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This is the thread for the discussion of the October Book of the Month - All The Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

BOOK OF THE MONTH - OCTOBER - ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr

by Anthony Doerr

This is a novel set during the timeframe of World War II. It blends history with the timeless events of World War II - historical fiction.

Synopsis:

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors� (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, a National Book Award finalist, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill� (Los Angeles Times).

From Booklist
*Starred Review* A novel to live in, learn from, and feel bereft over when the last page is turned, Doerr’s magnificently drawn story seems at once spacious and tightly composed. It rests, historically, during the occupation of France during WWII, but brief chapters told in alternating voices give the overall—and long—­narrative a swift movement through time and events. We have two main characters, each one on opposite sides in the conflagration that is destroying Europe. Marie-Louise is a sightless girl who lived with her father in Paris before the occupation; he was a master locksmith for the Museum of Natural History. When German forces necessitate abandonment of the city, Marie-Louise’s father, taking with him the museum’s greatest treasure, removes himself and his daughter and eventually arrives at his uncle’s house in the coastal city of Saint-Malo. Young German soldier Werner is sent to Saint-Malo to track Resistance activity there, and eventually, and inevitably, Marie-Louise’s and Werner’s paths cross. It is through their individual and intertwined tales that Doerr masterfully and knowledgeably re-creates the deprived civilian conditions of war-torn France and the strictly controlled lives of the military occupiers.High-Demand Backstory: A multipronged marketing campaign will make the author’s many fans aware of his newest book, and extensive review coverage is bound to enlist many new fans. --Brad Hooper

Reviews

“Exquisite…Mesmerizing…Nothing short of brilliant.� (Alice Evans Portland Oregonian)

“Hauntingly beautiful.� (Janet Maslin The New York Times)

“History intertwines with irresistible fiction—secret radio broadcasts, a cursed diamond, a soldier’s deepest doubts—into a richly compelling, bittersweet package.� (Mary Pols People (3 1/2 stars))

“Anthony Doerr again takes language beyond mortal limits.� (Elissa Schappell Vanity Fair)

“The whole enthralls.� (Good Housekeeping)

“Enthrallingly told, beautifully written…Every piece of back story reveals information that charges the emerging narrative with significance, until at last the puzzle-box of the plot slides open to reveal the treasure hidden inside.� (Amanda Vaill Washington Post)

“Stupendous…A beautiful, daring, heartbreaking, oddly joyous novel.� (David Laskin The Seattle Times)

“Stunning and ultimately uplifting� Doerr’s not-to-be-missed tale is a testament to the buoyancy of our dreams, carrying us into the light through the darkest nights.� (Entertainment Weekly)

“Doerr has packed each of his scenes with such refractory material that All the Light We Cannot See reflects a dazzling array of themes�.Startlingly fresh.� (John Freeman The Boston Globe)

“Gorgeous� moves with the pace of a thriller� Doerr imagines the unseen grace, the unseen light that, occasionally, surprisingly, breaks to the surface even in the worst of times.� (Dan Cryer San Francisco Chronicle)

“Incandescent� a luminous work of strife and transcendence� with characters as noble as they are enthralling� (Hamilton Cain O, the Oprah magazine)

“A beautiful, expansive tale…Ambitious and majestic.� (Steph Cha Los Angeles Times)

“This tough-to-put-down book proves its worth page after lyrical page…Each and every person in this finely spun assemblage is distinct and true.� (Sharon Peters USA Today)

“Doerr is an exquisite stylist; his talents are on full display.� (Alan Cheuse NPR)

“Vivid…[All the Light We Cannot See] brims with scrupulous reverence for all forms of life. The invisible light of the title shines long after the last page.� (Tricia Springstubb Cleveland Plain Dealer)

“Intricate� A meditation on fate, free will, and the way that, in wartime, small choices can have vast consequences.� (New Yorker)

“Doerr deftly guides All the Light We Cannot See toward the day Werner’s and Marie-Laure lives intersect during the bombing of Saint-Malo in what may be his best work to date.� (Yvonne Zipp Christian Science Monitor)

“To open a book by Anthony Doerr is to open a door on humanity…His sentences shimmer…His paragraphs are luminous with bright, sparkling beauty.� (Martha Anne Toll Washington Independent Review of Books)

“Endlessly bold and equally delicate…An intricate miracle of invention, narrative verve, and deep research lightly held, but above all a miracle of humanity�.Anthony Doerr’s novel celebrates—and also accomplishes—what only the finest art can: the power to create, reveal, and augment experience in all its horror and wonder, heartbreak and rapture.� (Shelf Awareness)

“M˛ą˛µ˛Ôľ±´Úľ±ł¦±đ˛ÔłŮ.â€� (Carmen Callil The Guardian (UK))

“Intricately structured…All the Light We Cannot See is a work of art and of preservation.� (Jane Ciabattari BBC)

“A revelation.� (Michael Magras BookReporter.com)

“Anthony Doerr writes beautifully� A tour de force.� (Elizabeth Reed Deseret Morning News)

“A novel to live in, learn from, and feel bereft over when the last page is turned, Doerr’s magnificently drawn story seems at once spacious and tightly composed. . . . Doerr masterfully and knowledgeably recreates the deprived civilian conditions of war-torn France and the strictly controlled lives of the military occupiers.� (Booklist (starred review))

“Doerr captures the sights and sounds of wartime and focuses, refreshingly, on the innate goodness of his major characters.� (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“If a book’s success can be measured by its ability to move readers and the number of memorable characters it has, Story Prize-winner Doerr’s novel triumphs on both counts. He convinces readers...that war—despite its desperation, cruelty, and harrowing moral choices—cannot negate the pleasures of the world.� (Publishers Weekly (starred review))

“This novel has the physical and emotional heft of a masterpiece…[All the Light We Cannot See] presents two characters so interesting and sympathetic that readers will keep turning the pages hoping for an impossibly happy ending…Highly recommended for fans of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient.� (Evelyn Beck Library Journal (starred review))

"What a delight! This novel has exquisite writing and a wonderfully suspenseful story. A book you'll tell your friends about..." (Frances Itani, author of Deafening)

“This jewel of a story is put together like a vintage timepiece, its many threads coming together so perfectly. Doerr’s writing and imagery are stunning. It’s been a while since a novel had me under its spell in this fashion. The story still lives on in my head.� (Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone)

“All the Light We Cannot See is a dazzling, epic work of fiction. Anthony Doerr writes beautifully about the mythic and the intimate, about snails on beaches and armies on the move, about fate and love and history and those breathless, unbearable moments when they all come crashing together.� (Jess Walter, author of Beautiful Ruins)

“Doerr sees the world as a scientist, but feels it as a poet. He knows about everything—radios, diamonds, mollusks, birds, flowers, locks, guns—but he also writes a line so beautiful, creates an image or scene so haunting, it makes you think forever differently about the big things—love, fear, cruelty, kindness, the countless facets of the human heart. Wildly suspenseful, structurally daring, rich in detail and soul, Doerr’s new novel is that novel, the one you savor, and ponder, and happily lose sleep over, then go around urging all your friends to read—now.� (J.R. Moehringer, author of Sutton and The Tender Bar)

“A tender exploration of this world's paradoxes; the beauty of the laws of nature and the terrible ends to which war subverts them; the frailty and the resilience of the human heart; the immutability of a moment and the healing power of time. The language is as expertly crafted as the master locksmith's models in the story, and the settings as intricately evoked. A compelling and uplifting novel.� (M.L. Stedman, author of The Light Between Oceans)

“The craftsmanship of Doerr’s book is rooted in his ability to inhabit the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner…[A] fine novel.� (Steve Novak Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

“Beautifully written� Soulful and addictive.� (Chris Stuckenschneider The Missourian)

“There is so much in this book. It is difficult to convey the complexity, the detail, the beauty and the brutality of this simple story.� (Carole O'Brien Aspen Daily News)

“Sometimes a novel doesn’t merely transport. It immerses, engulfs, keeps you caught within its words until the very end, when you blink and remember there’s a world beyond the pages. All the Light We Cannot See is such a book� Vibrant, poignant, delicately exquisite. Despite the careful building of time and place (so vivid you fall between the pages), it’s not a story of history; it’s a story of people living history.� (Historical Novel Society)

About the Author

Anthony Doerr is the author of five books, The Shell Collector , About Grace , Memory Wall , Four Seasons in Rome and All the Light We Cannot See . Doerr’s fiction has won four O. Henry Prizes and has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories, The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories, and The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Fiction. He has won the Pulitzer Prize, the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, the Rome Prize, the Story Prize, the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Fiction Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Award, and the Ohioana Book Award three times. Doerr lives in Boise, Idaho.

Remember the following:

Everyone is welcome but make sure to use the goodreads spoiler function.

If you come to the discussion after folks have finished reading it, please feel free to post your comments as we will always come back to the thread to discuss the book.

The rules

You must follow the rules of the History Book Club and also:

First rule of Book of the Month discussions:
Respect other people's opinions, no matter how controversial you think they may be.

Second rule of Book of the Month discussions:
Always, always Chapter/page mark and spoiler alert your posts if you are discussing parts of the book.

To do these spoilers, follows these easy steps:

Step 1. enclose the word spoiler in forward and back arrows; < >

Step 2. write your spoiler comments in

Step 3. enclose the word /spoiler in arrows as above, BUT NOTE the forward slash in front of the word. You must put that forward slash in.

Your spoiler should appear like this:
(view spoiler)

And please mark your spoiler clearly like this:

State a Chapter and page if you can.
EG: Chapter 24, page 154

Or say Up to Chapter *___ (*insert chapter number) if your comment is more broad and not from a single chapter.

Chapter 1, p. 23
(view spoiler)[I know everything now about chapter one and I am going to post it here - oops I better place this in a spoiler alert so I do not ruin the book for others (hide spoiler)]

If you are raising a question/issue for the group about the book, you don't need to put that in a spoiler, but if you are citing something specific, it might be good to use a spoiler.

By using spoilers, you don't ruin the experience of someone who is reading slower or started later.

Thanks.

You can copy and paste below to get your spoiler right:

<spoiler>Put Text Here</spoiler>

Table of Contents

There really is no table of contents to speak of - but I am laying it out this way as an overview:

Part Zero: 7 August, 1944: Chapters 1-8

Part One: 1934: Chapters 9-31

Part Two: 8 August, 1944: Chapters 32-36

Part Three: June 1940: Chapters 37-50

Part Three: June 1940: Chapters 51-61

Part Four: 8 August 1944: Chapters 62-67

Part Five: January 1941: Chapters 68-80

Part Five: January 1941: Chapters 81-95

Part Six: 8 August 1944: Chapters 96-100

Part Seven: August 1942: Chapters 101-120

Part Eight: 9 August 1944: Chapters 121-128

Part Nine: May 1944: Chapters 129-147

Part Ten: 12 August 1944: Chapters 148-165

Part Eleven: 1945: Chapters 166-167

Part Twelve: 1974: Chapters 168-177 and Part Thirteen: 2014: Chapter 178

Suggested Syllabus

Week One - October 5th - October 11th

Part Zero: 7 August, 1944: Chapters 1-8

Part One: 1934: Chapters 9-31

Part Two: 8 August, 1944: Chapters 32-36

Part Three: June 1940: Chapters 37-50

Week Two - October 12th - October 18th

Part Three: June 1940: Chapters 51-61

Part Four: 8 August 1944: Chapters 62-67

Part Five: January 1941: Chapters 68-80

Part Five: January 1941: Chapters 81-95

Week Three - October 19th - October 25th

Part Six: 8 August 1944: Chapters 96-100

Part Seven: August 1942: Chapters 101-120

Part Eight: 9 August 1944: Chapters 121-128

Part Nine: May 1944: Chapters 129-147

Week Four - October 26th - November 1st

Part Ten: 12 August 1944: Chapters 148-165

Part Eleven: 1945: Chapters 166-167

Part Twelve: 1974: Chapters 168-177 and Part Thirteen: 2014: Chapter 178

Those of you who are going to read All the Light We Cannot See. Use the spoiler html because this is a single thread discussion.

1. Read message three and four and those messages shows you the rules for the buddy read discussion and how to do the spoiler html.

2. Message four actually shows you the spoiler html code. Use it on this thread.

3. Where is the Table of Contents and the reading syllabus? - Message(s) five and six.

All, we do not have to do citations regarding the book or the author being discussed during the book discussion on these discussion threads - nor do we have to cite any personage in the book being discussed while on the discussion threads related to this book.

However if we discuss folks outside the scope of the book or another book is cited which is not the book and author discussed then we do have to do that citation according to our citation rules. That makes it easier to not disrupt the discussion.

Chapter Overview and Summary:

It is August 7th, 1944 and leaflets are dropped over the houses of Saint-Malo warning people to leave their homes and head for open country.

American artillery is being dropped to the east and behind them. At midnight, bombers cross the channel but in a tall, slim house on rue Vauborel a blind sixteen year old girl is oblivious to their warnings.

Unable to sleep, she opens the window and while the sounds of the planes are louder, there are no other sounds at all. She hears a flapping sound and finds one of the leaflets caught on the shutter.

