Thursday, May 14, 2009

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - post IV

The conclusion of the book is very moving and in a way having penned this the author should have stepped back and realised that real emotions don’t need to be adorned by lots of clever literary devices.

In many respects this reminds you of Gunter Grass and Georges Perec as the child walks through the city and the odd quest for the lock for the key continues.

When it ends it does so in a way that is straight. The oddness is stripped back and the grandparents, which remain strange until the end, fade out of the picture.

If there is one thing that you take away from this very strongly it is the sense that death and grief are illogical and unfair. That the sense of loss from something as horrific as the Two Towers can never be forgotten. But also the need for communication and the letters and words that the dead leave behind for the living are vital for those seeking comfort.

A review will follow soonish…