All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Review and Analysis
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2018
- What did you think of "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr?
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Thank you! Like you, i perceived Jutta as Werner's conscience. As to the character that impacted me probably most- had to be Frederick, Werner's friend and bunk mate- who was perceived by everyone's standards ("the world's standards") and condemned as weak, yet who exhibited the most strength of conscience by standing up and refusing to commit an abusive act, in opposition to authority & all the rest of the Nazi boy's school, to a helpless prisoner. He was ultimately sacrificed by "his own" in that school for demonstrating his strength and independence of character. Very sad. Beautifully written story of hope and love in the midst of tragedy.
I think Marie’s redeeming qualities, despite being a little flat as a character, were her innocence (blind and young), which contrasted well with the brutality of war, and her relationship with her father (shout-out to his character). I found it easy to connect with her loss as we went from past to present and felt the missing presence of her father, another light that she could not see in the dark world around her.
she does question her morality which is interesting, she asks etienne if they're the good ones
She's a criminal
"I'M USING A GREEN SCREEN BC I DON'T WANNA CLEAN MY ROOM"
Cleaning room? Reference to Jordan Peterson?
Cool to know you can use a green screen. I didn't know that! I fancy doing some video's so that info is very helpful. ..thanks!
Helen Thomas i would engage in this awesome reply of yours if i know who Jordan is lol, not exactly from the US or EU, but i think the green screen thingy existed since 2012 or something i don't know, but it isn't new, you can use it to put beautiful things like FJ in the vid here.
1 JP has massive presence on You Tube so you could easily check him out if you are so inclined. He has a top selling book called 12 Rules for Life and one of them is 'Clean up your room'. Young guys especially are into his message, which is kind of Fatherly. Sadly needed by many men and women (me included) who didn't receive strong, kind guidance from their fathers.
Cynthia Taylor I am embarrassed to admit this, but we had a substitute teacher in French class in High School and we were awful to her. Someone started, with a completely straight face, to make a high pitched hum. Then one by one other students joined in. We all looked around at the others like WE were innocent. The teacher got really upset. Stop that. Stop that NOW. oh dear, I think she got so upset she left the room.
relatable, 'nough said
I like the subtlety of a person having someone as a moral touchstone, thinking of them a lot when there's a crisis, and then having that person fade from prominence as the character's conscience dies. A name no longer spoken because the memory has either become torture or irrelevance.
yes, I agree
Ouch! I feel like I am that person. Faded from relevance as the others lost consciousness.
What struck me about the book was the breakdown of communication, how the radios were taken, their letters intercepted with blacked out writing that the Germans checked first. And how much of a contrast that is to what we have today. It was much easier to control a Nation's narrative then. And yet they still found ways to get word and messages through. Just moved on to watch the series Handmaid Tales (Margaret Atwood) and it's kinda the same thing with the breakdown of society and the control of communication.
Yes, I found that interesting too, especially as Werner faced more internal struggle, his letters were more and more censored.
Space Cat The terrifying thing is that it *is* still happening today, for example in countries where there is state control of the internet. I think that's just one reason that the novel is so resonant/relevant...
At a certain point, I couldn't put it down....but also didn't want it to end. I was deeply moved when the two main characters met. I wasn't exactly sure what happened to the diamond in the end. Seeing the whole experience through Marie's eyes was a great experience. I thought about how sighted people count blocks, miles, and use landmarks in the same way someone without sight can mark distances. I loved Etienne - really well written character. The description of his agoraphobia was very understandable. Enjoyed your review, thanks.
Hi FJ! Hearing you talk about the book made me want to read it!
last of the wilds Same!
you should definitely give it a go, it is a great book!
Frank James
looks like a very touching and beautifully written book, indeed.
Reminds me of a dream I've had not so long ago, in which I was simultanously a nazi soldier, a civilian about to be executed, a child of a forbidden love, his parents sentenced to death, somebody who was ordered to shoot a friend and several other characters... Never will I forget this dream and what all these people felt, what they went through. Because they had no choice.The pain experienced by the nazi characters was immense and shattered them in the end. They lived on, but I wouldn't really call it life... Maybe one day I''ll write a book about it. I'm not a skilled writer though.
ditto
thanks for making this review. I just finish this book and I was looking for someone to do a review with spoiler because I don't know anyone that has read it and I wanted to see what other person thought of it. This book was incredible.
I thoroughly loved this book. I think this was an intuitives book. This book had so much symbolism within it. Each italicized paragraph was reflective of enduring tragedy. Explaining to us the reader of our own light within. "Only through the hottest fires can purification be achieved". Which is also a biblical reference to dross being removed and purifying us spiritually to make us more holy. Our outlooks, experiences, the way we see things. Hence we have the sea of flames. Which reminds us of many things, trying to possessing things, obsessing over things, letting go, immortality, eternal life, death and much more. The radio, with unseen waves of light able to reach far and wide to Werner, perhaps his subconscious mind was reflected, what he was seeking. Explained the light we cannot see, it's meaning, opening the readers eyes to something they may have not considered. Also the book being read by Marie, twenty thousand leagues under the sea was also symbolic. It's message referring, it is not good to take revenge. I loved Marie because she was intuitive, steadfast, innocent. She could see what others could not. She was also without mother and father in the end as werner. Which was a symbolism of how God cares for the little children. I loved Werner for his struggle to understand the meaning of the light he always knew existed. Jutta for reminding him of his purpose. He also felt guilt for crimes yet he turned it around, he made choices that were going thru the fire and achieving purification and coming full circle to understanding what he was seeking all along. A higher calling, the light of God. We are surrounded by an unseen spiritual world. Some good, some bad, we are called to be the light in a world filled with darkness. Sorry so long. Thanks for recommending this FJ. Be blessed my friend.
I could go on and on over much more symbolism however I think this is long enough. It gets my idea across.
