I’ve been reading All The Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr) for too many months to count now.But – I did it! I finished! I started it while administering math tests last fall, and it stayed in my school bag between those tests. Then it stayed in my school bag over winter break. And through several tests this spring.
It’s a freaking long book. (Over 500 pages. Which, ultimately, flew by as the story sucked me in!) What made me choose that one for a test proctoring book I’m not really sure, except for that I really wanted to read it. Or so I thought.
In any case, I recently decided I was going to make a conscious effort to read more after a pretty big reading rut. I wrote down a list of things to try in order to increase my productivity, and set a goal to get this bad boy read by May 18. My husband didn’t think I could do it. He made more than a few comments at night when I was watching Insta-stories instead of reading.
But I know the way I work. The pressure of that deadline looming is what makes things happen. And there was no way I was going to let myself miss out on my goal reward of Nothing Bundt Cake. (Sorry not sorry to those of you who play by the rules and don’t use food as a reward. I need a shirt that says “Will read for NBC.”)
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All The History We Cannot Forget
“All the Light We Cannot See” follows a French girl and a German boy as WWII begins, rages, and finally ends. It jumps back and forth both in time and between characters, and – once you get your bearings – sucks you in to the madness of the time period. I, like so many others, loved this book and the people in it. My knowledge of WWII is limited, but I can remember sitting in a college history class captivated by details I did not retain in high school.
Reading novels set in this time period is both eye opening and frightening. It is unnerving, especially when there are young German protagonists as in this novel, to think of how once good people – innocent young boys – were sucked into a war feeling as though they had little choice but to fight it. How easily, it seems, that so many were brainwashed. That even those with inner turmoil felt they had no choice but to comply.
Give Historical Fiction a Chance
If you are wary to read historical fiction (I was at one point in time), you should do yourself a favor and check this one out. I was worried that historical fiction novels would read like history books and be, well, boring. However what I’ve found is that they read like any other novel, but with an added layer of history and truth coupled with humanity that you do not get from a history text. Anthony Doerr devoted a decade of his life to writing the tale and was rewarded with a Pulitzer Prize.
This book made me feel, and it made me think. If you haven’t read it yet, I’ll conveniently place a nice icon that links right to Bookshop so you can start NOW. If you have read it, I hope you’ll hang around a minute and read my little one sided book club discussion! (And leave your responses in the comments? If you read my post about me falling off the reading wagon, you know my book club fizzled before it even started. Can we have a virtual club?) So, if you haven’t read it yet, what are you waiting for?
All The Questions We Can Answer
I’ve never been part of a book club that did a discussion or structured reflection on a book, and I’m honestly not sure that I’d want to. I prefer some organic conversation if there is any to be had. I do see the value in the structured questions. If I’m being honest though, my personal need from a book club is just to get out of the house for a minute – not a time for serious reflection. But since I’m sitting here by myself writing, why not.
I found some reflection questions on the Simon & Schuster website after a quick Google search. There’s a total of 15, but I won’t type out responses to all of them. If there’s one on the list I don’t answer that you want to hear my answer for, drop it in the comments.
The narration moves back and forth both in time and between different characters. How did this affect your reading experience? How do you think the experience would have been different if the story had been told entirely in chronological order?
I’ve read a lot of books that jumped between different characters’ point of views (points of view? Is this like mothers-in-law?) between chapters. One that immediately comes to mind is The Help. This book also goes back and forth in time though, and for me, that aspect took a while longer to adjust to. As with most books of this style, I think it takes a few more chapters than normal to get engrossed by the story. It takes more chapters to develop each character. I think this was especially true in this case, because the characters’ stories do not begin with any overlap. This may be the reason that the book stayed in my school bag for so long. Perhaps if after 50 or so pages I was more attached to the people, I would’ve had a deeper desire to continue their stories outside of school.
However, once I was attached, I enjoyed the different perspectives. I figured out fairly early on how their stories would be entwined, and I was anxious to see how their steps led to one another. Since the two children were on opposing sides of the war, I thought the back and forth was very appropriate.
