rustypants speaks

i finished reading Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close a couple nights ago and what a wild and exhausting ride. it’s an almost stream of consciousness narration by a ten year old of higher than ordinary intelligence and personality as he searches for answers. the story starts with our protagonist having been sent home early from school in NYC on 9-11-01 and finding 4 messages on the answering machine. it’s his father calling from the top of one of the towers. the ensuing journey comes after he finds a key a couple years later in his fathers belongings – his quest, the people he meets, the pain, hurt, and compulsions he experiences, the dynamics with his mother and grandmother, the interlaced narratives of his grandfather and grandmother, and the continuing aftermath of 9-11 – it’s exhausting and exhilarating all at once. Jonathan Foer uses pictures in unusual and creative ways in this book that ultimately add much to the storyline, but are initially confusing.

i rarely cry over books and even more rarely have to put a book down for a couple days because of the emotional impact (as well as the insomnia the subject matter caused). this book did all that and more. i recommend the book, but only if you can handle a pretty intense level of grief and pain in the writing.

my second recommendation comes with no warning: Persepolis is an excellent read, and in graphic novel format, similar to Maus by Art Spiegelman. it’s an excellent telling of one woman’s perspective on the iranian revolution – the drawings go a long way in helping to tell the tale and her writing (or the translation of it) is clear and to the point. her relationships with her parents, grandmother, friends, and lovers all shed light on attitudes and the struggles faced during this time. the bottom line was that a face was put to the enormous sacrifice paid by the people.

the movie is also good, but the books go further and deeper.

my current reading list over the christmas break:

• a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini
• flags of our fathers by james bradley
• under the banner of heaven by jon krakauer

happy reading!