Lyrical and almost meditative in parts...

I felt I was listening to spoken word poetry combined with Yiddish story telling. This is a moving and energetic work that ebbs and flows through space and time, confronting the tragedies of the Jewish people in Europe in a unique way.

A novel can’t be all good, so I do need to level some criticism. Foer’s Ukrainian alter ego, Sasha, appeared to have severe developmental issues which also extended to the entire Ukrainian populace. This is not a political correctness concern, it just seems unlikely an entire country would suffer from the same mental dysfunction. That being said, I’ve never been to Ukraine (I say that with tongue firmly in cheek).

The narrators were strong and dedicated to their performances. The reason I only gave them 3 stars is two fold, both relating to accents. The narrator handling the contemporary narrative tasked with American and Ukrainians accents, did not effectively manage the latter. The narrator tasked with the historical narrative in the shtetl, sounded more like a Midwest preacher at times than a venerable Rabbi. I’m not sure if this was intentional but the Slouchers and Uprighters sounded more like Quakers and Shakers.

Get it if you like poetic narratives around tragedy, identity, love and the universe.

Big disappointment

What did you like best about Everything Is Illuminated? What did you like least?

The outline of the story was attractive.

What did you like best about this story?

The interaction between the Ukrainians and JSF was amusing.

Which character – as performed by Jeff Woodman and Scott Shina – was your favorite?

Grandfather

Any additional comments?

The novel is split between the present and the past / ancient history of JSF's family. I didn't like the overuse of pidgen by the main Ukrainian character, which was amusing at best but became a bit tedious. I didnt enjoy the picaresque nature of the family history: I dont really see what this adds to the book.

Beautifully philosophical in subtle ways

Beautifully philosophical in subtle ways. Wonderfully performed! It will make you think, if nothing else