Marie should be hurrying downstairs but instead her fingers continue to walk along the streets of her model, remembering. She finds their home and presses on the door which lifts the house out of the model.

And the above is a synopsis (Source: Bookrags) of how this tale begins right before the Battle of Brest which by the date above - is I assume the battle that is about to begin.

The Battle for Brest was one of the fiercest battles fought on the Western Front during World War II. Part of the Allied plan for the invasion of mainland Europe called for the capture of port facilities, in order to ensure the timely delivery of the enormous amount of war materiel required to supply the invading Allied forces. It was estimated that the 37 Allied divisions to be on the continent by September 1944 would need 26,000 tons of supplies each day. The main port the Allied forces hoped to seize and put into their service was Brest, in northwestern France. (Source: Wikipedia)



Link:

Some historical background on the burning of Saint- Malo:

The Burning of Saint Malo

PHILIP BECK
In August 1944 the historic walled city of Saint Malo, the brightest jewel of the Emerald Coast of Brittany, France, was almost totally destroyed by fire. This should not have happened.

If the attacking U.S. forces had not believed a false report that there were thousands of Germans within the city it might have been saved. They ignored the advice of two citizens who got to their lines and insisted that there were less than 100 Germans -- the members of two anti-aircraft units -- in the city, together with hundreds of civilians who could not get out because the Germans had closed the gates.

A ring of U.S. mortars showered incendiary shells on the magnificent granite houses, which contained much fine panelling and oak staircases as well as antique furniture and porcelain; zealously guarded by successive generations. Thirty thousand valuable books and manuscripts were lost in the burning of the library and the paper ashes were blown miles out to sea. Of the 865 buildings within the walls only 182 remained standing and all were damaged to some degree.

Churchill, in his History of the Second World War, said two armored and three infantry divisions were detached by Patton from the American assault forces in Normandy to clear the Brittany peninsula. The Germans, he said, "were pressed into their defensive perimeters of Saint Malo, Brest, Lorient and Saint Nazaire."

"Here," he added, "they could be penned and left to wither, thus saving the unnecessary losses which immediate assaults would have required."

This "leaving to wither" hardly happened at Saint Malo. Martin Blumenson in his book Breakout and Pursuit said few of the Americans who set out to take Saint Malo thought it would be a difficult task. But it wasn't long before the 8th Corps, and particularly the 83rd Ohio Division under General Macon, realized they had "a nasty job ahead of them."

The Germans' main defense was concentrated in five strongpoints built by the Todt Organization: to the west of the city, the La Cite fort, a vast subterranean complex carved out of a peninsula between the Rance estauary and the Bay of Saint Servan; in the Bay of Saint Malo, two fortified islands, Cezembre and the Grand Bey; and to the east, the Montaigne Saint Joseph and the La Varde fort, natural geographical features fortified with concrete, which were the first stubborn pockets of resistance encountered by the U.S. forces coming from that direction.

The garrison commander, Colonel Andreas von Aulock, a European representative of General Motors before the war, directed operations from the underground complex. The two AA sites within the city were operated by the Luftwaffe. One, on the walls of the castle at the eastern end, was commanded by Lieutenant Franz Kuster, a pre-war lawyer who subsequently became a judge in West Germany, and the other, in a little public garden facing the sea, was run by an Austrian sergeant.

To this day, a proportion of the citizens of Saint Malo believe the Germans deliberately burnt the city as an act of spite when they realized they were defeated. But all the evidence is against this.

There were many eye-witnesses to the shower of incendiaries launched by the Americans from the east, south and west of the city and the remains of a large number of these missiles were subsequently found in the ruins and identified by experts. There was no evidence of any German incendiary device having been used. In any case, it would have been illogical for Von Aulock, who certainly wasn't a fanatic, to try to burn out the city when he knew the AA units were still there. Besides, he had on the whole been attentive to the safety of the people. He had urged them on several occasions to leave the city, warning them of the horror of street fighting such as he had witnessed at Stalingrad. But a large proportion had preferred to stay because they felt they would be safer in the vast deep cellars created by Saint Malo's famed corsairs for storing their booty, than in the open country which might be transformed into a battlefield. They also feared that their houses might be looted of their valuables if left empty. Von Aulock decreed that any of his men caught looting would be shot, as would any NCO or officer who neglected his duty in this respect. Looting did take place, but the culprits were mainly civilians.