Denise, thanks for sharing your response to the book, you are right on with all of the symbolism
Denise Rocco That is a beautiful, sensitive reading of it, Denise ❤ I found it such a moving novel - so rich with associations, sensory impressions and symbolism - I agree that it is a perfect novel for an intuitive reader.
I responded strongly to Marie-Laure's innocence too. She retains her childlike (never childish) quality despite everything that happens around her.
I love this augmented way of discussing/thinking about the novel, bouncing off Frank's video and the comments - it simply hadn't occurred to me that Marie-Laure becomes an orphan too. What a thing not to notice! (I also didn't think of the irony of poor Werner being trapped underground like his father, which Frank pointed out.) I think that I was focussed on the happier thought of Marie-Laure's reunion with Etienne and the adventures that they undertook together ❤
What a beautiful description.Thank you for sharing your thoughts, you are creative.
As someone who is a slow reader and possibly dyslexic I found the book long and tedious at times. I battled getting bogged down in the details of each story. But I persevered and from the middle onwards I couldn’t put it down. My imagination was fully captured and I was willing Werner & Maria to somehow meet. At the end, I cried. I cried telling my wife about the story. My soul was most impacted by Werner and his tender kindness. I was deeply moved when I discovered that he went back and got Marie’s little wooden house for her. I was bitterly disappointed that they didn’t get to be with each other. Great book!
Spoiler much?
I just finished the book, it's sitting right next to me and I wanted so much to just hear someone else talk about it. You said so many things that were like whispers of thoughts in my mind that I couldn't put into words. I loved Wenner's stories and I wanted to cry in revolt at the fact that he didn't get a better chance, that he never found the answers to all the questions in his notebook. But I also appreciate how Doerr pulled things full circle when Jutta visited Marie-Laurie and gave her her grandfather's record. What a moving story. It's probably going to be a staple in my life forever.
I’m so happy you’re making these!
I used to love English and literature classes because they facilitated the exact kind of conversation you’re having here. I love looking past the literal what happened and diving deeper into questions like “what does it mean,” “how do these themes connect,” and “what is the author really trying to say!”
I don’t do this kind of thinking super often another and seeing you make these videos is inspiring. It makes me want to read deeper and I look forward to the next book you review :)
I've been watching FJ's videos since last year and I love his sketches, especially those about INFJs since I am an INFJ myself. I am also a big fan of All the Light We Cannot See, which I think the best historical novel I've ever read so far. To find FJ actually talked about this novel, even though I discovered the video 4 years late, is mind-blowing. Thank you Frank!
I read it in the beginning of 2022 and it changed who I am.😅
I thought it was interesting that many other readers found Marie to be flat. In my experience of reading her, I thought she was emotionally strong. I think being an only child to a father who really looked out for me, allowed me to feel devastated for her and her loss. Marie faces so much loss, beginning with her mother and her sight. I think her character's point was to show how much innocence is lost in war. She loses everything she cares about and for much of the book you assume she doesn't necessarily get her uncle back either. Even losing her one precious book was a big deal then.
This book is easily one of my favorites. I love the beautiful, captivating prose and the different storylines that all tie together. My parents ended up getting me a signed edition for my birthday last week!! I need to reread it before I can add anything of substance to this comment. I haven’t read it since it first came out. I’m glad you picked it for your book club! Thanks for another great video, Frank :)
oh wow, so neat! anthony doerr seems like such a cool guy too. like a big nerd xD
Haha really? I’ll have to CZcams him and watch an interview!!
This would not be a novel I would generally choose but I will give a suggested book three chapters to make me invest in finishing it.
The descriptive language of the book made me feel as if I were in a bubble and I could see the lives of the characters and enjoy their stories, without being hit over the head with the violent atrocities of war, even though they were still present and poignant.
Marie's story was one of intrigue while Werner's story was one of action mixed with inner tumult. I liked them both for different reasons. Marie's world was without physical light, but so colorful from the light within and I enjoyed her sensory take on the world. I even saw humor in her describing the toilet as an "abyss" after her total blindness. I feel the same way when I try to go the bathroom at night with the lights off!
Werner was an intrepid genius with some semblance of a conscience. It was a dichotomy between his mechanical prowess and his moral compass. In his mind all of his decisions were for the greater good, especially being separated from Jutta.
Was I the only one that noticed the usage of bird symbolism? A sparrow is the last thing Marie sees before she goes blind. Frederick's first words to Werner are "Do you like birds?" And, after he sacrifices himself as the second weakest for Werner, his gaze is heavenward on the hawk flying above. A chapter is entitled "Time of the Ostriches" which is a bird that does not share the same freedom as others because it cannot fly into the heavens and has no choice but to bury its head in the sand when confronted with fear.
There were many other things, I noticed, but that would take way too long. This was fun, FJ! Thanks. I love having to think deeply. I'm looking forward to the next dictatorial book selection.
Toodles!
Huh, I saw the connection with Frederick and birds, of course, but missed the motif elsewhere! I'd have to read it again keeping my eyes peeled for those references.
Frank James
As a Beatles fanatic, I'm sure you picked up on the blackbirds reference. I just noticed my comma splicing in my initial comment😳. I repent in dust and ashes... Thanks for the response!
i like comma splices, i use them sometimes
So I finally finished the book today. I won’t lie, it started making me so emotional at times that I could only read 10 or so pages or I would have to skip days. It’s probably because my life has been emotional too so that didn't help lol.
These characters and this time period really broke my heart. It makes me want to understand people more, to understand their inner world's and circumstances. I agree with a lot that you had to say about the book and writing. Its probably best for me to just post some quotes down that really struck me instead of going into my overdue thoughts:
"He is an olive green when he talks to a department head, an escalating series of oranges when he speaks to Mademoiselle Fluery from the greenhouses, a bright red when he tries to cook. He glows sapphire when he sits over his workbench in the evenings, humming almost inaudibly as he works, the tip of his cigarette gleaming a prismatic blue."