If the book had been in chronological order, I think it might have made it easier for me to “get into” the story faster. However, had it not jumped around in time, I feel like it would’ve lacked an element of suspense. Doerr left some great cliffhangers at the ends of sections. Without them, the story would not have invoked the feeling of needing to know a resolution. I do believe it would have been captivating, but ultimately, I enjoyed the setup.
Whose story did you enjoy the most? Was there any character you wanted more insight into?
I enjoyed Werner’s story line the most. To see the war from the eyes of a young German was one of the main reasons I loved this book. So often I, as an American, have heard of WWII through the lens of the Allies. This book, for me, did an excellent job of humanizing the German troops.
To think of the young boys thrust into war at the hands of adults they trusted is heartbreaking. To think of just how young they were when they began to become indoctrinated to the teachings of Hitler is maddening. The adults in this tale are just as vile as they ought to be, but the children are what make this rendering heart breaking on both sides. Doerr did an excellent job of laying a foundation that shows just how the boys were manipulated and made to feel that they had no choice but the one that was required.
I found myself wanting a little more of Mr. LeBlanc’s story after his arrest, though I understand that his story line no longer affected his daughter’s – except from her perspective. I also sometimes wished for a chapter through the eyes of Madame Manec. How terrifying and exhilarating it must’ve been to be a layperson fighting silently and secretly against the Germans.
Reread Madame Manec’s boiling frog analogy on page 284. Etienne later asks Marie-Laure, “Who was supposed to be the frog? Her? Or the Germans?” (page 328) Who did you think Madame Manec meant? Could it have been someone other than herself or the Germans? What does it say about Etienne that he doesn’t consider himself to be the frog?
When I read Madame Manec’s analogy I only considered that she was talking about the Germans. That the slow boiling of the soldiers that the women were beginning would cause disruption, nuisance, and if nothing else drive them mad. It was not until Etienne asked Marie-Laure that I even entertained the thought that it could have been herself.
I think that Etienne was so tortured internally that he did not “slowly boil” like Madame Manec and the others. I feel that when he did act, it was not the result of things wearing him down until he felt he must. Rather, it was the only choice he had left. He did not slowly resolve to go outside, he felt forced to when he feared his niece missing.
One of Werner’s bravest moments is when he confronts von Rumpel: “All your life you wait, and then it finally comes, and are you ready?” (page 465) Have you ever had a moment like that? Were you ready? What would you say that moment is for some of the other characters?
I have never been in a life or death position as Werner found himself, and I hope never to find myself there. Though perhaps an odd connection, I find that this quote speaks to me about being thrust into motherhood. Sure there are things you can do to prepare as best you can. But when it comes down to it, it’s sink or swim. I would not say I waited all my life to become a mom. Maybe several years of my adult life. But the sentiment still holds.
I think back to the first weeks of motherhood, and I can vividly remember thinking, “I’ve never ever done anything this hard.” I can’t even say now what felt so hard. Was it the lack of sleep? The incessant crying? (Both me and him!) The sheer horror of learning to breastfeed? (It did not “come easy” to me.) The feeling that I just wanted to enjoy my baby, but the reality was that I was there for the milk, and it was only others who got to “play” with him while I rested?
Maybe I was not “ready,” but I like to think that I got it together quickly enough.
Madame Manec wanted to live before she died. I think her “moment” was heading up the women’s rebellion. Etienne was tortured by the demons of the first war. I think his “moment” was proving he was able to care for Marie-Laure even though it meant opening the door to the world he feared. Volkheimer would have otherwise been a gentle giant and wanted to be understood. I think his moment was keeping quiet about Werner finding (and hiding) the location of the illegal broadcast.
Why do you think Marie-Laure gave Werner the little iron key? Why might Werner have gone back for the wooden house but left the Sea of Flames?