The Germans did, however, cause considerable damage in other respects. On 6 August, a minesweeper in the harbor shelled the cathedral spire which fell, causing extensive damage to the fabric. The excuse was that the spire was being used as an observation post by "terrorists." Von Aulock was furious and told Commander Breithaup, of the 12th minesweeper flotilla that the act "hardly covered the German navy with glory."

The harbor installations, including the massive lockgates, were blown up by the Germans on 7 August, and a number of vessels were scuttled there, thus ensuring that the port could not be used by the Allies.

Another German act was the rounding up of all the men between 16 and 60 in the city for internment at the Fort National, an historic fort on an islet near the castle, only accessible at low tide. This was Von Aulock's revenge for a skirmish which took place in the city on the night of 5-6 August. He was told that "terrorists" had fired on Germans. The French said it was a fight between German soldiers and mutinous sailors; there had been a marked slackening of discipline in the navy.

Unfortunately the fort was in the line of fire between the Americans coming from the east and the fortified island known as Le Grand Bey and inevitably a shell eventually fell in the midst of the several hundred hostages killing or mortally wounding 18.

The old city itself suffered from the exchange of fire between the Americans and the big guns in the underground fort. Many buildings were hit by shells as well as bombs dropped by aircraft.

However, if the damage had been restricted to shells and bombs, most of the city would have been spared. It was the concentrated attack with incendiary mortar shells which destroyed most buildings.

The Americans' belief in the presence of a large number of Germans within the city was fortified by two incidents. On 10 August, two jeeps carrying four Americans and five Frenchmen tried to enter the city by the main gate. The party was under the mistaken impression that it had been liberated. They came under a hail of machinegun fire. An American officer and two of the French were killed and the others taken prisoner.

The following day a truck carrying clothing and ammunition for the Resistance also tried to get in. The two occupants were captured and the vehicle was burnt.

These attacks were the work of the Luftwaffe men on the AA sites but the Americans watching about 500 yards away could well have thought in the confusion of the incidents that the defenders were a much larger force.

However, it is hard to understand why they were scornful of the news brought by the two French emissaries from the city. Yves Burgot and Jean Vergniaud were sent from the castle where they had been sheltering to ask for morphia for the wounded Americans and Germans. They were received coolly by an officer who asked how many Germans remained in the city. They told him there were less than a hundred but he would not accept this and the shelling and burning continued.

A truce was arranged on 13 August to allow the people to get out of the city. By this time a large part of it was either in flames or had been destroyed. The firemen could do little to prevent the spread of the fires as the Americans had severed the water main.

The Americans attacked with tanks on 14 August and, to their undoubted surprise, found the burning city almost empty.

The underground fortress continued to fight until August 17 when Von Aulock surrendered. He was subsequently accused of "the barbaric act of burning the corsairs' city," but after an examination of the ruins including the remains of incendiary shells and the questioning of witnesses, he was vindicated.

Source: Bibliographic information
Author: Philip Beck
Title: The burning of Saint Malo
Source: The Journal for Historical Review ()
Date: Winter 1981
Issue: Volume 2 number 4
Location: Page 301
ISSN: 0195-6752

Saint Malo today:

More:

Map:

We will begin this discussion on October 5th.

Hello everyone! We are excited to start our second book for our Book of the Month read. We would love for you to introduce yourself and tell us about your interest in All The Light We Cannot See.

Keep in mind that this is a single threaded discussion and you should utilize the spoiler html code when discussing topics specific to the book. Please see messages 3 and 4 about about using the spoiler tags.

For this week we are reading Part Zero, One, Two and part of Three, which is Chapters 1-50. Because these are monthly reads, we are going at a faster pace, so be sure you check the syllabus above to keep up with the weekly discussions.

I'll be posting some summaries and questions each week to get our discussions underway. I'll post this week's summary a little later.

Initial thoughts on All The Light We Cannot See

(view spoiler)[
What are your initial thoughts to Doerr's story?

All The Light We Cannot See is written in very short chapters that move back and forth in viewpoint and timeframe. Do you like the structure of the book or do you find it disorienting? Does the brevity of the chapters make it more readable? (hide spoiler)]

I've only completed the first couple of chapters, but I was immediately drawn in by (view spoiler)[these two exceptional children who are struggling so valiantly to bring order to their worlds. The skills kindness that Daniel LeBlanc and Frau Elena try to instill are sure to make a big difference. I cannot wait to see how their lives intersect. (hide spoiler)]

Hi Chris! I'm glad you will join us on this read.

