krista_the_tsundoku's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jbmorgan86's review against another edition
5.0
When God called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, he responded "HERE I AM." When Isaac called out to Abraham, he responded "HERE I AM." How could Abraham be fully present when God was asking him to sacrifice his son while also being fully present for his son? What does it mean to be "fully present?" Is it, "to be or not to be?" or is it, "to be and not be?" Can one be fully present to his/her spouse, family, and country at the same time?
These are all questions with which Here I Am wrestles. Jacob, a husband and father, is coming unraveled. His wife finds that he has been having an emotional affair with a co-worker. His great-grandfather (who seems like a stand-in for God) commits suicide. His oldest son endangers the possibility of his own bar mitzvah by writing a list of horrible words in Hebrew School.
As Jacob is crumbling, so is Israel (obviously the Jacob-Israel parallels are intentional). Two earthquakes destroy much of the Old City Jerusalem. Extremists set fire to the Dome of the Rock. The Muslim world unites like never before in an attempt to destroy Israel. However, this apocalyptic battle just plays in the background of the larger drama of Jacob's family.
This was a great novel, albeit a bit long. Foer has such a playfulness with words. The humor helped lighten the mood of this dark novel. I also appreciated how echoes words, phrases, and themes throughout the novel. I felt like I resonated with the character Jacob: the one who is always overly cautious and is afraid to take the dangerous step.
These are all questions with which Here I Am wrestles. Jacob, a husband and father, is coming unraveled. His wife finds that he has been having an emotional affair with a co-worker. His great-grandfather (who seems like a stand-in for God) commits suicide. His oldest son endangers the possibility of his own bar mitzvah by writing a list of horrible words in Hebrew School.
As Jacob is crumbling, so is Israel (obviously the Jacob-Israel parallels are intentional). Two earthquakes destroy much of the Old City Jerusalem. Extremists set fire to the Dome of the Rock. The Muslim world unites like never before in an attempt to destroy Israel. However, this apocalyptic battle just plays in the background of the larger drama of Jacob's family.
This was a great novel, albeit a bit long. Foer has such a playfulness with words. The humor helped lighten the mood of this dark novel. I also appreciated how echoes words, phrases, and themes throughout the novel. I felt like I resonated with the character Jacob: the one who is always overly cautious and is afraid to take the dangerous step.
phonologia's review against another edition
2.0
I really, really tried with this one. I felt like I owed it to Jonathan Safran Foer to read at least two thirds of this book before giving up, because of the good times we had together with Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I just barely made it to my arbitrary cut off of two thirds, and when I did, my relief was overwhelming. This book was just... boring? And uncomfortable? The plot was almost nonexistent, which I'm generally ok with if there are lovable or compelling characters to make up for it, but the characters in Here I Am were just sad. Sad, and terrible at communicating. Sad, self-conscious, and obsessed with bodily functions of all kinds. I'm usually open-minded and intrigued when it comes to descriptions of sex, bodies, etc., but I cringed my way through so many parts of this book. For comparison, I'll hold up Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections as proof that vulgarity and grossness CAN be done well (e.g., the oddly hilarious and deeply uncomfortable scene where a character with dementia starts talking to his own shit, and it talks back). Here I Am does not succeed on that front. There are two good things about this book, and their names are Max and Benji. Jonathan Safran Foer has not lost his touch for writing hilarious, interesting children, so if there was a sequel told entirely from the perspective of Max and Benji, I'd probably enjoy it. In the meantime, I'll just be over here, waiting patiently for Jonathan Safran Foer to write another book with some life in it.
danik's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
diggitalot's review against another edition
4.0
Slutar det här året med en riktigt bra bok. Ett skilsmässodrama om en judisk familj i USA med all den humor som finns i Foers tidigare böcker men också med mycket allvar. Jacobs oförmåga att tala med sin fru, Julia, kan bara mäta sig med hennes egna. Barnens omdöme om sina föräldrar lyder “‘He can be such a pussy,’. ‘Yeah, but Mom can be such a dick.’ Sam laughed. ‘Absolutely true.’”
kanonkita's review against another edition
I got bored. The book is mostly just lists of information about characters. And of course the classic literary exploration of a marriage falling apart.
damopedro's review against another edition
3.0
Occasionally very funny, other times so sad, I didn't quite love it but I did mostly enjoy it. It ended well. So that's something.
borgh's review against another edition
4.0
I have no idea what I just read but I cried the whole way through.
jamesgoux's review against another edition
3.0
Safron Foer has become a much more pessimistic author since I last checked in with him. Despite ELAIC’s subject matter, this somehow feels far more sad. Or maybe it just hits me more personally.
I should give it credit for moving me in this way, but it’s got a cliche subject matter if its own and the form and style are just not as impressive or beautiful as the other two novels.
Maybe I’ve moved on in taste but this didn’t have the same magic for me.
I should give it credit for moving me in this way, but it’s got a cliche subject matter if its own and the form and style are just not as impressive or beautiful as the other two novels.
Maybe I’ve moved on in taste but this didn’t have the same magic for me.