ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE

Author: Anthony Doerr

Number of Pages: 531

Publisher & Year of Published: Scribner, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-4767-4658-6, 978-1-5011-2283-5 (pbk), 978-1-4767-4660-9 (e-book)

 

“That a light you are powerless to stop will turn on you and usher a bullet to its mark.”

 

It is a little bit difficult to determine the genre of this novel. History? Myth? Romance? Whatever it is, this novel is the complete story for all of the fiction lovers. The myth about gemstone that is compared with geology, short time romantic story between the main characters, the heartbreaking war story, even Marie-Laure, the main character, struggle to survive are in this novel.

Marie-Laure, who lived with her father, had to accept her situation because she got blind since she was six years old. Even though she could not see, Marie-Laure had interest in the mollusc and loved reading. She is a smart girl and always curious. Unfortunately, war was happen in the 1940 made her had to face the difficult life. She moved from her birth city, separated from all of her beloved, even in her weakness, she tried to hide the Sea of Flames gemstone from the bad army. Finally, she could not live with her beloved people in the long time term.

Pity? Definitely. Compassion, loved, and emotion always come when I read this novel. Anthony Doerr, the author, wrote this story like a fairy tale. Story and character development are made well so that it is easy to imagine what happen and how the characters feeling. The reader is invited to join Marie-Laure life journey and struggle since she was a little girl until she survived from the war.

The introduction of character, conflict, place setting, and so on is described well. Even the character feeling and background are handy to understand. This plot flow story is back and forth, so it is certain there are a lot of mystery and question that you want to know soon. But, need patience to find the answers from every chapter, because Anthony Doerr is not clearly answer that questions.

There are a few things that make this novel very interesting. First, there are a lot of supporting characters that have important role to ascend Marie-Laure’s character. Second, the intellectual quality of author to describe about engineering, geology, even responsibility and role of the army in world war II. Third, great use of English, German, and French based on story background. Finally, each characters have different character, background, and motives but still in one plot story. Unfortunately, English grammar is difficult enough to understand because I am not native English but I still enjoyed to read it.

The main background is the World War II, so the war situation in this story is clearly feel. However, there are some country as a part of the introduction of it. Different country, different situation, and different atmosphere are clearly feel in each story and add excitement to read it. Not only that the situation setting give effect in the story. The reader feeling could change easily based on the situation.

This story, for me, is complex. Although I have to struggle to understand the story, because the difficult English word, but I was happy to read story about war, short love story, even the knowledge of geology and gemstone. It feels like it remind me that every knowledge, that we get, can be used positive or negative way depend on our decision. This story also teach me to not give up easily and still believe that everything happens in our live had a good aim to the future. Like Marie-Laure, even though she had to experience painful lost, she keep survive and at the end she can reach her own dream. There is no part in this story that I do not like. 🙂

The novel published in 2014 but until the end of 2018, this story was a nominee in the Best of The Best Fiction at goodreads. It also won several awards such as Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellent in Fiction, a New York Times Book Review Top Ten Book, National Book award finalist, and more than two years and half stay in the New York Times Bestseller list. So, there is no harm to add this novel in your reading list this year. Moreover, the lovers of history, romance, and myth stories have to read this novel. Everyone who wants to gain knowledge about other subject beside yours also have to read this. My review only helps you to choose the best book, if you want to feel this story sensation, you have to borrow or buy and read it by yourself.

You can buy this book here

“Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.”