"The world seems to sway gently back and forth, as though the town is drifting lightly away. As though back onshore, all of France is left to bite it's fingernails and flee and stumble and weep and wake to a numb, gray Dawn, unable to believe what is happening. Who do the roads belong to now? And the fields? The trees?"
"Time is a slippery thing: lose hold of it once, and its string might sail out of your hands forever."
Just a few. Great read! Hopefully I won't feel as depressed about it tomorrow lol. And sorry I'm so late.
Gosh darn
Jeez this book made me Sad, so depressing and sad how it ended and how so many characters I loved died.
Can we have a shirt that says “I and FJ”
Flashchocobo -yes this!
lol
Speechless. Yes!
What about "I ♥️ FJ" ??? I would wear! :D
I think this is Genius!
Can we get a bookshelf tour of the one behind you?!?!
Just a vid of you zooming in on the image and guessing titles.
You know, the content we deserve.
lol, good idea xD
You read all them books there Frankie?
yeah all 5000 of them
okay I'm like 3 years late with this reply, but that's a green screen he mentioned it in the beginning 😂
@@fouzya8310 yes. Yes that is the basis of my joke.
Timing your pauses for commercials is such an infj thing. It's hilarious! We're so different from other people yet similar to each other and your videos help me see that. Thank you!
Thanks, Amy :)
I had no idea it was even possible to select where ads were placed. I've suggested it to other channels because it's so much better than an ad cutting them off mid-sentence, especially if the ad is interesting. It reminds me of when movie theatres were thoughtful and had intermissions so people could use the bathroom without missing the movie, and get more popcorn.
It was an interesting story and I liked hearing your perceptions of it. I wonder if the the light refers to the goodness in people, the good non-hateful non-destructive selfless intentions within us and how hard it may be to see the light in others at times as a result of their choices. That is what I grieve- the light that we don''t get to see in others because they choose certain paths. Unfortunately when people allow a hateful leader to harm so many, even though there may be good rationalizations/excuses, there is a price that has to be paid for allowing hateful leaders to seek war. That is a cyclical story from which we just don't seem to learn.
and of course, going along with what you are saying, there are characters like volkheimer who have goodness within them even though it is not immediately apparent
I just finished and I think the part which you said " the book doesn't think you're dumb " it's soooooo true I'll wait for another review 🤗
I enjoyed this book a lot. Talking about characters with emotional pull, I was drawn to Etienne. That he and his brother were compelled to make those recordings, that he continued to broadcast them long after his brother's death. The story of his love for his niece and that he was forced to overcome his fear of leaving the house to find her. And it was the one positive outcome in the end - that they were able to live together afterward and be safe in Paris together.
I was so sad about what happened to Werner. The book could have just ended right there for me.
I think my personal book club this month is going to be "Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind." Though I heard the characters were poorly written. (Terrible? Yes.)
Hopefully I can jump back in for September.
Etienne's journey was certainly a compelling one. I thought for sure in that chapter where they talk about a shell hitting the building where all the French men were that Etienne had been killed, but then it turns out he hadn't! That was a positive ending.
The website I looked up said "Engaging Students..." is "galvanizing" so I hope you find it galvanizing. Who knows maybe we will all have to read it and get galvanized ;)
Frank James Haha, it would actually be a re-read. Always helpful to remind myself of the available tools for teaching in challenging situations ;)
One of my sons passed this book along to me as a Christmas gift. I found your review to be well done. I tend to avoid doing book reviews, despite my love of reading. It's very challenging to give one well, so kudos to you. I missed that ironic correlation of Werner being trapped at the beginning. Fothers considering the book, there is greater color and richness in All the Light than we can share here. I love this book club addition, FJ.
I love how everything was connected between the model and radios as well as Marie and werners family. I love how this book is about humanity and how everything isn’t all black and white and it’s more complex. This book is just so beautiful even if it shows sad reality I could go on and on about this book
I read this book last month (November 2020) and I enjoyed it very much, in the sense that it was engaging, not that I enjoyed the horrors of war. I like your review so I subscribed.
Go FJ! Great Book Review! Thank You, I had purchased the book when you had mentioned it before, now I am reading it. Thanks!
I did read it, because of this channel. Loved it!
I’m only in the middle around 105... I’m in tears. Yes, author is an excellent writer and his writing is at times poetic... I feel too much of the reality of the time period and truths of which he is writing about. I didn’t live this. Though my parents and family friends did. I read a couple comments and maybe I can get back to this and find something they are seeing.
I think that I might need to make a response video so that I can explain why I found Marie-Laure to be such a wonderful character! When she answered that she wasn't brave I took that to be *modesty* but also a habit of preserving a sense of self - there can be echoes of pity when someone tells a person with an illness/disability/difficult life circumstance that they are brave and it can be more positive to one's sense of self to normalize it or play it down. To me, she proved her bravery repeatedly and managed to galvanize the adults around her into action. Her wish to explore - to really *examine* the world - despite being blind truly struck me as being brave/resilient. I think it's the example of her everyday bravery that allows Etienne to overcome 24 years (?) of agoraphobia (a pure love, also, allows him to defy his demons.) I would suggest that there is less bravery in following orders (however extreme the action you are forced to take) than there is in consciously making decisions to go against rules/expectations. (Following that thought through I think it's possible that the single bravest act in the whole novel is Frederick's refusal to torture the dying prisoner. Frederick feels like an echo/corollary to Marie-Laure to me - intensely invested in the natural world, fatally short-sighted, willing to stand with his principles in an incredible, self-defeating act of defiance, sensitive and noticeably 'weak' physically, dreamy...I think that's part of the reason that Werner falls in love with Marie-Laure immediately. He recognises the qualities of his lost friend in her and he gets to mend his soul a little by making the right choice the second time through.)
Another example - I found it heartstoppingly brave when she decided to broadcast her reading of Jules Verne and Clair de Lune despite Von Rumpel prowling the house (he was *terrifying* by then - a absolutely desperate and unhinged. He would have killed her in an instant.) The choice she makes - to defy her situation using things she loves/culture (maybe the only way a disempowered person or a pacifist can act?) - The broadcast effectively *saves* Werner and Volkheimer as the music revives Volkheimer and inspires him grab the possibility of life. (I also found Volkheimer fascinating, especially the moments when we were reminded that he was just a boy in a giant's body. Quirks of biology dictated so many fates in WW2...)
Oh! I have so much more to say 🤣 I loved your review. You're so eloquent...I really want to make the case for Marie-Laure though 🙂
I think if Werner had been asked if he was brave he may have replied that he was cowardly, such was his regret at not speaking up for Frederick and for being unable to live up to Jutta's standards.
I loved what you said about Jutta being Werner's conscience. I think her later unease whilst in France reflected the deep national shame/wound Germany felt as a whole, regardless of one's role. I liked that Doerr confounded her expectations and that she was met with kindness in France. The scene where Yutta and Marie-Laure met was heartbreaking to me because I wanted *more* for both of them. Doerr is a master of holding back/ keeping things understated. I also really appreciated his light touch when it came to the interconnectedness of the themes/characters but also his restraint in terms of violent description. (I found the scene you referred to so delicately absolutely devastating in it's evident ordinaryness. It was casual, routine brutality and all the more horrifying for that.)
Anise Hello! My brain is whizzing along so I might make some notes. It might take me a couple of days because I'm away from my computer at the moment. ❤🌠
Anise Thank you 🙂 You're such a ray of sunshine! I'd love to make a video but would probably set it to private and just leave the link here if anyone is interested. It depends if it's ok with Frank 🙂 Either that or I'll attempt to write my response here but I fear it'd get unbearably long 😂
I love your reaction to the book. I had not really made the connection between Frederick and Marie Laure, but it is quite interesting how Werner is mostly drawn towards these people who represent upstanding virtue. And both Frederick and Marie Laure could have had easier times had they just gone with the flow and not resisted. Of course, Frederick was on a totally different wavelength than everyone, and so what he did doesn't even feel like resistance, just him not buying into a totally different viewpoint.
Frank James Thank you 🙂
The wonderful thing is that I hadn't made the connection between Marie-Laure and Frederick until my mind started ticking over in response to your video. It just clarified in my mind...
I think Werner's tragedy is that he has the same inherent goodness and gentleness as any of the other virtuous characters but that circumstances force him to repress it. He *has* to go unconscious in order to survive. Maybe that is exemplified by the manipulative insistence of his teacher early on that what he is doing is simply pure math? It's a terrible thing that his talent (which is a beautiful and extraordinary gift) is turned to the darkest possible use.
(Back in a moment. I need to re-read your comment 😅)
I still feel that the moment Frederick defies orders was a conscious decision - a moment of pure humanity/compassion. You are right that he predominantly exists on an entirely different plane, not only mentally but also given his privileged upbringing. I feel like he has a steely, virtuous core though as he refuses the easy option of going home (though I was longing for him to save himself at that point.)
This may be fanciful (truly a case of projecting my concerns/interests/biases on to Frederick) but I can kind of see him as a spiritual character. Birds - his primary symbol - are often seen as spirits and he seems to have an innate/profound connection with the life/spirit of things. That is one way that I can explain his incredible defiance - he just connected with the prisoner in such an empathetic way that he couldn't bear to inflict harm. Maybe that makes him a spiritual refusenik rather than a moral one, as we are not given much evidence that he has strong moral opinions about his situation? I think the sense of his *insubstantiality* plays into this spiritual reading for me. His horrific injuries return him to a state of innocence, however distressing that sense of loss is for us to observe.
On the other hand, maybe Doer simply wanted to demonstrate how war can brutalise the gentlest people in a permanent way and I'm just reading too much into it? 😂 It's enjoyable to speculate, though. His defiance remains the central moment of empathy for me, regardless of the wider interpretation.
Georgina Leeson great insight Georgina.. I love the way you expressed that. Many more things to consider. It was truly a great book and yes, I think Marie and Werner deserved more also. That simply reflects how people back then and even today meet one another and interact together for a brief moment in time when all you have is that moment before it is over... Yet can change your life forever in that moment. Like the story of seasons people come into our life. Some for a moment, some for a short time, and others a life time. Thank you!
Haven't read this yet but the beginning of the synopsis reminded me of the Book Thief; I recommend! I was forced to read it as a freshman in high school; I know...though, I ended up enjoying it
I personally think the characters being a little flat for this book works. Its a story based off a real war and I think by being flat it reflects how people in real life can be. Because i dont doubt that in war, we just kind of, do what we do. Kind of exists with no real reason sometimes. Especially the less powerful. We fight other's war, we lose our way. Not saying its like that for everyone but for those that get stuck in the middle, it can be.
I’m recreating this book with worms on a string because we just finished reading this in AP English
... I'm a sophomore in an honors class and I have an in class essay on this tomorrow (you can't take AP's as freshman or sophomore, that's why I'm not in AP) please wish me luck
Gemini ~Cancer ~ Pisces That's how I perceive you in your CZcams personality.
He is Sagittarius, but I definetely sense some Cancer. :)
It has been awhile since I read this book. I remember feeling the most for the German boy. The idea of using your talents in life to in some way cause harm to people was devastating. And as someone who is claustrophobic, I had to stop reading/take deep breaths during the parts about being trapped and almost dying in that way ... if I remember correctly. So, the description of that was quite vivid. Very well-written. Thank you for reminding me about this book and for your review.
thanks for sharing your thoughts on it!