Response to the first couple of chapters
(view spoiler)[You certainly hit on a topic that I know will come up in our discussion quickly, and that is the role of the minor characters such as Daniel and Frau Elena. I agree with you that they give depth to the story rather sticking to the point of view of Marie-Laure and Werner. (hide spoiler)]

I love this book. I am almost through with it so I'll try very hard to keep my comments to the appropriate reading schedule. You can understand how this book won The Pultizer Prize. (view spoiler)[ Does anyone else see the connection with Marie-Laure's favorite book and the island of Saint-Malo? Captain Nemo living and exploring on the Nautilus. Marie-Laure living and exploring on Saint-Malo. I also loved the question asked by Werner, "Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?"
[bookcover] by Jules Verne (hide spoiler)]

Hi Kathy! I'm looking forward to this discussion. I've had this book on my to be read list for a while.

Response to Kathy's comments
(view spoiler)[There is a connection between Captain Nemo/Nautilus and Marie-Laure/Saint-Malo. We will see this connection throughout the book, I believe. I think that we'll see other parallels and other book reference/connections throughout our read. It is an interesting technique that Doerr uses, paralleling books to the story. I think it works well. Would love other's feedback.

I chuckled when I read Werner's comment about glue. You can actually google the question and find the answer online. ;-) (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[Frankly, my dears, I am left scratching my head on how this novel made the cut in the history group. It must have snuck in under the tent when Bentley wasn't looking.

I say that because in an exchange elsethread about what constitutes historical fiction, Bently opined (assuming I am accurately and fairly reflecting his thinking) that historical fiction must hew closely to the historical record.

But in All the Light We Cannot See, the historical record is background for the most part, framing device at best - or at least that's the way this one-eyed reader sees it.

The "mythical" and the "scientific" are posed against one another, but it's the metaphysical that holds sway over the material scientific reality. I suppose an argument can be made for a balance, but I am left with how the scientific and material are subordinate to the mythical/spiritual.

In other words, this tome flies in the face of what Bentley argued for in defining historical fiction. (For the record, I argued that historical fiction should transcend the facts of history to bridge the gap between now and then, not unlike Billy Faulkner's take on history.)

As usual, I reserve the right to be wrong. (hide spoiler)]

Teri wrote: "I'll be posting some summaries and questions each week to get our discussions underway. I'll post this week's summary a little later.

Initial thoughts on All The Light We Cannot See


What are ..."

I don't get why this is considered a spoiler.

Hi Martin! I hope you'll be joining us in this read. These monthly read offerings will not always be history/historical fiction related. If you go to the Book of the Month - Introduction thread, Bentley wrote an blurb on what types of books we'll be reading:

This is the brand new BOOK OF THE MONTH OFFERINGS. For those of you who like to read a book in a shorter time - we will be offering best selling books on a monthly basis.

We will list the books being selected here on this thread for a group read. Once we get rolling - there will be enough advance time to get your book and participate. These are quick reads and not like our regular offerings at the HBC but still good and deep discussions. We want to have something for everybody's reading style. Of course, the threads always stay open on the HBC. We want folks to read and enjoy all genres even though we are partial to History, Non Fiction and Historical Fiction and we are most interested in your starting and finishing a good book rather than how long it takes you to do so.

These selections could be best sellers, on the New York Times list, possible winners or even finalists for any number of awards - Pulitzer, National Book Award, etc to just name a few, other selections may be on best books of the year lists from a number of different organizations (NPR, Kirkus, The Economist, etc.) - but for the most part they are "books of the moment which have wide spread current interest".

We will keep the discussion moving and hope you will join us for the ride. These are month long offerings. The spotlighted discussions, buddy reads and other offerings at the HBC are all leisurely journeys through a book or subject and the discussions are spread over a few months or longer.

These are more fast paced.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope that helps. ;-)

It may not have been necessary, but in case someone had not started the book yet, the structure of the book would not be spoiled.

Martin wrote: "Teri wrote: "I'll be posting some summaries and questions each week to get our discussions underway. I'll post this week's summary a little later.

Initial thoughts on All The Light We Cannot Se..."

Martin wrote: "Frankly, my dears, I am left scratching my head on how this novel made the cut in the history group. It must have snuck in under the tent when Bentley wasn't looking.

