REVIEWS

Martin Shaw

All the Light We Cannot See is a novel by Anthony Doerr. The story follows the lives of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, a German orphan. The two characters are brought together by their determination to survive the devastation of World War II. The writing is complex, but also beautiful and lyrical, and he brings the characters and the setting to life with vivid detail. The story is both heartbreaking and hopeful, and even though you'll be compelled to read it quickly, it will stay with you long after you finish reading it. One of the things that makes All the Light We Cannot See so special is its focus on the power of human connection. Even in the darkest of times, people are able to find hope. Marie-Laure and Werner are memorable characters, and the story is peppered with intriguing plotlines, and a few surprises along the way. It may be an historic novel, but to me the main lessons are every bit as relevant today.

Anne Douglas

Thank you for sending me this great read. I was gripped from the start. Following the journeys of two young people from opposing countries during the second world war was a very different take on war stories. One blind young French girl and an orphaned German boy with talents needed by the third Reich. Alternate chapters delved into the hearts of each one in turn as the war continues and at its end, they become closer. It is a story of adventure, mystery, excitement, terror, tragedy and heartbreak as we follow their stories and learn of their descendants. Well deserved Pulitzer Prize winner.

Val Hills

I think fate led me to this book. I’d already received a copy from a book exchange on National Book Day. It sat on my bedside table unread. The sleeve notes deterred me from reading it. Did I want to be sad and moved? Receiving another copy from Viking Book Club gave me the nudge I needed to read about the lives of a young blind French girl and a gifted young German. It is a moving story where the two protagonists only meet towards the end yet are intertwined throughout. It highlights the horrors of World War Two and rule by fear of the Nazi Regime in Germany. It is also a thriller as the ‘villain’ von Rumpel seeks the gem that he believes will give him eternal life. It is a well written book though personally I am not fond of stories that jump around timelines. The author is a wordsmith - some words are new to me, I'm still unsure of their meaning. Would I recommend this book to others - Yes. Its story lingers. The war changed many lives. It also opened my eyes to what happened in Saint Malo and the cost of freedom.

Lindsay Robinson

It was great to receive this book just before our Viking cruise. It would not normally have been the type of book I would choose but it has been a great surprise. It has engaging characters, amazing insights and a gripping plot. The two main characters lives are inevitably and movingly drawn together. The level of detail chapter by chapter is remarkable. It was a great read and I can understand its popularity and award winning history. A great holiday read.

Hilda Woolridge

I have just finished reading this month’s book, I can truly say it is one of the best books I have read in years. It is a story of war mostly through the eyes of children from different countries and social settings. I loved the short chapters which the author chose, each was so clear and descriptive and truly enhanced the reader’s experience. Each character was interesting and demonstrated their character traits from an early age, one of the roles of a book club is to challenge the reader from the normal preferred authors and Book style which this book certainly did. I possibly would not have chosen to read this book myself as the author was not familiar to me, so I am so glad Viking Book club chose this book and Will certainly look forward to reading further books by this author.

Rita Crowe

What an amazing book! I was hooked from Page 1. Marie-Laure and her father had such a bond, he taught her so much about being independent despite her blindness. An equally fascinating character was Werner and their story, whilst following them both, ultimately brings them together. The detail about their lives and personalities and what they both went through was riveting. Gave me a real insight into the life of someone, in Marie-Laure's case, who had a disability she was determined to overcome. I would heartily recommend this book. Maybe like me, some readers are murder mystery nuts, but this book is so very different and literally hard to put down.

Christine Smith

The author takes us on a multi layered journey related in parallel of the lives of two young children as they progress into adulthood during WWII. In some ways it has a magical quality, particularly in relation to the Marie-Laure’s blindness and her father’s love and skills creating the means by the model building of her vicinity allowing her to extend her independence and tune her other senses. Werner likewise comes across as an innocent drawn into the conflict through his own personal skills and intelligence. Their worlds eventually collide at the culmination of the war during the bombing of St Malo. I would not normally choose to read a book about the war, but this book is so much more having many layers that the reader will explore.

Anne Plunkett

The writing is very delicate and fascinating. It covers a very scary subject from two very interesting perspectives. I really enjoyed the first third of the book, but it is taking me a bit longer to get through the middle, so I guess it hasn’t held me quite so well. I am very glad to have received the book to review and will certainly look at other books from Anthony Doerr.

Gill Wiley

This was a very good book; heart breaking yet heart-warming. The book follows the lives of a blind French girl, Marie Laure and a German boy, Werner during the second World War. It gives an insight into what life was like during the war and how the two children survive in their own way. The short chapters keep your attention as they alternate between Marie Laure’s and Werner’s stories. Well worth reading!

John Ames

This is an epic story told from the different perspectives of two young people caught up in the horror of World War 2 in Europe. One, Werner, is German who we follow from his days in the Hitler Youth and eventually works (albeit reluctantly) as a radio expert involved with the detection of resistance radio transmitters in France. The other, Marie-Laure, is a young French girl, blind from the age of six, who witnesses much of the trauma and suffering of the French people, including members of her own family. Gradually, as the story unfolds over the years, the connection between Werner and Marie-Laure emerges and is explained. The book has received excellent reviews but to me is a very difficult read. It suffers from the current literary fashion for cutting frequently backwards and forwards in time, an affectation that damages the flow of the narrative and makes the story more complex to follow than it merits. The story is a tragedy that describes and explores in detail the suffering of individuals during the conflict yet whose overall message is of the resilience of people in the face of overwhelming trauma. For me, this is not a relaxing holiday read!