, except madame Manec and ETienne. I think ten years writing this book calcified the connections.
I felt the same way. I could not get into any character except the uncle. I had to force myself to finish.
Susan wrote: "This book has great ratings, but I could never get involved with it. And it went on for soooo long. Did anyone else have a negative reaction to this?"I completely agree, I read such great reviews and kept seeing it one very bookstore shelf so I had high expectations and it left me wondering if I completley missed the whole point. I just didn't get the book, I didn't get the story and I didn't find the story powerful or compelling in any way shape or form. When I finished it, I just kind of thought...so what? what exactly was I reading? I can't even begin to explain the story because it was just confusing to me.
Also, I agree with another poster below about when the two character meet, I figured that was going to happen but when it did it was so pointless and so brief I failed to see any reason why it even mattered.
Jeremy wrote: "I really enjoyed this book up until the point where the two protagonists are brought together. The resolution left me thinking ... What was the point? But I still found it to be a good read overall."Agreed. What was the point, I expected it to have bigger impact or for them to have had a story together not just a random encounter one time.
Very interesting to read all of the comments as I prepare notes for hosting a book club. I loved the book, the writing, the interesting characters, the fact that the boy didn't get the girl, that there was a German victim, the orphan, and a French survivor who isn't Jewish. I watched Doerr video on how he became inspired to write this particular novel and it was interesting to learn that the main thread is the radio and communication. This book is Doerr's reminder that communication by radio was unique and important and we take it all for granted.
Susan wrote: "This book has great ratings, but I could never get involved with it. And it went on for soooo long. Did anyone else have a negative reaction to this?"This is the only book I have not finished since I became an avid reader. I understand in his life these "times" went on and on, but as the reader I kept feeling like I wanted to push forward with the story. I finally gave up.
I had a hard time getting though it. I had my fingers crossed for a big grand finale, but nope. nada. nothing. I'm glad I read it, but I thought it was overrated.
I found the book engaging from the beginning. I liked that the encounter between Marie and Werner was treated realistically ~ no "Hollywood ending" for this pair!
I enjoyed going through the book, but at the end it left me high and dry. There seemed to be so many connections and possibilities, almost implausibly so, but then it fizzled out. However, isn't that more like true life? It still was a book I am glad I read.
Susan wrote: "This book has great ratings, but I could never get involved with it. And it went on for soooo long. Did anyone else have a negative reaction to this?"Yes. I did not like it at all and am surprised by the rave reviews.
The book's length did cause some concern for me ~ at first. But, the fact that the chapters were short and had titles gave it the structure I needed to keep me in the hunt!
I didn't really like it
It is long, but I loved Doerr's language ~ gorgeous metaphors that, for me, "nailed" the scene he was trying to describe.
I agree with Patricia. The language was incredibly beautiful.
I loved the parts about the radios, and thought that should have been the focus of the book, rather than the stone, which I thought added nothing to the story, and actually detracted from it. If the whole story had been about the war, the radios, etc., it would have been shorter, more concise, and much more enjoyable, imo. The supernatural parts left me cold, and took so much away from an otherwise gripping story.
I agree! I thought the (non/ambiguoulsy) magical stone was a bit heavy-handed. But I LOVED the radio show, and the two main characters, and many of the descriptions.
I don't think the story went off the rails when the two meet. Without giving too much away, I very much appreciated that their interaction, and the fact that the rest of the story was neither predictable nor safe.I prefer non-fiction, and tire of reading the same story over and over again (same with movies and television). This tale was fresh, and I don't think the average reader will be disappointed, unless there's a compulsion to have the story follow the paved road to "happily ever after."
I was surprised that I didn't like it either that much. Don't get me wrong, I think it was a good book, but it had nothing special in it, the whole way through felt like another second world war story. Werner's plot sometimes showed some potential, but every time it became interesting for me, that part was over. It was just too cheesy for me.
Shyllard, one of the things that detracted from this book for me was the short chapters. Back and forth, back and forth, and just as you were getting interested, it would switch back. That and the diamond cost this book a star imo, because it could have been so very much better.
Susan wrote: "This book has great ratings, but I could never get involved with it. And it went on for soooo long. Did anyone else have a negative reaction to this?"Did not enjoy this book at all. I can usually start and finish a book in about 2-3 days and more importantly I enjoy reading books. This one was PAINFUL! I am afraid that we may be a club of a who feel this way. Sooo glad I am finished with it so I can move on.
. Sooo glad I am finished with it so I can move on. Exactly how I felt!
Such a disappointment. I have read so many books about world war 2, so was extremely excited to read this one. It was so plodding, filled with endless similes and for me was extremely overwritten and choppy. The Werner character was compelling but I could never get very interested in Marie's adventures while her father was gone. Switching back and forth every few pages was very distracting. Doesn't compare to The Book Thief or The Invisible Bridge.