I say that because in an exch...�

(view spoiler)[Martin this is one of those book of the moments and is an historical fiction book which is similar to the Raj Quartet which even had mythical places in it. Enjoy the book and reserve the right to be wrong or right (it is a great book) (lol) It is really to me an historical novel but is set during World War II so some elements do jive and I think it will be an enlightening book which you might enjoy. (hide spoiler)]

All, welcome - this is the Week One suggested syllabus:

Week One - October 5th - October 11th

Part Zero: 7 August, 1944: Chapters 1-8

Part One: 1934: Chapters 9-31

Part Two: 8 August, 1944: Chapters 32-36

Part Three: June 1940: Chapters 37-50

Very nice Pamela - and very much appreciated - a great post for the start but I have had to repost with the spoiler html - probably belongs more on the glossary spoiler thread for the book.

However all - remember this is a one thread discussion and we must have comments in spoilers if they have anything to do with the book we are reading.

Remember place your chapter and page heading above your comment like this followed by your comments below - this is very easy and keeps the discussion flowing and folks can read your comments and know exactly from what part of the book they are from freeing the thread of spoilers:

Part Zero: 7 August, 1944: Chapters 1-8

(view spoiler)[ Put text and comments here (hide spoiler)]

We will help you with this but we are adamant. And we will help you over and over again until you get the hang of it with great and infinite patience (smile) but you must use spoilers on a single thread discussion.

This is message two which outlines what you must do for all single thread discussions - this is easy:

Remember the following:

Everyone is welcome but make sure to use the goodreads spoiler function.

If you come to the discussion after folks have finished reading it, please feel free to post your comments as we will always come back to the thread to discuss the book.

The rules

You must follow the rules of the History Book Club and also:

First rule of Book of the Month discussions:
Respect other people's opinions, no matter how controversial you think they may be.

Second rule of Book of the Month discussions:
Always, always Chapter/page mark and spoiler alert your posts if you are discussing parts of the book.

To do these spoilers, follows these easy steps:

Step 1. enclose the word spoiler in forward and back arrows; < >

Step 2. write your spoiler comments in

Step 3. enclose the word /spoiler in arrows as above, BUT NOTE the forward slash in front of the word. You must put that forward slash in.

Your spoiler should appear like this:
(view spoiler)

And please mark your spoiler clearly like this:

State a Chapter and page if you can.
EG: Chapter 24, page 154

Or say Up to Chapter *___ (*insert chapter number) if your comment is more broad and not from a single chapter.

Chapter 1, p. 23
(view spoiler)[I know everything now about chapter one and I am going to post it here - oops I better place this in a spoiler alert so I do not ruin the book for others (hide spoiler)]

If you are raising a question/issue for the group about the book, you don't need to put that in a spoiler, but if you are citing something specific, it might be good to use a spoiler.

By using spoilers, you don't ruin the experience of someone who is reading slower or started later.

Thanks.

Those of you who are going to read All the Light We Cannot See. Use the spoiler html because this is a single thread discussion.

1. Read message three and four and those messages shows you the rules for the buddy read discussion and how to do the spoiler html.

2. Message four actually shows you the spoiler html code. Use it on this thread.

3. Where is the Table of Contents and the reading syllabus? - Message(s) five and six.

Hello Pamela - I am placing your response in a spoiler - using the spoiler html - your post probably should be included in the spoiler glossary thread - but it will be alright in the spoiler html. You have to be careful because these links give a lot away that folks might not want to know about right off the bat. We do have a spoiler glossary thread for the book where such posts can go without spoiler html. It appears that you have read the book already and you might be spoiling it for folks who haven’t. Here is the thread where you can post all of these very helpful links that you have found with no chance of spoiling:

The Glossary Spoiler thread for this book: /topic/show/...

Pamela responded to Teri: - Regarding Initial Impressions

(view spoiler)[Teri, in response to your inquiry about initial thoughts about this book, mine have to do with the title itself. I was drawn to the book by the beauty of the title. It caused me to read the book and I wonder if some of the others may have had the same reaction? The metaphor of light is, of course, carried throughout which adds to the pleasure.

I am including here a quote from the author about the meaning of the title which comes from the FAQ page on his site:

"It’s a reference first and foremost to all the light we literally cannot see: that is, the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that are beyond the ability of human eyes to detect (radio waves, of course, being the most relevant). It’s also a metaphorical suggestion that there are countless invisible stories still buried within World War II � that stories of ordinary children, for example, are a kind of light we do not typically see. Ultimately, the title is intended as a suggestion that we spend too much time focused on only a small slice of the spectrum of possibility."

