I alternated liking and disliking "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer with each chapter.

"Extremely Loud" tells the story of young Oskar Schell, whose father, Thomas, died in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Thomas had a habit of setting up puzzles and scavenger hunts for Oskar to solve, and Thomas' death has created one more question that Oskar feels he must find the answer to.

The book structurally reminded me a lot of "Everything is Illuminated." While Foer focused on Oskar in the present time, he jumped back to narration from Oskar's father, grandmother and grandfather. Similarly, in "Illuminated," the main character carries the plot of the story, though the author visits his ancestors to develop background.

Unfortunately, I find this to be the major fault in both of the books. I'm so interested in what Foer has to say with his characters in present time, but I am so BORED with earlier characters. I loved Oskar's journey in "Extremely Loud," but I found myself struggling to get through the chapters about his grandmother's early life.

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" the movie hits theaters Jan. 20. I'd like to see it, because I'm under the assumption this is actually one movie I'll like better than the book.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl