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Oct 31, 2013lukasevansherman rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
Foer's first novel is one of my least favorite of the decade, but this may have supplanted it. I don't know exactly what it is I can't stand about him (well, everything really), but few writers annoy me like he does. Narrated by an absurdly precocious 9 year old boy who lost his father in 9/11, "Extremely Close" presents itself as a virtuosic tour of post-9/11 NYC, as well as a linguistically creative, experimental novel, incorporating photographs, multiple fonts, idiosyncratic grammar and formating and illustrations. The writing style is somewhat similar to "Motherless Brooklyn" and "Curious Incident of the Dog" in its use of an eccentric, possibly autistic narrator. It ends with photos of the man falling from the Tower, which feels exploitive and attempt to infuse a profundity and depth that this sorely lacks. A travesty.