Friday, April 11, 2008

One more thing...

I hope you all got something from the book and had a good experience reading it. I had a hard time coming up with specific questions because there are so many specific moments and lines that warrant discussion. What did the key symbolize? What did digging up the coffin accomplish? What's the deal with all the something and nothing spaces that the grandparents have? Why is the story of the sixth borough in there? On page 324 Oskar is in bed and his mom is looking over him. It says, "I don't believe in God, but I believe that things are extremely complicated, and her looking over me was as complicated as anything ever could be. But it was also incredibly simple. In my only life, she was my mom, and I was her son." Wow. I feel like this book is full of moments like this. Please find them and point out the moments that mean a lot to you or were especially powerful. I hope you all loved this book as much as I love it...

Question #1--Extremely Loud...

What did you think of Foer's style? Did the pictures and other visual techniques affect your reading of the novel? How? Do you have a favorite technique or picture that he used? Why do you think the doorknob recurs?

Question #2--Extremely Loud...

How did you feel about the characters in the book? Were they relatable? Especially Oskar and his grandmother are very unique individuals (remember how Oskar only wears white and always has his tambourine?). How was this important to the story?

Question #3--Extremely Loud...

How did the grandparents' story complement Oskar's story, or did it? Did the stories fit together? Why do you think Foer chose to tell both stories and not just one? How did it contribute to the overall message and themes?

Question #4--Extremely Loud...

As readers we do not get a clear picture of most of the relationships in the book until the very end, primarily because we see nearly everything from either Oskar's or the grandfather's point of view. This seems especially true of Oskar's relationship with his mother. What do you think Foer was trying to say about relationships?

Question #5--Extremely Loud...

What is the overall message and feeling you took away from the book? What does it all mean?

Question #6--Extremely Loud...

This book impacted me pretty strongly--I felt really strange afterwards. Sad and happy and very thoughtful. How did you feel when you finished? Also feel free to use this space to share any other questions, thoughts, or feelings you have.