All the light we cannot see
Anthony Doerr
Rating: 5
All the light we cannot see has received critical acclaim. The novel won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, was shortlisted for the National Book Award, and was the runner-up for the 2015 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for fiction. It was considered among the best books released in 2014 by Entertainment Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR.
The setting of this book is World War II. The precise description of historical events, environmental locations, and cultural backgrounds can make you sometimes mistake this book for documentary literature, but how can there be so many coincidences in real life? To borrow the words of the heroine: Ce n’est pas la réalité.
The chapters in this book are very short, each chapter only has two or three pages, which is very suitable for readers with fragmented time. Several minor characters in the book are described very delicately. the heroine’s father, the hero’s good friend, etc. Even if they are no longer by the protagonist’s side, they are still the protagonist’s guiding light.
Little people can only struggle to survive in the whirlpool of history, but there is always a choice before you. On one side is the most beloved person in his life, and on the other is a huge burden placed on his shoulders by accident. How can we find the best of both worlds? Faced with the torture of my conscience, can I make a choice that follows my heart, even though this choice may lead me to a point of no return? My abilities are minimal and no one expects anything from me, so should I take on some responsibilities?
This book is cleverly conceived and brings readers into the story very well.