... I'm a sophomore in an honors class and I have an in class essay on this tomorrow (you can't take AP's as freshman or sophomore, that's why I'm not in AP) please wish me luck
Thank you for the video FJ. I listened to the audio book...just finished. Marie-Lore was my favorite character in the book as I too am blind and the Anthony Doer did an excellent job describing a sightless life. Toward the end of the book when Verner sees her walking to and from the bakery was very breathtakingly moving to me. I wanted to know what she looked like...just like she did. She was war torn, starving, dirty, dressed in mens shoes, mens coat and wool filthy dress...but she looked like an angel to Verner. I thought the women in this story were extraordinarily brave...Madame Manec, Marie-Lore, Jutta, Frauline at Childrens House. (I had to stop listening at the same point you did I believe...at the "I will go first" part). Great book...thanks for sharing.
Hey Frank, I wasn't able to finish the book on time, but I will. I'm enjoying it and I haven't enjoyed a book in a while. I didn't know about it until you've suggested it, thanks :) I like how the words flow, and how the relationships are presented. From what I've read. I think the main theme of the book is survival, whether physical or psychological, in their different forms. Even though all the characters live through both types of survival, Mary symbolises physical survival. She has to live with blindness and her life revolves around that. If the war didn't happen, her life would have been uneventful. She represents ordinary civilians just struggling with their own problems. Werner symbolises more psychological survival because he has to deal with a forceful ideology in his country and being a participant in the war. In addition to what you have mentioned about the "light", I think we can see it also as the beautiful things we usually don't notice in dire times such as war: love, mercy, learning, growth, good food, etc. These all tie in with the theme of survival and what it means. Thanks for the good analysis, Zee
Zee thought Yes! I agree...
I loved your interpretation of the possible wider symbolic resonance of the word light ❤
I also felt like Doer made the case for *imagination* and *creativity* being the higher human functions that allow us to endure dire circumstances.
Hi Zee, I like what you point out with the difference between physical and psychological survival. With Werner, he sacrifices his psychological self in order to keep living. Part of him dies on the inside so his body can keep living
I think you'd really like the book "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini. Just the way he pieces together all these different lives and how each person has a story that weaves in and out of everyone else's left me pretty shaken, in a good way. Reminded me of that video where you talked about looking at people on the street, and it hitting you that each person has this whole world where you're just like an extra passing by. The way he writes each person's story feels very raw too. Like, "this is life, you can accept it or not".
Bought the book this year, don't know where I've been. 2 years later, yet here I am. Excited to start it. I also got the Scythe series, The Name of the Wind, and a random book about scientific answers to random questions.
This book was like a cheesy Hollywood war movie... like Enemy at the Gates meets The Pianist.
I actually was most disturbed by the description and the hunt down of the first Russian Partisans. I was sick.. a bit.. after.
Ive never really cared much for the rich and privilaged.. but I cheered for the French anyway, just as the book expected me to.
I missed the girl's father most. I liked the uncle and the maid... all the supporting characters. They were colorful and funny. The imagery in the book was stacked, I like shells.. I guess.
Overall the book was easy to read and entertaining, not my usual choice of book... definitely not a movie I would bother watching but as a book it had more texture so it's good, I guess.. depending what you're looking at it for..
...Im not sure if you've read Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse.. but it plays to your more recent topics of discussion. Identity and doors and all that...
After watching the series on Netflix, I went around looking for a review/analysis on CZcams. Didn't expect to find Frank James 😊
I needed another two days! I'll be back....but very excited we're all doing this 💃🏽
no rush ;)
Book reviews and summaries be like: I don’t want to spoil too much
Me: just spoil it, I have to do my book report
Omg!! You have a book club too! Bless you, FJ. WE WANT A BOOK SHELF TOUR PLS.
PLUS thank you for the book recommendation, I will definitely read it.
I did not read this book. I did watch this video in it's entirety. I'm just here in the comments to bug you about getting a PO box. Also, I laughed out loud when you said you didn't want to clean your room 😄😄😄
Gotta test over this book today, didnt read a page of it, and now Im here
Thank you so much for your wonderful review of this beautiful book. Greetings from Brazil.
I recently downloaded The Light We Cannot See audiobook, since I don’t have a whole lot of time to sit down. I really enjoyed the book and I actually got my stepfather, who doesn’t usually read, to listen while working in the garden. I have to say I completely agree that Werner seemed to be a much more rounded character. I also feel like maybe that was on purpose to “see the light we cannot see” and to aid forgiveness. I loved the flow of Doerr’s writing especially since it was fast paced, yet it didn’t seem to stumble over itself (if that makes any sense at all). I also cheated a bit and had someone read it to me, which always seems to give an alternate outcome versus reading it myself. I enjoyed that you mention this Doerr did make you feel dumb by outlining ever detail for you and I never realized his before but that has been a deciding factor for me on whether I like a book or not...
Anyways, I have already put A Gentleman in Moscow on my holds list for the library. Hopefully I’ll have it read by the time you finish yours. Thank you for posting your thoughts and observations!
thanks for adding your thoughts to the conversation, Baily :) I hope Gentleman in Moscow ends up being a good one!
One significant thing that Marie and Werner had in common was that they were loved and valued growing up- Marie by her father and Werner by Frau Elena. They are both told and encouraged to achieve great things despite their handicaps- blindness and being a poor orphan.
U explained it amazingly😍
I just finished it like 20 minutes ago and I can't still process the end. One of the best books I've ever read. Amazing video btw.
thanks! yes, it does take a while to process this book, doesn't it
Marie is a blind girl and she struggled but was able to hold to her true self since she had loving support and a rich grand uncle. Werner’s struggles were caused because he abandoned his morals and identity (he was also manipulated and brainwashed).
Love the analysis and your approach. Gotta do something about those jarring frame cuts though. 😊 Much appreciated video
Well, I have finished both books, and now I see this video and it's been so long since I finished...
1) All the light we cannot see was sooo hard to get through and in parts for me I cried through an overwhelming bit, I had to skip over parts... though for some reason I am remembering a book about birds... was that this one? I know blue birds are beautiful, though black birds has a nice Beatles rings to it. It's anamazing book on birds, if its the same ending as I'm thinking🙉.
