My book club chose “Everything is Illuminated” by Jonathan Safran Foer for this month’s adventure. I wasn’t a fan of the movie but it was probably because I couldn’t get Elijah Wood out of the character of Frodo. I usually like WWII tales so I was surprised that I wasn’t taken by the movie. But as we know, books are always better than their movies so I was glad to revisit this story from it’s source.
The story is about Foer going to the Ukraine to find Augustine, the woman who helped his grandfather escape from the Nazis during the war. He hires a company to drive and translate for his search. This company is just a grandfather and grandson who both have a vested interest in this adventure.
There are 2 parts of the story: one told by the grandson Alex about the search for Augustine, and the other a genealogical and anecdotal account of Foer’s ancestors.
Alex, who told his part of the story in broken English, reminded me of SNL’s 1970’s characters of the 2 Wild and Crazy Guys. The word inappropriate word usage and general sexual theming of topics gave levity to the difficult subject of the Holocaust. Even his general translation of something banal is entertaining:
My legal name is Alexander Perchov, but all of my friends dub me Alex, because this is much more flaccid to utter.”
As I suspected, the book was 4x better than the movie. I’m glad I got to experience the whole story.
I have reflected many times upon our rigid search. It has shown me that everything is illuminated in the light of the past. It is always along the side of us, on the inside, looking out. Like you say, inside out.
p.s. the author is brother to Joshua Foer who wrote “Moonwalking with Einstein.”