This book was just awful, the story was long and drawn out, really difficult to get into, just felt like a chore to read. I only read it because I was hosting a book club and someone chose it as the book of the month so had to finish it. The ending was beyond lame and really there was no point at all. Hated it.
I thought it was so hard to read that I just stopped reading it about two thirds of the way through it. Just don't get all the hype and love for this book.
To me this was a good, average WWII novel. While I did like the perspective of the girl, I didn't as much with the rest of the characters. It didn't blow me away, or make my top 5 reads of 2014, nor would I read it again... but I would recommend it to someone who was looking for a good WWII read. When I think of WWII fiction, the only book that has BLOWN me away was Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels & unfortunately it's impossible not to compare everything to this...
I was expecting to love this book based on all the reviews I read but, in the end, it kind of fell short. While there are many poignant and beautiful aspects of the story, the constant switching from present to past and back again at breakneck speed was jarring and frustrating. As a consequence, I found myself unable to completely immerse myself in the story and fully appreciate its beautifully drawn characters. It's not that I always need a linear literary experience but this was too fragmented for my tastes. I ended up feeling disconnected. I will say this: the author's descriptive talents and attention to detail are amazing - lyrical and eloquent without compromising purpose or pace.
I am another who was not impressed with this book. I usually like long books, the bigger the better, but this went on and on with the various miseries of war. I did like how she showed the Nazi training and army as Werner's only chance to learn and use his skills. But there was just too much of everything. I listened on audio with the speed on 1.5 and wished I could go even faster. I agree the mythical diamond was an unnecessary distraction that was just trying to up the element of danger. The ending was very anticlimactic, even the meeting of the 2 main characters, which only takes about a page or two. And Werner's ending is just so offhand.
I should have listened to my inner voice that has been telling me "I just CANNOT read any more books about Nazis!" I felt the same way about Life after Life which I think should be called Death after Death.
Susan wrote: "This book has great ratings, but I could never get involved with it. And it went on for soooo long. Did anyone else have a negative reaction to this?"I also had a difficult time getting into it. It started getting interesting at about page 68 then I don't know what happened. I pretty much forced myself to finish it; I felt betrayed by what happened after they finally met! I think it would make a better movie than read.
Stopped half way through, just could not get into this book
Lillian wrote: "Yeah, I still don't know whether Werner had the key or the jewel or both, and if he did have the jewel, how he knew to throw it away (because he didn't have the jewel when he died, obviously)."Werner did not have the jewel. He threw it back into the sea out of respect to Marie Laure. He'd seen her drop it in the sea. But he wanted to keep something of her so he kept the little house and the key which she had given him.
Mary wrote: "I'm with all those who were dissatisfied by the ending. This was a good book that could have been (and was, on many levels) a great one. But I found it frustrating in the end, and yes, a little con..."Totally agree about the diamond. It seemed to be a plot device to show how the Nazis plundered.
Linda wrote: "I think Werner left the key in the wooden house to say that he had gone back to the grotto via the gate - curious perhaps about the "small wooden thing" Marie-Laure placed in the water. The fact t..." Exactly
I'm so happy that others did not like this book. I've been wondering for days why the reviews are so great. It is my pick for our book club and my expectations were high. I stopped reading half way through. The only thing I can figure out is that readers were enthralled with the poetic writing style. But there is nothing poetic about WWII. It dragged on for so long and I stopped caring about the characters and what happened to them. That is when I know it is time to give it up.
gertt wrote: "Pearl wrote: " Werner did not have the jewel. He threw it back into the sea out of respect to Marie Laure. He'd seen her drop it in the sea. But he wanted to keep something of her so he kept the li..."gertt wrote: "Pearl wrote: " Werner did not have the jewel. He threw it back into the sea out of respect to Marie Laure. He'd seen her drop it in the sea. But he wanted to keep something of her so he kept the li..."
@Gert, When Marie Laure receives the model house from Jutta she wonders if Werner put the jewel among the snails or put it back into the house or put it into his pocket. She opens the house and finds the key, not the diamond. So what happened to the diamond? We know that Werner did not have it in his possession when he was killed a few minutes after he retrieved the model. Something surely would have been made of that, if he had. Now Marie Laure remembers the words of the Dr. Gefard "That something so small could be so beautiful. Worth so much. Only the strongest people can turn away from feelings like that." I believe her bringing these words to mind it the author's intent to show us that Werner was, in the end, one of the strong. Then in almost the final chapter entitled "Sea of Flames" Doerr describes the resting place of the diamond. He closes with "Mantled with algae, bedecked with barnacles. Crawled over by snails. It stirs among the pebbles." That's pretty definitive to me. The only thing I speculated about is the reason for Werner's not keeping the diamond. But I think my speculation that his respect for Marie Laure's wishes is sound. He would know that she wanted to throw it away. Why else would she have tossed out something so valuable?