2) GFM~ definitely need to listen again. What I do know is it is so beautifully written! Takes you back
I loved participating in a book club hehe.. that was fun.
Oh ps. St. Malo was a pretty soulless place. There were hardly any planters in windows, everything was grey.. the granite has a suffocating charm. I wouldnt think any radio signals could penetrate those walls, my cellphone wouldnt work, not even wifi... One bathroom inside the walls was pretty cool though. It was massive with an arched ceiling, unisex and split down the middle. The geometry of it played on the eye like a mirrored image. The attendant sat in a wooden box off to one side and she looked like Angelica Houston a bit, kind of like a nun too... she had lit insense to mask the smell, it made it nice. It brought some charm and warmth, some medival vibe. There was also a Japanese influence to some of the stores... it was a strange place. I didnt go up into any houses or hotels.. I suppose that's where a lot of the magic is. I think after the war the whole place had to be rebuilt, every angle is a little too perfect now, the windows too straight.
In the book when Etienne was captured... I was wondering why he didnt use the scale model of the city to plot the corrdinates... maybe it doesnt work that way... the book made me wish I knew more survival things. If there was war.. gosh I'd be useless.
lol i've thought that same thing myself, that i would be useless in a war. so cool that you got to visit st. malo as we were reading the book!
Ha! Gentlemen in Moscow is on my wish list! Good taste FJ. Will read along again. :)
oh good!
Space Cat I'm in again too! It was on my epic To Be Read pile...
Just ordered mine can't wait
Loving the book club idea! I read all the light we cannot see last year. I did enjoy it once I got into it but I would agree about the characters being a little flat. The trouble I had was the themes were rather similar to those in the book thief which is one of my all time favourites and in comparison this one is not quite as captivating or intriguing. Still a good read though!
yes, I have heard that it is similar to the Book Thief, but I haven't read that one so it didn't bother me ;)
Frank James I would recommend it highly...( or another of his books...he has a new one out in the next few months). Markus Zusak’s style of prose is so intriguing and incredibly beautiful....he really is a pleasure to read. I could read his work all day. Even his blog posts are small delight in the day.
That moment you read p.224 and the connection gives you goosebumps, then by p.226 it brings you right back down into trepidation...I saved this video to watch when I am done.
I’m curious if James has watched the mini series on Netflix. What are your thoughts! James?!
You've gotten a lot of knowledge from reading a lot, I really need to pick up a novel, sad but I haven't read one in years. I enjoy a faster pace in a novel and this one sounds interesting. I find it interesting listening to people go over parts of a story, my brain jumbles things when trying to retell stuff.
Well as someone who hadn't read a book in almost a year, I'll say that this novel is a good one to get your feet wet
I really loved the book but listening to your analysis of it has completely reanimated it for me in the best possible way 🙂 My 'problem' is that there's too much that I'd like to respond to/discuss.
Thank you for the brilliant video and thank you for inspiring me to read again ❤
I already have the next book on my Kindle because I *think* it was one of Obama's books of the year and that piqued my curiosity.
Edited to add: yes! It was but the novel I want to read most from that list is The Power by Naomi Alderman.
Our Book Club will discuss this book tonight..7/30/'19. Your review was the best I listened in preparation for our meeting. I am a new subscriber from Mobile, Alabama. Our next book will be A Gentleman In Moscow. I am so pleased that you are also reading Gentleman In Moscow. I look forward to that review, too. We will use it for our Book Club. Please, post it for our use. Favorite Character: Werner and my biggest surprise was Great Uncle Ettienne. (I purchased my Gentleman copy from Amazon..new. I will use your Amazon link to purchase future books for our club.)
This became a fast favorite of mine when I read it earlier this year. I loved it. Not sure I’ve ever read another so richly descriptive!
yes! I agree.
This is motivating. I am not into fiction anymore but I am about to start a book (that I got from a friend) and keep up the pace with you all. Awesome!
they say reading is good for your mind, supposedly ;)
just give me a plot diagram so i can get an A on this ELA assignment
I liked both Marie-Laure and Werner, but I’d agree with you that the story is more fully developed than the characters. One of the reasons I liked it so much is the way Doerr lovingly planned and crafted everything to come together so naturally. A good example of that are the puzzles and wooden models Marie’s father makes for her. While you’re reading it, it’s touching but seems inconsequential. Later, you realize that if Marie hadn’t learned those streets, she wouldn’t have been able to help Etienne in the resistance. I also agree with you about the passage that reveals the title-what a beautiful thought-that there are all these invisible stories and souls traveling around us. We only see a fraction of the possibilities.
Side note: Did you just throw shade at Game of Thrones? *gasp*
lol throwin' shade. I agree, Doerr is excellent about laying the groundwork for things in a very natural way, like Marie memorizing the streets for example, or something as small as Frau Elena being French, so Werner and Marie can communicate.
Just realized a friend of mine gifted me this book before moving a few weeks ago. She also gave me 'The Secret' so I kind of disregarded the whole stack she gave me. I know I'm going through the "dark night of the soul"/Ni-Ti loop and all but who wants to be given 'The Secret' like it will fix everything? Anyway, I'll have to give ATLWCS a try now so I can watch the rest of this video. Hopefully it's not 'The Secret' by another means lol
lol nah it has nothing to do with The Secret.
-I am finishing All the Light. I’ve been watching too many videos, movies and not reading, at all. It’s just a habit. What do the experts say? 60 days to change a
habit?
Thank you for the jump start.
I think it's only 21 days so even better!
