Saturday, February 7, 2015
Anthony Doerr—All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel
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If you're looking for something to read, a novel that will appeal to men and women both and of every age, this latest novel by Doerr is the best thing I've read since CS Lewis’ Till We Have Faces. It really is that good. All the Light We Cannot See is about three children growing up during WWII, a brother and sister from Germany who have grave misgivings about Germany waging war, and a blind French girl whose country is of course devastated by it.
I read a lot of books and dislike the vast majority of modern novels. This one is truly exceptional. A great story told by what is perhaps the best wordsmith I've ever encountered. In fact, if you're an aspiring writer wanting to learn how to write, forget all those silly how-to books and just read this novel. If you can’t learn how to write, and write well, after reading this book, then give up. There’s no hope for you.
It is probably sad? I have not read anything by him but I will look when I go to the resale shops.
ReplyDeleteWhat some people think of as sad, others think of as melancholy. There were some sad passages for sure, but I would say that by the time I got to the end, the overall feeling was one of melancholy or poignancy, which I think of as satisfied sadness. It's like when someone you really respect dies and you're sad, but you know they went to their grave having accomplished their goals and having lived well. It's kind of a holy sadness.
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