⋙ PDF Free Here I Am Jonathan Safran Foer 9780241146187 Books

Here I Am Jonathan Safran Foer 9780241146187 Books

Download As PDF : Here I Am Jonathan Safran Foer 9780241146187 Books

Here I Am Jonathan Safran Foer 9780241146187 Books

Somewhere in this book Foer remarks that The Old Testament has been replaced as the central book for Jews, replaced by The Diary of Ann Frank. This might be true. Here I Am is not an effort to replace Ann Frank, but it is encyclopedic in its expression of what it is to be a Jew in the 21st century. It is filled with maddening arguments in which the thinnest of hair are split by knives so fine as to be invisible. The characters do this and so does the narrator. The pace is slow and meanders, but the scope defined by the comparison of the life of a single Jewish family and the fate of The State of Israel is vast. The young Rabbi's eulogy for the dead-great grandfather is a document everyone interested in Judaism should read. It is a jewel.The book is funny and very moving. It is honest stuff and fiction wielded by a young master of the art,


Tags : Here I Am [Jonathan Safran. Foer] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.,Jonathan Safran. Foer,Here I Am,Farrar, Straus & Giroux,,0241146186

Here I Am Jonathan Safran Foer 9780241146187 Books Reviews

As a non practicing Jew whose father survived Auschwitz I knew this story would resonate with me. The complicated dynamics of the Bloch extended family make for a compelling story about family, relationships, religion and specifically about American Jew's relationship with Israel. The palpable angst felt by the lead character Jacob was relatable to a degree but aspects of his narcissistic personality took away from the potential of telling a greater more meaningful story. The last third of the book was overwrought and veered into storytelling that was difficult to follow. This was disappointing because most of the book was compelling and really made me think - as a father, son of a survivor and as a Jew brought up in America with many Israeli cousins. The way he described Jacob's eldest son made me wonder if he had psychological problems that would result in suicide or another terrible consequence. Without explanation this fate doesn't happen. If the characters were simplified a much more thoughtful and relatable story could have been told. Regardless this is an important book that can be used to help us think through the meaning of life and how we want to live our lives. You won't find answers but you will find a path to introspection.
I am not sure where to begin. I am in such awe of this book. It is Jonathan Safran Foer’s HERE I AM. I feel like a book like this comes along only once in, well, maybe a decade. I don’t want to try to compare HERE I AM to another book or categorize it. This great work cannot be labeled. It breathes life, death, love, joy, incredible humor, deep sadness, high emotions, the strength of family, love beyond humans, pride of religion and culture, history, discovering self or not, and the here and now. I was so deeply moved by each character, the depth that the author depicted them, that I felt like I knew them, not just as I read about them, but before the book. I didn’t want to let them go. I needed to re-read numerous passages to make sure that I didn’t miss anything, forget messages or dialogue. When I would pick up the book again each night, I started the previous chapter again. Each time, hoping I could stretch the story out a little longer.

HERE I AM is the story of Jacob and his wife Julia and their three boys. It is also about Jacob’s father and grandfather and their family history. Their relatives in Israel and being Jewish in America. It is about a fictious catastrophe in Israel and how it affects Jacob’s family as things between he and his wife begin to unravel.

While I am reading a book, if I have not previously read any of the author’s other work, I try not to find out too much about him/her, so that my opinion is not blurred in any way. I was so enraptured by Foer while reading. I wanted to know who he was. What possessed him to write this story. Was any of it from his own life. I am still so curious. I could not help but wonder what it takes to create a story so well told, so real, with such poignancy, where you bring your reader to laughter and big tears.

The laughter brought me to tears. I thought of my father and how much he would have loved and appreciated this book. The inside Jewish humor and family history, it felt like stories I have heard before. It was bittersweet. Without spoiling anything about the ending, I won’t share my emotions, so I will just say that it was perfect.

It goes without saying that I loved, loved and loved HERE I AM.
Somewhere in this book Foer remarks that The Old Testament has been replaced as the central book for Jews, replaced by The Diary of Ann Frank. This might be true. Here I Am is not an effort to replace Ann Frank, but it is encyclopedic in its expression of what it is to be a Jew in the 21st century. It is filled with maddening arguments in which the thinnest of hair are split by knives so fine as to be invisible. The characters do this and so does the narrator. The pace is slow and meanders, but the scope defined by the comparison of the life of a single Jewish family and the fate of The State of Israel is vast. The young Rabbi's eulogy for the dead-great grandfather is a document everyone interested in Judaism should read. It is a jewel.The book is funny and very moving. It is honest stuff and fiction wielded by a young master of the art,