I love that you have quite the following and you have other people donating videos to you. "Stay cool and attractive"
It sounds like a good book. I just find it hard for me to get into reading fiction books now especially since the net is at my finger tips. I probably haven't read a fiction book in over 10 years. I was an avid fiction reader til high school and then too busy working to read outside of school assignments. I then got into reading non-fiction and then genealogy. Genealogy is a novel that keeps unfolding. I find it interesting. One side of my family is 100% German. I probably wouldn't be here if they had not left Europe before World War I. The other side of my family is quite a mixture...English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Basque, Italian, Scandinavian, Kiev Rus, Hungarian, Polish, Croatian, , etc. I have all lines of my family traced back 200 years and some lines as far back as 1200 or so. My Scottish roots are my favorite. That line would be my most recent ones to migrate after my Germans. One of my favorite movies is Braveheart. I then found out I descend from King Robert the Bruce and possibly indirectly to William Wallace thru his mother (not as concretely proven). I also descend from King Brian Boru of Ireland. Its been a fascinating novel to unfold. Have you ever researched your family tree or have info from another family member who has? I found it helped explain a lot about my family.
I just remembered reading this book. It's about the closest thing to reading fiction for me. It's an autobiography about a woman going thru her struggles losing her father etc and becoming an Olympian judo medalist and opening the doors for female MMA division in the UFC. In grade school, I used to check out books on judo etc. I still haven't met another girl who has done that at that age. www.amazon.com/My-Fight-Your-Ronda-Rousey-ebook/dp/B00T0GIATI
i have researched my family history a little bit, but not beyond great-great grandparents. Did you do all the research yourself or were other people in your family helping?
And yes, biographies are quite interesting to read too.
When I started, I only knew back to my great - grandparents which I think is common for many people. Three of my four grandparents came from the same area. The fourth, my grandmother, came from out of state and none of her relatives lived close by. She was the one to be in contact with her relatives and pass on the latest news to us. After she died, a big piece was missing. Questions came to me that she was no longer around to answer. My mom gave me contact info for her cousin on that side of the family. One of her cousins had very well documented (with good sources) history of her side back to the 1800s or so. One of the family members had been researching for over 20 years and my mom's cousin obtained that info. On another side of the family, a cousin on my mom's dad's side had a family tree with descendants from about the 1800s or so. She had copies of letters written from one of my ancestors. He talked about being in California during the Gold rush. Another cousin into genealogy had pictures of my ancestors from the 1800s. I probably treasure the pics and letters the most as it gives a more personal attribute to an ancestor. From there, I did my own research. Have to be careful about double checking facts from other people's family trees. Many trees can have mistakes and add on the wrong ancestor. I've came across that several times online. Other people's family tree records can be helpful in giving a direction to research but need to support it with facts. Those Se details. lol Have to make sure it seems logical such as a parent's age matching up with the child's age etc. Its very unlikely for a 60 year old woman or 9 year old child to have a child. Or two different people with the same name. Some people over look those details so watch out for incorrect info in other people's trees. Many people are quick to add the info to their tree without looking deeper. My closest cousins info was pretty reliable tho especially the one with documented sources. Some families have books published. My dad's side of the family has one and has my name in it. I didn't even know it until I asked his mother about the family history. She has a huge portrait of my great great grandparents and I'll probably inherit it. I found her mother on a ship passenger list and she was happy to see that. Some local history books online also may contain info on ancestors and can be a great source for clues on where they came from. Ancestry.com is a good source for records with paid subscription. Local libraries often have an Ancestry Library edition a person can use for free. I started out doing that for about an hour a week then paid for a subscription to use at home. LDS familysearch.org is another good source for free info. My mom's cousins had to do research the hard way before things became available on the net. They had to write letters and send for LDS microfilms etc. So much easier now to do it online and more stuff coming out all the time. I even found out my best friend and I are related thru a common ancestor from the 1600s after I helped her with her family tree. I've been doing family research off and on for at least over 15 years. I get into it and then I need a break from it. I come back to it and find more info online that seems new etc. I still have a few brick walls. One ancestor has a very common name and its been a brickwall for many of the researchers in my family. Sometimes that happens. I think I made some progress in finding their roots tho. Sometimes fires burn records and it may be nearly impossible to go back further. If you get into it and looking for tips, let me know. I've broken a few brickwalls. Sometimes it takes time and have to work sideways thru researching other people such as a nephew etc.
I got to write a paper on this book sophomore year on how the loving formative experience in Werner’s life towards the radio and Frau Elena keep him from being fully brainwashed by the Third Reich. Fun times and fun read :)
I was really disappointed in Marie's character. As soon as I saw she was blind (which is of course one of the first details we get about her) I got worried she'd be a flat, blah character: the "interesting" detail being that she's blind, or dealing with her blindness, as often happens with disabled characters.
that is a good point, sometimes the disability becomes the whole character. I will say that I don't think that quiiite happened here, but her character did not have as much complexity as it could have
Frank James I kind of want to re-read it and filter my response to Marie-Laure and Werner through the lens of complexity. I wonder if she appears less complex due to the stability of her 'goodness'? It's notoriously difficult to write a compelling *good* character...
Looking through a different lens, it was refreshing to have a young female character who survived/flourished due to her wits. She was active, often responsible for her own safety, took decisions that progressed the narrative and (even when grown up) wasn't given the conventional happy ending of a successful marriage. She excelled in a male dominated field (science) yet on her own terms (not the more mechanical/ traditional collect/classify approach of her mentor at the museum but a preoccupation with *live* marine biology.)
I do wonder if I'm experiencing an unconscious bias towards the character of my own gender? It makes me appreciate the arguments that there need to be more active female characters in culture for young girls/women to identify with...
(Edited to add: maybe not because I was equally invested in Werner's story. I should stop thinking aloud now 😅)
M Kidd It's so interesting the different ways that we are all responding to the characters 🙂. I saw Marie-Laure as an example of someone that almost entirely transcended her physical limitation, which I found inspiring. I thought that Doerr was pretty 'light' in the way that he used her blindness - it could have been an easy device to ramp up tension and could have descended into melodrama. Instead, scenes with Marie-Laure to me felt calm, composed and full of the spirit of resilience and resourcefulness. I felt that Doerr's writing became more descriptive and lyrical in Marie-Laure's world - he evoked the sensual world so vividly yet, as Frank mentioned, it always moved the story forward.
