Posts
When I first saw the preview's for the movie "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close", my first instinct was to avoid this movie. Although I enjoy Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, who co-star in it, the theme was 9/11, a topic, like the Holocaust, which is very hard for me to digest without a horrible stomachache and a lot of tears.
My husband, E, upon seeing the preview, said, "You might want to see this movie." "No way," I said. Can't handle the 9/11 theme, but my subconscious started chewing on what I had seen and I realized that I had already read the book, years ago, and had really been touched by it.
I ordered a copy for my school library, barcoded it, then set down to "review" it for my students. (I love how my homework is to read books. My job rules.)
Very quickly, the plot came back to me. Nine-year-old Oskar Schell's father died in 9/11. Oskar and his father had a pretty amazing relationship. Being an only child, his father spent in inordinate amount of time with him, creating quests that took the boy all over NYC. His father's death, however, and a mysterious key found in a cryptic envelope in his father's closet, sends Oskar on the wildest and most emotional journey yet.
Determined to discover what the key is for, Oskar meets people of every possible type. Oskar himself is quite an unusual child, constantly creating in his mind new inventions, like parachutes for skyscrapers and water from your shower that was chemically treated to turn your skin the color of your mood, which would be helpful to signal to others when to be gentle with you, as well as to help you figure out how, exactly, you are feeling.
Interspersed with the story are photos representing what the character is experiencing at the time, as well as a story written by Oskar's grandfather for his unborn son, whom he abandoned before his birth.
This book is a bit on on the adult side, so I may limit its check-outs to 8th graders only, and let them know there is some content they might not yet be ready for (sex) but I have found that the students here who can actually finish a book, are probably ready to read what I have in here.
As far as seeing the movie? Yeah, I'll do it. I might sit in the back row, by myself, with a box of tissues, but I feel I owe it to Oskar to relive his journey one more time.
Thanks for listening.
I ordered a copy for my school library, barcoded it, then set down to "review" it for my students. (I love how my homework is to read books. My job rules.)
Very quickly, the plot came back to me. Nine-year-old Oskar Schell's father died in 9/11. Oskar and his father had a pretty amazing relationship. Being an only child, his father spent in inordinate amount of time with him, creating quests that took the boy all over NYC. His father's death, however, and a mysterious key found in a cryptic envelope in his father's closet, sends Oskar on the wildest and most emotional journey yet.
Determined to discover what the key is for, Oskar meets people of every possible type. Oskar himself is quite an unusual child, constantly creating in his mind new inventions, like parachutes for skyscrapers and water from your shower that was chemically treated to turn your skin the color of your mood, which would be helpful to signal to others when to be gentle with you, as well as to help you figure out how, exactly, you are feeling.
Interspersed with the story are photos representing what the character is experiencing at the time, as well as a story written by Oskar's grandfather for his unborn son, whom he abandoned before his birth.
"You look upset. Is anything wrong?" I wanted to say, "Of course," I wanted to ask, "Is anything right?"
As far as seeing the movie? Yeah, I'll do it. I might sit in the back row, by myself, with a box of tissues, but I feel I owe it to Oskar to relive his journey one more time.
Thanks for listening.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Want to post a comment? Click here.