I was dubious to start with as war fiction doesn't really interest me and I have to say I really only read it because it won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.But I have to say, from the very start I felt totally submerged in a very realistic world of life in WWII.
I thought that life perceived by a blind girl was extremely moving in parts. And little Werner was just a cog in a wheel of something that deep down he new was wrong.
I liked the subplot of the sick German officer in his desperate search for the diamond.
The flash forward to what the remaining characters lives were like in the 1970s was a surprise and made for a satisfying end.
I'm glad I read it, but it won't stay with me like last years Pulitzer Prize winner, The Goldfinch did.
I hadn't heard this won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction this year...wow. Having read AtLWCS, I completely agree about your comment on The Goldfinch & what a lasting impression it made compared to AtLWCS which left me somewhat ambivalent....Read wrote: "I was dubious to start with as war fiction doesn't really interest me and I have to say I really only read it because it won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
But I have to say, from the very st..."
I found this book to be very dark, sometimes confusing, and difficult to read continuously. It took a few months, a few pages at a time - maybe because my Dad died in the WWII. It took the author 10 years to write - more power to him!
I loved the book from start to finish. Wonderful characters.
The book was a huge disappointment. I stuck with it until the end as I wanted to badly enjoy what should have been a compelling interesting story. I'm at lost as to why the book was so highly reviewed. I had to convince myself to keep reading thinking that it would get better but no such luck. The book describes the lives of a blind French girl and a gadget obsessed German boy before and during World War II. Each chapter alternated between the two characters. This is where the story gets a little confusing as it flips back and forth . World War II is coming and the blind girl is cared for by her museum worker dad. The Nazi invasion begins and they flee there city of Saint-Malo. Move forward and a young German boy who loves radios begins to grow up and is recruited by the German camp. The kids grow older we jump ahead the father goes missing and the boy is now a soldier. Go back two years plus a month and the father is off on important mission his mentally unstable brother will care for the girl. Jump ahead two years, go back, no go forward, no go back.. The time periods that the chapters covered flipped flopped a bit and it was confusing. The two main characters eventually meet but are actually together for less than 10 pages. The ending had no resolution and left me thinking, so what was the point? So many people love this book that I feel guilty saying that for most of the book, I was thinking when will this book end. I was trying to figure if the author ever use connective phrases or some kind of narration. One minute your reading a story thread, then you are somewhere else in a totally disconnected narration. Have fun figuring out what is going on in this book. And what about the diamond? We are never told what happens to the stone. Was the author to busy writing his verbose account that he forgot to finish it. Five hundred pages of tedious, repetitious, boring nonsense. Enough said
Michael wrote: "The book was a huge disappointment. I stuck with it until the end as I wanted to badly enjoy what should have been a compelling interesting story. I'm at lost as to why the book was so highly revie..."I enjoyed your review, and agreed with it.
Amen, brother, Amen.
Susan wrote: "This book has great ratings, but I could never get involved with it. And it went on for soooo long. Did anyone else have a negative reaction to this?"I felt a little let down by the end; I expected a better resolution and a meet up in the old ages of the two. Also, I felt like the characters could have been more fully developed; and the plot a little more fleshed out..I was left wanting more by the end of the book. Not to say I didn't enjoy reading it.
I finished it but found it to be boring and over rated. This could possibly have been because at the time I had read quite a few WWII and WWI books recently.I just found it boring. The actual meeting was so disappointing. I wasn't expecting a happily ever after but a little more interaction might have been better. I don't know I just found it boring and not compelling.
I felt as if the resolution was an epilogue, always a weak way to do it. Guess I have read too many WW2 books. Great descriptions that went on forever…….this will not be one that folks are still reading in 25 yrs, I predict
all discussions on this book
|
post a new topic
All the Light We Cannot See (other topics)
All the Light We Cannot See (other topics)
Books mentioned in this topic
Life After Life (other topics)All the Light We Cannot See (other topics)
All the Light We Cannot See (other topics)
So sorry to disagree, but that's what discussions are for, each of us with our own opinion but oh, we did need that magical diamond, whether those that had it believed it to be magical or not. I can't imagine the book without it. Not only did it cast a magical spell on the book (will it protect the one who had it?) but it was Von Rumpel's pursuit of the diamond (not for its value but because he thought it would save his life) that lent such suspense to the story.
I cared about these characters as if I had always known them in my life and loved this book so much - one of my favorites of 2014. I usually don't see what the hype is about with many much-publicized books and picked this one up not expecting much but soon felt the hype was definitely worth it. A book I will always remember and treasure.