×

423
424

All The Light We Cannot See (self.books)

submitted by voortrekkers

Pulitzer Prize winner. I didn't think this one would appeal to me but I decided to give it a chance and I'm so glad I did. It takes place in the period of the rise of Hitler to the bitter defeat. Both at times darky disturbing and touching tracing a young German boy and a young French blind girl until their lives intersect in an almost surreal manner. The writer has a very daring, almost confusing way of mixing the chronology but it works perfectly as the story unfolds. You will read of the true horror of Nazi Germany interwoven in the story and really an extraordinary young blind girl who never stops trying. Those who read it any thoughts ?

all 67 comments
sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a

[–]carsley89 93 points94 points  (3 children)

I thought the book was captivating and well done. It’s quite different from other historical fiction I’ve read, and it’s romantic in a tragic way. I think I called it “haunted” after reading. It doesn’t give you the story you expect or want, and I think that’s one of its most alluring qualities.

[–]the_original_Retro 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It stays with you long after you read it.

A haunt stays with you long after their original experience is over.

It's an excellent metaphor, except the haunt in this case includes an almost-ethereal beauty.

[–]neelharan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think I completely agree. I feel it required a lot of patience initially and can be confusing at times but just gets better and better as you progress.

[–]youcantgobackbob 29 points30 points  (10 children)

I bought this but had a hard time getting into it. Maybe I’ll give it another try.

[–][deleted]  (2 children)

[deleted]

    [–]youcantgobackbob 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    That makes me want to stick with it! Thanks!

    [–]rookeryLA 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    I had the same problem. I found the short chapters difficult to get into a rhythm on. I did read the ms of Doerr’s new book though and that reignited my interest in revisiting this one. The new book is fantastic.

    [–]HonestArsonist 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    It took me two tries. I finished it after my daughter was born. It’s an amazing book, but I’ll never read it again.

    [–]bobeany 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    It is very slow but beautifully written

    [–]redheaded_muggle 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    I felt the same way and then I finished and wondered why everyone praised it so highly when I thought it was pretty good but it wasn’t incredible, life changing, will ever read again type of books.

    [–]bandak38134 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I’m not an avid reader. I read this book on the suggestion of my wife last Christmas break. I couldn’t put it down. It was so compelling.

    [–]fishchop 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    My book club read it last month and I gave up about 1/4 in. I might try go back to it after this month’s book (Dune, which I am loving).

    [–]neelharan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Oh, I know what you're talking about, but please please give it a try. Just get through the first few chapters.

    [–]loegare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    What medium do you have it in, I tried reading the ebook but couldn’t get it, but loved the physical book

    [–]meakey 19 points20 points  (0 children)

    I don’t cry when I read books.

    I cried when I read this book. Specifically, just imagining what it would have been like for a young blind girl in the midst of a war. Terrifying and helpless. I was transported so vividly into her shoes.

    [–]Gulliverlived 15 points16 points  (0 children)

    Beautiful book, all his work is, really.

    [–]SeekingHeaven1989 13 points14 points  (2 children)

    This book! This book helped me to feel hope in reading again. The author was creative not just with the story, but with the prose. The wording of the story is beautiful, almost poetic at times. I genuinely cared for the characters. This book got me back into reading regularly.

    [–]fuckit_sowhat 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    The descriptions of her Grandparents(?) house were surprisingly captivating due to the prose. I know what the canned preserves in the cellar look like and I was happy to know because the writing was so beautiful.

    I tell everyone to read it.

    [–]midwest_wanderer 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    This one took me a long time to finish. Had a gap of probably 6-months between when I "gave up" on it about halfway through and picked it back up again, but I also had a lot of personal struggles while trying to read the first half that didn't help things. The last 1/3 or so was captivating for me and I'm glad I went back and finished it. I plan to re-read it sometime next year, and hopefully will be able to enjoy the whole book this time around.

    [–]DiscoDeathStar 7 points8 points  (1 child)

    I loved this book! Doerr’s newest book, Cloud Cuckoo Land, came out this year and I just finished reading it. If you liked this, you should give it a try. Same POV and chronological style, with a story just as touching.

    [–]magnoliamaggie9 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Totally agree. Cloud Cuckoo Land was beautiful as well!

    [–]jefrye7 6 points7 points  (4 children)

    I read this in 2018 thought it was....fine. The writing style was absolutely gorgeous and the author uses some really beautiful imagery, but it felt a little too emotionally detached.

    [–]magnoliamaggie9 3 points4 points  (3 children)

    This is a really interesting take. Can you elaborate on what felt emotionally detached for you? Like, did the narration feel detached, or you as a reader?

