All The Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

 

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr just has so many good reviews, I had to read it.

Started: 11/7/2021
Completed: 11/14/2021
Recommendation: Mild recommendation
Recommended By: Pulitzer

Review:

The story of the stone is an odd red herring throughout the novel.  I don't really think it helps tell the story beyond an encounter toward the end of World War II.  I found it to be a non-innocent addition to the story as though it is much more meaningful then it is.

There is an odd repeated sense of decimation and loss (odd because it seems that there is no bottom).  It seems that horror and loss are components required for a Pulitzer prize.  I had not wanted to read this book partly for that reason.  There is little doubt that Doerr is gifted and builds characters, places, and addresses issues of large moment artfully.  It would be nice, however, if that could all be done without the fear of imminent death.  Maybe, also, I'm a little tired of coming of age stories.