Review: Here I Am

Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This one was just okay for me. It is the story of an American-Jewish upper middle-class family and its implosion. The characters were both endearing, yet completely off-putting at times. The prose was funny and witty, yet ridiculous and crude. The novel seemed to be fighting with itself over its own identity, just like its characters fought with each other. Is it a comedy? Is it a drama? Are we meant to vilify or sympathize with certain characters? I don't know. It almost felt bi-polar to me.

I liked the parts about Jacob and his relationship with his sons and wife, but a lot of the plot was just ridiculous. Foer has a unique writing style, which is not for everyone. It's a long book, so it definitely requires a time commitment. I'm not sorry that I read it, but it was just okay for me.

View all my reviews