4 Stars for All the Light We Cannot See

 

Anthony Doerr's All The Light We Cannot See follows is told primarily in two perspectives: Marie-Laure, a French girl and daughter of a master locksmith at the Natural History Museum in Paris and the other character is Werner Pfenning, a German boy growing up in the mining town of Zollverein. Many books have been written during the WWII era, but few with this interesting perspective. The unique premise drew me in first. The imagery kept me afloat throughout the book. It felt like an old song like Dinah Shore I'll Walk Alone from the 1940s or maybe something more classical like Vivaldi's Winter because beneath it there was a dark brutality behind every scene. I felt Doerr's remarkable PG approach to this war and the horrible acts committed buckled my legs beneath me, simply because my imagination and historical knowledge about this war conjured up real witches and goblins. Characterization of both Werner and Marie-Laure rooted me to them, made me want to know their inevitable end. Both Marie and Werner peeled like an onion or rather a well compiled tape parallel to Guardians of the Galaxy. I loved rhythm and meter making up their choices and the destiny they had no control over. However, in the end I ended up with a four star rating because the ending did not satisfy me. I felt Marie and Werner's paths should have crossed much sooner and I also felt the romance between the two could have been cemented more, but also held like a tight wire in which the two crossed to meet maybe making it or maybe falling to their death. The intersection of the two characters was way too abrupt for me. Still, I highly recommend this book. It's beautiful and a journey worth taking.