|Page Turners| Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated was recommended to me by a teacher, though some of the story was spoiled to me at the start, and I was told it might be a bit hard to get through at first. Regardless, having been told that the ending was worth it, I persevered through. Whether it was the Alex's butchered English (which is funny, endearing, and interestingly enough, important to the plot) or Trachimbrod's story, all the strange elements tie in to create one beautiful picture. I ended up loving this book, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Do We Want to Turn the Page?

Warning! This next section may contain spoilers about the book. Also, all ratings are based entirely on my opinion and WILL be biased and subjective.

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED is like three stories in one: the story of Trachimbrod, a Jewish shtetl as reimagined by the character Jonathan Safran Foer (the character with the same name as the author); the story Alex, the young Ukrainian translator who speaks a butchered English and brings you along his trip with Jonathan and his Grandfather (also named Alex) to find the woman who saved Jonathan’s grandfather from the Nazis; and finally, the letters exchanged between the two young men, with only those Alex sends ever shown to the reader. Jonathan's full name being the same as that of the other, it is like you get a reimagination of what the author's life could have been, especially if you google the backstory of this book. After reading it, I recommend researching Trochenbrod (the real life version of Trachimbrod), because after having fallen in love with the story's town, you might enjoy seeing what it was really like. Then, maybe take a rabbit hole down Safran Foer's interviews where he talks about the novel, because the interesting details never stop.

So while the book might seem complicated at first, and it is, this novel is a place for humor, friendship, and most importantly, a search for self and forgiveness. Tying history in with some imagined elements, Jonathan Safran Foer (the author) ‘s story is an incredible one, and I am so absolutely glad it was recommended to me. It's a 5/5 star read for me!

The Summary:

With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man -- also named Jonathan Safran Foer -- sets out to find the woman who may or may not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war; an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior; and the unforgettable Alex, a young Ukrainian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, Jonathan is led on a quixotic journey over a devastated landscape and into an unexpected past.

The Author:

Jonathan Safran Foer is the author of two bestselling, award-winning novels, Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and a bestselling work of nonfiction, Eating Animals. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

(from Goodreads)