HERE I AM

by Jonathan Safran Foer

Here I Am is set in present day D.C. and mainly follows the disintegration of a marriage over the course of several months.  In the process, old wounds resurface and bad decisions are re-lived.  The couple’s three sons deal with the rift in their own ways, but with no one addressing the real issues, the fractures go deeper and deeper.  Foer parallels this family upheaval with an imaginary conflict in the Middle East in which Israel experiences a major earthquake and then begins a war with all of its primarily Muslim neighbours.  Jacob, the father and husband, must deal with his sense of responsibility as a Jew to defend his religious homeland.

Although this story was incredibly inventive, I found the constant barrage of bad news, big arguments, self-blame and doubt to be almost unbearable, particularly as it is almost 500 pages.  Perhaps it was a ‘wrong book for the moment’ situation, but I honestly do not recommend you spending the time to read this book unless you are looking to be thoroughly depressed. (Lily)