On Reading Extremely Loud

The novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is much like the film. The book is written by Jonathan Safran Foer, and it is written in ergodic form. This is a style designed to pulling the reader into the emotion of the character on the page. The layout of the novel also resembles a scrap book of the main character Oskar Schell.

The story line is much the same as the film. A young boy, Oskar, loses his father in the 9/11 attacks, and he is on a journey to solve the last puzzle he believes his father has left for him. The story follows Oskar on his search, complete with a web of the intertwined characters he meets along the way.

The novel is complete with one aspect the film leaves out. There is a back story of the relationship between Oskar’s grandmother and grandfather, including how they met, how Oskar’s father was conceived, and why Oskar’s grandfather left. Although this story is left out of film, it is hinted at by both characters on the screen. So, even though there is no outright spoken history of their relationship, the complexities between the two are still implied.

Overall, I would have to suggest seeing the film before reading the novel. I spoke to a few different people who have read, or attempted to read the novel first; they claimed to have felt lost throughout their attempt. They also said they experienced a sense of confusion due to the haphazard layout of the novel. I can understand why they would feel this way. However, seeing the film first, then reading the novel, gave me a good idea of the flow of the story. I found myself having “ah-ha” moments or saying “ooohhhh!” while reading through the text. I’m not disappointed in the film, but I believe I would have been if I were to have read the novel first due to all that was left out. However, seeing the film first, I can see why they left out what they did.