I’ll admit this part of the story caught me off guard. When he realized she gave him the key, I was confused as to why. Since he was not continuing on with her, maybe she thought he could hide out there. I think she gave Werner the iron key because she could tell that he was one of the ones who would’ve been able to resist the pull of the diamond. She was ready to rid herself of the diamond. I don’t know if she wanted him to have it as a token of her appreciation for saving her life or if she knew he would return and finish the job of letting it go. Perhaps she realized how important the model of the house itself would be to him. The radio in its attic clearly had a profound impact on his life.
Werner was good. He saw the good in others, and recognized when it was fading in himself. I believe he released the diamond because he clearly saw it was the will of its owner. He was done resisting doing the right thing. My thought is that he went back for the house so that he would have a token from the girl he hardly knew but loved nonetheless.
When Werner and Marie-Laure discuss the unknown fate of Captain Nemo at the end of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Marie-Laure suggests the open-endedness is intentional and meant to make us wonder (page 472). Are there any unanswered questions from this story that you think are meant to make us wonder?
There’s no doubt in my mind that the author left Mr. LeBlanc’s story line open-ended intentionally. He wrapped up the story lines of every other main character. We have enough knowledge of the time to know what his fate most likely was. But I think that he wanted us to be left with the same wonderment as Marie-Laure. We are all left with the question, “What if?” It allows us to be able to entertain the possibility that the good man was not executed or left to die. Doerr could easily have told Mr. LeBlanc’s story, but chose not to.
It is hard to imagine what it would be like to wait for someone to come home without knowing if they could actually come home. We are told that Marie-Laure carried an aversion to hearing lists of names read aloud into adulthood. The hope that he was alive, though potentially of some comfort, created an ongoing heartbreak for her as she waited for her father. Perhaps it is just better to know.
I would’ve liked to have known what happened to Hubert, the homeless man who gave Marie-LeBlanc the key to the grotto. I think he intentionally left this question unanswered to give us a glimpse of a strange experience that people of the time had. That one could simply disappear, and either no one knew why or no one would speak of why. This is not a normal occurrence for us, and it is a strange reality to consider. The fact that Hubert gave Marie-Laure the key also makes me wonder if he knew he was going to disappear.
What do you think of the author’s decision to flash forward at the end of the book? Did you like getting a peek into the future of some of these characters? Did anything surprise you?
I really enjoyed the decision to flash forward. I always find myself wondering at the end of a book what paths the characters take. It was nice to have closure to the book that I invested so much time in. (And I’m sure part of that closure was for the author!)
I felt like part of the reason Doerr decided to flash forward was to remind us that though the people moved on and returned to some semblance of a normal life, the war never left them. The events of the war changed them in a profound way that continued to affect their lives. I found it especially interesting how Jutta was always aware of, and uncomfortable with, her German-ness. She was not on the front lines, but the guilt of the crimes of her people stayed with her always.
Marie-Laure’s relationship status surprised me. In my mind, she was a type to keep people she loved close with a small inner circle. To find that she ended up as a single parent was definitely not what I expected from her character.
More Questions
If you like having some reflection, there are many more questions like this at the Simon & Schuster site! I picked just a handful to share here. I’d love to hear your reflections on the questions in the comments if you need an ear. We can have a little virtual book club meeting right here.
And Now, All the Cake.
I finished the book. I earned my cake. Now I just have to go get it. It’s about a 30 minute (oh so worth it) trek to Nothing Bundt Cakes, so I’ve got to find a chunk of time to get out there. Why do they have to close at 6:00 though!? I’ll be getting a white chocolate raspberry cake. What’s your favorite? I love them all, but that one … takes the cake.
All I’ve got to do now is figure out what’s up next. I am considering either choosing a book from a list I pinned of funny books to read or Norm Macdonald’s Based on a True Story: Not a Memoir (on recommendation from my husband and also because the man cracks me up). Let me know if you’ve got a recommendation for a light or funny read after this heavy pick!