THE NOVEL Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a study of grief and loss: of how people learn to live with the wounds inflicted by others and by random events.

Oskar Schell is a nine-year-old boy whose father, Thomas, is caught up in the tragedy of 9/11. Thomas heads off to work, leaves a series of answerphone messages, and is gone. The book follows Oskar’s attempts to learn to live in a new and hostile world, in which nothing is certain, and everything reminds him of the fragility of his existence.

Jonathan Safran Foer is a writer who has polarised critics. Some have found him ori­ginal and approaching genius; others have slam­med him for being gimmicky and self-conscious.

There are sections of the book which can feel pointed and jarring: the way that he plays with time is disorientating, and the way that he changes from one voice, and from one type of writing, to another can be off-putting. Some critics also question whether his style adds much to what is, at heart, a simple elegiac exploration of loss and survival.

Yet we find ourselves caught up in a beauti­ful and devastating journey that is universally relevant. The book describes how an intelligent boy, with limited social skills, comes to live again, by a roundabout route, after the shocking death of his beloved father.

It is a modern fable — humorous, con­vincing, and absorbing. We are willing to sus­pend disbelief, to overlook the unfeasible, because Oskar is such an engaging companion, and because it becomes increasingly apparent that he is not as alone as he imagines.

The book begins with Oskar, his mother, and his grandmother travelling in a limousine to the funeral of his father. He knows that the coffin is empty; that nothing was found of his father after the Twin Towers came down. As they travel, he invents things in his head, and chatters nervously to the driver, poised be­tween childhood innocence and precocious ability.

Later, looking through his father’s things in order to feel close to him, he finds a key inside an envelope with the word “Black” on it. He decides that this is a game left by his Dad just for him, and that he must find the lock the key opens among the 17 million in New York. He decides to interview everybody named Black in the phone book.

So begins his pilgrimage. He cannot go on public transport because it might be a terrorist target, and he cannot cope with high buildings because they remind him of 9/11. So he walks across the city, asking everyone named Black whether they know what the key is for. He is naïve, vulnerable, and determined.

As he travels, almost Christlike, he brings healing. The man who has not left his flat since his wife died goes outside. The woman who has not left the Empire State Building since her husband died finds love. And Oskar helps his family to heal an ancient wound.

Woven throughout the novel is the story of Oskar’s Jewish grandparents, who survived the Holocaust with deep emotional wounds. His grandfather slowly forgets how to speak, and can communicate only by writing. His grand­mother is left alone to bring up their son, Thomas.

This sub-plot is a story that feels slightly overwritten, but it acts as an effective counter­point to Oskar’s grief. It highlights the way that Oskar’s seeming obsession is actually a more healthy form of grieving than locking away the pain with a key, in silence.

This is a novel about survival and redemp­tion — about learning to live again. Oskar inspires in us a longing to protect him, and to tell him that everything will be all right. But, in the end, he has to learn this for himself. And he does: not that all will be well, but that human beings are resilient. Life goes on, and he has a deep well of love to draw on.

This is not an easy book in content or style. But it does cohere, and it challenges the reader. It comes together beautifully in the end, in an immensely enriching way. And Oskar is unforgettable.

The Revd Richard Lamey is Priest- in-Charge of St Mary’s, Newton, Hyde, and Rural Dean of Mottram in the diocese of Chester.

EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE — SOME QUESTIONS

Does this book remind you of anything else you have read? If so, what, and why?

How would you describe Oskar Schell?

Which of Oskar’s inventions do you think would be most useful?

In an interview about this book, the author said: “A book is a little sculpture. The choice of fonts, the size of the margins, the typography all influence the way the book is read. I consciously wanted to think about that, wanted to have the book really be something you hold in your hands, not just a vehicle for words. So I was involved in every step of the design, right down to how the book is stamped underneath the dust jacket.”

How did the unorthodox way in which the story was told affect your reading of the book?

What was at the heart of Oskar’s relationship with his grandmother?

Why were “Nothing places” and “Something places” so important for his grandparents? What do they symbolise?

The search for the lock is a significant part of the story. Why is it so important for Oskar to unearth the mystery of the key? How significant is the lock that it opens? Is there more to the mystery?

How does the author depict the strong emotions associated with 9/11? How is it connected to what happened in Dresden?

Is Oskar’s mother the real hero of the book?

How specific is the book to 9/11, and how much is it a universal exploration of grief?

How many ways are there of saying “I love you” in the book? Which are the most effective, and which are futile?

IN OUR next reading-groups page, on 2 January, we will print extra information about the next book. This is The Hands and Feet of Jesus: Stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things by Clive Price. It is published by BRF, in conjunction with World Vision, at £6.99 (CT Bookshop £6.30); 978-1-84101-508-8).

Book notes

The charity World Vision works with people living in poverty in more than 100 countries around the world through development programmes, community-based organisations, and response to disasters. The Hands and Feet of Jesus tells stories from these projects, highlighting how ordinary people called by God can make a remarkable difference to the lives of others. Each of the 17 chapters is a snapshot of World Vision’s work somewhere in the world.

Author notes

Clive Price is a writer and editor who works regularly with World Vision, and in the communications and publicity teams of other charities and Christian organisations.

Books for the next two months:

February: House-Bound by Winifred Peck

March: Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

To order books priced in italics, email the details to Church Times Bookshop (please mention "Church Times Bookshop price")

To order books priced in italics, email the details to Church Times Bookshop (please mention "Church Times Bookshop price")