Rating: 
Summary: One incredibly talented writer
Review: I was blown away by Foer's book, thinking the entire time I was reading it, "Who is this guy?" I suppose we can always try and draw parallels with other authors. The interesting minor characters are reminiscent of John Irving's finest writing. The American Jew in search of the meaning of his ethnicity may remind readers of Philip Roth. The semi-humorous "accent" of the Ukrainian character Alex could have come from Steve Martin's "Yortuk" character from the old SNL. But when you come right down to it, it all felt terrifically original and captivating. We come to care a great deal for the Ukrainian translator, Alex, who learns about his family's past while at the same time learning about his own strengths. We are also presented with the history of a Ukrainian/Jewish shtetl and what becomes of it during the horrors of World War II. And it is all told in a page-turning and lyrical fashion that stays with the reader long after the last page is read. A tremendous work, one of the best I've read in years. I look forward to Foer's next work.
Rating: 
Summary: Overhyped, overrated mumbo-jumbo without structure.
Review: I would have given it a negative number...This book is an excellent example that not everything written is a novel, even if it is 300 pages long and has lots of words in it. The title is drawn from a single scene and has nothing to do with the rest of the book. But it is not a surprise, really, since the book has two storylines which never meet and it is impossible to guess what the separation of the storylines is supposed to contribute to the novel. So why expect any reason for anything, including the title? The book is supposed to be a funny or at least a positive story. The sole source of smile, however, is Alexander's broken English which has nothing to do with real accents or non-native speakers (JSF admittedly let his imagination loose; so he doesn't even bother checking any aspect of a language he is mocking or to get a firstname right -- it is Alexandr, not Alexander, in Ukrainian). But what is exactly the point of roughly 100 pages of broken English? We will never know. My guess is that this book is about how young Americans with Jewish background try to make sense of the Yiddish world that disappeared. I have been waiting for novels about this; obviously the editors as well. Too bad we disagree on the quality of this particular piece of work.
Rating:
Summary: Everything is Extraordinary
Review: After hearing so much about this novel, I bought it and just finished it. I just had to write to say how much I loved it. I can see there are lots of reader with sour grapes, jealous and angry that Foer has had such success with his first book. No doubt, it's made worse because he's so young. I understand that feeling, but I say GET OVER IT. Read the book with an open mind. He's that good, I promise. He's more than good, the guy is a ceritfiable genius. This is not a novel for everyone. You'll be forced to think and do some work, fitting the intricate pieces of this novel together. And you have to be open to something original. This is a novel like nothing else you'll read. But it's worth it. I found myself reading passages to friends, and talking about the book all the time. Foer has this weird way of cutting straight to the quick of things. And he does it with crazy humor. You're always entertained, as you read, but you're also being forced to think hard about some big issues, like memory, friendship, loyalty, famly, violence, and the very nature of storytelling. I can't say enough how much I loved this book. There were a few spots that I found a little annoying and over-the-top, but the whole experience of reading this book was wonderful and rare and, dare I say it, beautiful. Thank you, Jonathan Foer. I eagerly await your next book! I hope I don't have to wait too long! Until then, I will recommend Everything Is Illuminated to everyone I know!! It's so worth it.
Rating:
Summary: There's one born every minute...
Review: This book gives American lit a bad name. They should have waited a few years to give the kid a chance to grow up - and spare us the "Princeton" wisdom of a "very old soul" as one of the previous reviewers put it. I guess Foer figured no actual Ukrainian - Americans would read his book, else why admit so modestly he skipped on the research in order to feed his imagination? Oh right, you see knowledge corrupts the pure imagination of a great talent. The only thing worse than Foer's PT Barnum act is his Balki/Wild and Crazy Guy impersonation (Alex). A few months spent butchering the thesaurus makes one neither clever nor wiser. Experience does that.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant tour-de-force or pretentious mess?
Review: Let's just say a brilliant mess. One wishes that this, Foer's first novel, were just a little less ambitious, a little less enthralled with it's own "importance." But with writing this insightful, this funny -- can he really be that young? -- one manages to forgive a lot. So he tries too hard. If he didn't so often succeed, this wouldn't be such an impressive debut. I can't imagine that the book's subject matter will interest everyone -- its complete and utter Jewishness may not resonate for all readers -- but Foer isn't averse to dealing with universal themes (loss, loneliness, yearning, fear of life and/or death) that are sure to touch many a nerve (and heart). Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: Daring, idealistic and cleverly written
Review: An excellent book. Foer uses both the narration of a young Ukrainian and himself to tell the story. Both trade chapters to answer the questions of a tragic moment in time, and are forced to ask themselves and the reader how they would have reacted if they had been there. The story is told by characters from opposite sides of the fence. Foer, places himself in the story, as a typical Jewish American college student seeking some meaning to counter his apparent superficial, pop culture, mid to upper class lifestyle. The Ukranian, Alex, who narrates their modern day search for the women who saved Foer's grandfather from the Nazi's, is dealing with his father's occasional drunken beatings, his grandfather's crying, and his own dreams of America. Foer retells the story of the village starting from his distant grandmother, Brod. His village characters are unique and fallible, but he takes many liberties with their myth and history. This makes the villagers look more like caricatures rather than real people. At times his uses of italics, bold words, identations, and other devices is distracting. However, Foer is still able to pull all this off. Both characters are cleverly tied to the search for the women who saved Foer's grandfather. Their search is one that forces them to question whether true kindness in the romantic sense, can exist at a time of tragedy and hardship. Overall, Foer has written an incredible novel, that is intricate, strangely funny, and idealistic. Typical of a young jewish american college kid searching for some sort of meaning.
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Illumination
Review: Wow, what an incredible book. Safran Foer has written something truly special, a novel like nothing else you will ever read. He's only 25, and he writes with the chops of someone who has honed their skills for years, and he writes with the wisdom of someone who has lived a life of deep experience and reflection. It's sort of scary, really, how he taps into the reader's heart and mind. And he does all this while being incredibly entertaining! The guy is a literary magician. I keep giving copies of this book away, I want everyone to share in what I felt. You should give it a try.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book I've Read This Year
Review: Wow. Funny. Tragic. Experimental. Original. Different. Brilliant. It resonated with me in a way that no bok has in a long time. It's written in such an original voice, it is almost impossible to believe the author is so young. It's obvious he loves his craft and enjoys it. I enjoyed his masterpiece. It's not for everyone, I think. But my god, I thought it was wonderful. :)
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Book
Review: It's been a long, long time since I have enjoyed a novel so much. I have been hearing a lot about this book, and finally decided to check it out. I'm glad I did.
Foer is incredibly talented and without question a young writer to watch. He has this amazing ability to combine humor and tragedy, pushing things right to their breaking point but knowing when to hold back. While you may like one narrative more than another--there are three that make up the book--it's all of them together that make the book so powerful. Moving from the hiliarious language of Alex, a young Ukrainian translator, to the lyric reflections of the story of Foer's family village, the book swept me up into a tide of overwhelming emotions. Even when I was disoriented I could feel the power of the book working its magic. And it is magic. Foer has such heart and honesty. That's what makes the book so wonderful and unique. It's spikey and out-of-control, but always feeling and sincere. Everything Is Illuminated is a book that will stand the test of time. When the distracting hype dies down, I hope people will judge the book for the extraordinary work of art that it is, and stop judging the author out of their own bitter resentment. You may not like everything in the book, it might not be to your taste, but there's no denying that Foer is a writer that matters. And I can't wait to read what he does next. It's fun to think where he might go.
Rating:
Summary: very weak
Review: a weak and unimpressive number. don't believe the reviews, it gets old VERY fast. the broken english is amusing, but the rest of the novel is near unbearable.
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