    [–]jefrye7 9 points10 points  (2 children)

    The first led to the second.

    Doerr never really establishes his characters as people; they feel like caricatures. For example, we learn a lot about their backstory and external struggles, but we never learn about their internal struggles. They have no flaws to overcome, no character arc. They make no mistakes and have no moral complexity. They're puppets that Doerr uses to tell the story he wants to tell, and it's hard to connect with or care about them on anything but a very superficial level, because they are very superficial characters.

    [–]PurpleCabbage_1 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    This perfectly expresses how I felt about it. It started out very compelling to me - the story of the girl and I wondered how she would find ways to survive. I totally agree with you in that the writing is beautiful, however I wasn't moved by the characters.

    [–]magnoliamaggie9 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    This is very interesting. I didn’t feel that way reading at all. I felt very emotionally invested with the characters and cried multiple times throughout. Maybe the external struggles were enough for me as a reader to become invested.

    [–]kauaiboydm 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    Yeah, I strongly disliked it. The first half was completely different than the second half, and it speaks of science, then gets superstitious. Obviously, my opinion is in the minority, as it won the award, but I'm still allowed to have it, right?

    [–]DonkeyDonRulz 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Loved this book. Though I admit I started with the audio book. I absolutely had to put that down, and order the print copy, just so I could SEE his words in the physical page. The language is almost tactile to me.

    To savor the words choices, the enjoy the rhythm. To reread the occasional phrase and just marvel at it.

    Highly recommend.

    (To be fair I'm a WWII buff, with a radio license and an EE degree, who is almost legally blind without glasses, but it's just so beautifully written, I think everyone could enjoy this one.)

    [–]Porter_4 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Such a good book!! Makes you realize that children are impacted by war in a war different than adults are, because they are learning how the world works and build their world-view around it. I found the writing style engaging, the characters deeply human, and the mixed chronology within the plot fantastically clever. I'm so glad you like it too!

    [–]prosper_0 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    I hated it. Came off as un-engaging and pretentious. As if the author decided he had to consult his thesaurus every sentence or so. Overly flowery prose stringing together a slow and forgettable story. I read it a couple years back, and I can only vaguely remember the plot - but I can still vividly recall my distaste for the book.

    [–]Circusturtle 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    I have read or listened to the audiobook many times, it is one of my favorites. I originally heard about it on some talk-show so I knew to stick with it when it was slow at the start. It is very captivating and you find yourself unable to put it down. I also took the next step and read the book she was reading throughout the story, and was not disappointed. Now that I've briefly discussed it, I may pick it up again when I'm finished with my current book.

    [–]jimmyvcard 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Outstanding book. Heartbreaking in many ways I did not anticipate.

    [–]johnsgrove 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Lovely book

    [–]Interesting-Sky-3752 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I read this 4 or 5 years ago, and I adored it. Right now I'm reading Doerr's memoir Four Seasons in Rome, which is about the year he lived in Rome while working on All the Light.

    [–]spaceghost17 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    One of my all-time favorites. It's almost an epic.

    [–]Pydrox2 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I had a hard time getting into this book and dropped it quite early on. I remember there were a lot of short chapters and this put me off. But maybe I should give it another go, considering it is so widely praised

    [–]iceariina 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Just finished it 2 days ago. Spellbinding. Some reviews said it was hard to follow but I had absolutely no trouble. I really enjoyed how you spent most of the time in the characters' heads.

    [–]TheRadiantWindrunner 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Probably one of the best books I’ve ever read

    [–]dakota137 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I really liked it. If you're ever in France Saint Malo is very close to Mount Saint-Michel in Normandy (huge tourist spot). Worth seeing, especially after reading.

    Just finished his Cloud Cuckoo Land and I liked it but it wasn't nearly as good. I know it's all subjective but I'd give all the light a 9/10 for a novel and cloud a 7/10.

    [–]Starksista 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I really loved this book. I read a lot of WWII historical fiction. It was beautifully written and I found the idea of the blind girl very inspiring. I recommend The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. It is the best wwII book I’ve read in my opinion. Just so sad and tragic, but then aren’t all war stories.

    [–]Nora_Lied 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Lost interest, didnt finish

    [–]HUMBLEFART 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Good book, bad ending.

    [–]RAGING_VEGETARIAN 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    What aspect of it? I liked that Werner died, as disappointing as that was, because it served as narrative punishment for his choice to become a Nazi. Even with that, a lot of the criticism I've seen of the book is that the book sympathizes with Werner too much. As it is, with his death, we can understand Werner's choice BUT the book does not endorse it and does not allow him to have a happy ending.