I felt like her world was the world of imagination and 'writerliness', which was maybe at its height in the wonderful scenes of Marie-Laure and Etienne conjuring imaginative adventures from the safety of their sofa. I felt like that invisible, imaginative realm was what allowed them to survive and retain a sense of self.
I'm trying to join your dictatorial book club this time! I'm busy reading books for my Finnish literature courses--yesterday I started one that tells about Estonian history--but maybe one book in English will do at the same time :) It's good training for my English skills anyway. I managed to get a free pdf book (even though watching a screen is not my favourite way of reading a novel) of A Gentleman in Moscow and it seems like an interesting book!
you are impressing the heck out of me with all the reading you're doing. hope you can fit "a gentleman in moscow" into the mix :)
To be honest I gave been quite a lazy reader for the last few years, but I have found more motivation and have been reading more since last spring. Partly because my literature teacher is trying to make us better people by making us read novels and poems and sending us to the theatre :)
Also I realised the gentleman on the cover reminds me of Hercule Poirot :D
So mysterious :)!
Thanks FJ for making me read books again. Can't wait to start reading the next one.
thanks for reading along with me, Maria :)
thank you for the interesting review! :) i just remembered that I once started to read this book some time ago but havent finished yet. so typical for me....now I feel inspired to do so!
you should!
thank you for saying libary i hadn't smiled for hours
I have to teach this to my last year senior students. Thank you this was great.
Awesome review, you do a great job summing it all up. Loved the bit about Jutta being Werner's conscious and how the further he goes into the war the less they interact. Hadn't thought of that. I agree Volkheimer had one of the best arcs, also Etienne. Would love to see Jean Reno play him on screen. So happy it's being brought to Netflix for a limited series, I feel like that'll be the best form for it.
thanks, Griffin!
It's interesting if we can hear you opinion about INTJ, common things INFJ has with them, what you like and dislike about them...etc.
hmmm could be a good video
Frank James depends on your viewpoint of the personality but there is many conflicts in terms of why INTJs are attractive while the conflict should be are they attractive or not.
Hi! How do you choose the books you read? I've followed your channel for a couple of months now and wasn't aware there was a "book club" 🙊 Do you have a Goodreads account?
I just choose what strikes my fancy ;) I have good reads but haven't been on it in awhile
You dismiss Marie. "yay she had to risk her life" getting the bread. (but it's not as heroic ad Werner) Could you do that? Blind? Female? In occupied France? Damn and Damn...
I really enjoyed your review, it was so down to earth and real. I will now read the book.
Just finished this book and enjoyed listening to your synopsis . I always want to talk to someone after reading a book or watching a movie.
I enjoyed Marie’s character when I placed myself in her shoes. What were your thoughts on Marie’s father? You didn’t mention him at all.
In all honesty the last parts when they skip to the future I didn't like at all. After falling in love with these characters cause we've seen them grow and been with them in every struggle they introduce the new characters like the kids and husband and we are supposed to love them too
Quite intense contrasts in the story. & quite deep focus. And beautyful light concept. Most lights people can just see with their hearts :) - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I hope you don't mind if I leave a book suggestion here: The Man with the Golden Touch (also titled as Timar's Two Worlds) by Hungarian writer Mór Jókai. It's about a merchant living in the 1800's, who has a double life: one as a honoured person in a big city, with a big house and a wife that doesn't love him, and an other one on a beautiful island that doesn't belong to any country, it's very simple but also peaceful and full of love. The author loved to give long and detailed descriptions, that's the only annoying thing about the book, but the story is great. I thought the people here might like it.
sounds like a good read, i hadn't heard of it before!
Frank James no wonder, the book was first published in the late 19th century, I only know it because we've learnt about it in high school. I don't know how your reaction would be though, would you be tired of the detailed descriptions, would it be too upsetting so you won't finish, or would you fall in love with it. But you won't be neutral, I'm almost completely sure.
Great summary. I keep reading it and getting lost. Now I think it will be better. New sub 👍🏻
thanks, Dessi!
FJ, have you ever read Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead?
no i haven't, do you recommend them?
Atlas Shrugged is a long read, but worth the effort. The Fountainhead is a lesser work, an earlier and more ham-handed attempt to express what was fully realized later in Atlas Shrugged. I first read AS when I was about 18 - it's stayed with me all my life, so yeah, I recommend it.
Still not going to watch this video yet... I did watch a short interview with Doerr and I may try to finish it, though I may skip over a whole lot of of parts. I will say it does sound like it will have a sensory and compelling story line as it draws to the close
Which library are you in? I’ll meet you there tomorrow. :P
Green Screen Public Library
Frank James I know. I’ll see ya there soon.
Hold on... you said the 24th. Going to have to save this video for later. I’m not going to have you spoil it... though I will say that so far ... no I have some of own “spoilers” and insights saving.
THANK YOU FOR THIS, IT SAVED ME
I wonder how many podcast personalities have Summer reading clubs ...
ha ha so many books to read
Goes to show how much i know about CZcams!
What makes Marie interesting to me is how well she assimilates information. She cannot go through life haphazardly like most others. There are more levels to her experience.
that is a good point. it makes every thing she does have more purpose
Hey, Frank I made you some potential podcast art but I don't see an email in your about. How can I send them to you?
oh cool! you can send a message through soundcloud!
Alright, sent (:
Watch at 1.5x speed for best experience
how does a Marie ride a bike to pick up the baguettes with secret messages if she's blind? that is not all I took from the book review..
totes mad skillorz
She walks! She has to count her paces and guide herself with a cane. (I loved Marie Laure)
really heard him say "rides her bike" but okay
female person Sorry! He may well have done. My brain is buzzing because I loved the book so much...🙂
I said "she's fighting for the good guys" if you are referring to 13:48 ;)