All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony DoerrMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This novel is nothing short of magnificent: colourful, lyrical, full of narrative drive propelled by exquisitely poetic, as well as, brutal prose. The bittersweet result reaches deeply, in my view. I was also struck by the meticulous attention to detail, from the intricate workings of a radio to the craft of lapidary (I had to look that one up!) – all essential to the storyline and never illustrated in a way that feels laboured. The short, labelled chapters with alternating viewpoints keeps the storyline alive and fresh.
I was transported alongside Marie-Laure (French) and Werner (German) (the eyes through which we see most of the story unfold), living and breathing their individual accounts of the daily trials they faced as the war progressed. A few reviewers on Goodreads have bemoaned the fact that this is ‘yet another’ WWII novel, but the subject matter and threat of imminent peril is handled in a distinguished and thoroughly gripping way. An exceptional read.
Over half a million copies sold
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