    [–]HUMBLEFART 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I have no problem with Werner dying. It's that his death is so random!

    [–]DaveDearborn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    thanks, I will give it a try

    [–]ApprehensiveAd3427 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Loved it! It took me forever to get through but the last quarter of the book I couldn’t put down. Everything came together and I was heavily influenced by its emotion.

    [–]BePrivateGirl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I liked it a lot and I still think about it. But the confusing chronology makes me feel like I need to reread it…which is a much bigger time commitment than rewatching a movie.

    [–]Bubbly-Storage1549 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I read this a few months ago and I also did not think this would appeal to me initially. I typically do not gravitate towards war stories or historical fiction but the way the author introduces each character in snippets and then continues to build existing and introduce new characters in bite size segments was a unique take that allowed you to feel close to each character's individual story without feeling like it was too much. In fact, you wanted more but the author has already moved on to the next character so you treasured each story until they eventually merged and crescendoed.

    [–]CFD330 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Thought it was very good. On the strength of that one I decided to read another of his novels, About Grace, and it was fairly disappointing.

    [–]ASpellingAirror 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    It’s a beautiful book that shows that you can write eloquent prose with a very simplistic style. Hemingway would have loved this book.

    [–]Veritaserum3110 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    This is the best book I’ve ever read. I keep going back to re read it. There was a magic I felt throughout. The way the characters stories were interwoven. Just beautiful.

    [–]thebenjaminburkett 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    This is one of my favorite books. The descriptions and passages from the blind girl's sections are so well done that I couldn't help but feel inspired. The almost-fantasy element with the Sea of Flames was well done too and serves a tragic reminder/parallel of the futility of all of the individual struggles.

    It's tragic, but that sort of tragic that somehow hollows you out while making you feel more whole than you've ever been. I'd recommend this to anyone.

    [–]Particular-Energy-54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Almost every sentence of Doerr's is poetry. If you liked All The Light, try his new one, Cloud Cuckoo Land.

    [–]jfsmallwood 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Excellent novel!

    [–]eatmyclit420 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    when they had their brief meeting i died. great book.

    [–]impendingaff 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Thanks OP and reddit contributors. Looks like I may just have found my next read for the elliptical. I am kind of nervous about the "slow" comments and the "Nothing really happens. It's all set in amongst the background of a lot happening, but other than hearing about it, there's not much that really goes on with the characters that so much time has been spent making us love. This feels like all the parts of a fantastic book that happen BETWEEN the major plot points." Am I being to cautious?

    [–]hellopeople4304 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    Worst death of a main character of all time. Great book, loved all but that death.

    [–]OneTreePhil 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I have to admit I loved this book, and hated that the character you're taking about died, but, for all the storytelling, I think that was the point. War is horrible, and world war 2 was probably beyond comprehension, and a lot of what happens is randomly unbearably tragic. The worst part was her totally normal grandson in the end, with no idea of what his game game from. I take it back, I've never gotten the scene with the little girl on the tricycle, so it's a tie.

    Overall I could not put it down, and I only recommend it carefully.

    [–]econoquist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Did not love this book. Thought it hit a whole bucket load of overdone WWII tropes. Was pretty amazed that it won the Pulitzer.

    [–]staffsargent 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I was really split on this book. The blind girl storyline bored me half to death, but I liked the German kid's sections for their unique point of view.

    [–]boarshead72 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    This was in my top ten books ever… I really go for poetic, non-linear writing (like Michael Ondaatje for example). It was actually the German perspective that really held me more so than the French girl’s, how otherwise good people get by in terrible circumstances.

    Glad you enjoyed it.

    [–]FreddieMonstera 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I need to read it again

    [–]imallbs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I read this years ago and it is one of those books I think about from time to time. It was beautifully written.

    [–]secularist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I enjoyed reading the whole book, but parts of it were absolutely amazing. I'd like to read this again in a couple of decades if I'm still around.

    [–]Jamlowmama 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    It’s a fabulous read. Heart breaking and beautiful

    [–]WordBadger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Excellent really. Touching and very sad. Interesting structure.

    [–]Alternative-Fennel73 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    I read this a couple of years back. I suppose it made me appreciate the nuance of different situations.

    There is so much more to emotions, people, countries and history than what meets the eye.

    I have to say that I didn't really like the prose too much. The writing style was very poetic and descriptive, but I found myself loosing track of the story amidst all of the literary embellishments.