(hide spoiler)]

Bentley wrote: "Hello Pamela - I am placing your response in a spoiler - using the spoiler html - your post probably should be included in the spoiler glossary thread - but it will be alright in the spoiler html. ..."

(view spoiler)[Pamela - right on re the color metaphor. Not sure if you picked it up, but it seems to me the book is riffing to a large degree on Moby Dick's two "white" chapters, where Melville explores the dual nature of white: all color, and simultaneously no color.

Several times he notes that the brain, encased in darkness creates a world of light. Interesting that an argument can be made that the blind character is most aware of the external (light) world.

But I also see white as transcendent. Both Werner and Jutta have shocking white hair - other worldly. I immediately thought of the alien protragonist in Michael Crummey's Galore. But also the nature of light.

In the philosophy of the awakened mind (mind again), there is a metaphor for two types of wisdom. One is the light of the sun. Direct, it's light reveals without ambiguity all the objects under it. But, can you see the stars and heavens?

The wisdom associated with the sun is obviously important. But it is secondary to the reflected light of the moon.

The moon's light is shed on all objects below, but not at the expense of the heavens. Note the many references to the music Claire de Lune (light of the moon), and other references to moon light. "God is only a white cold eye, a quarter moon poised above the smoke, blinking, blinking, blinking as the city is pounded to dust." (p.393)

In my reading, at least, there is a relationship between the masculine light of Werner, his scientific knowledge a manifestation of the sun's light, and the feminine wisdom of his sister Jutta. It's interesting that in the end Werner is gravitating to a more ambiguous and compassionate wisdom.

In the end, (p.516) we learn of Marie-Laure's possession of the last recording by her uncle to survive the conflagration of the war: "It was about the moon."

Jutta: "I remember. And light? On the other side?"

Great stuff.

byHerman Melville

by Michael Crummey

(hide spoiler)]

Martin - Please post a mention before your spoiler tag in your above post that there are spoilers for the entire book. Please don't spoil the end for those of us who have not read the entire book. We should be keeping these post to the week's selected reading. If I had realized there was an end of book spoiler above, I would not have read your post.

I don't get it. I used the html coding as required, but I need to use a second alert that the post hidden under spoiler needs another spoiler alert?

Maybe I should just post in a spoiler thread. I think there's one, right?

Just mention before the hidden portion that the follow contains spoilers for the entire book.

Hey Martin - any spoilers that relate to the end of the book should be placed here on the spoiler thread: (just place the whole thing on the thread below) - it is a great post but with too much information for the beginning of the read. I will post some questions to discuss throughout the book. And Teri will move the discussion along through the book as she did expertly on the last book of the month offering.

/topic/show/...

Also your comment is a great one and that is why we responded and repeated the instructional post in message 28 and previously in message 3. For links and a lot of ancillary info we use the spoiler glossary thread.

If you had placed the spoiler with a header of Book as a Whole spoiler then folks would not have had to read it and could have skipped it to the end.

Book as a Whole Spoiler

(view spoiler)[Put Text Here (hide spoiler)]

<spoiler>Put Text Here</spoiler>

Note Martin that I have moved it for you to the glossary thread.

Thanks Bentlwy. I'll post in the spoiler thread henceforth since I've read the book and, as you well know, I tend to connect dots without a great deal of regard to page numbers and chapters.

Anyone else find this book reminiscent of The Book Thief?

by Markus Zusak

Martin you are a great rereader and I love your posts but I think you know how folks are about spoilers - especially historical fiction novels.

Better to be on the safe side and post in the glossary if it is not about the specific assigned pages for the week. These discussions only last four weeks so they move fast but we do not want to have spoilers for those who are especially just starting. Just put the chapter and page numbers if available in bold and the spoiler html below and then folks can read the posts as they go along which match up to their place in the book.

Setting for the story

(view spoiler)[The events for All the Light We Cannot See takes place mainly during WWII in France and Germany. Much of the pivotal action takes place in St. Malo, France near the English Channel. It is a city known for piracy and one that was bombed during WWII.

The bombing forms the temporal focus of the novel, with the text in chronological order and tying it to observed reality which is so important to historical fiction. (hide spoiler)]

Main and Secondary Characters

(view spoiler)[Several protagonists exist in the text, chiefly Marie-Laure LeBlanc, with most of the narrative attention on her. However, Werner Pfennig receives a fair bit of attention as does Reinhold von Rumpel, German sergeant major.

Other significant characters include:

* "Big" Claude Levitte - perfumer
* Bastian - Nazi commandant
* Daniel LeBlanc - Marie-Laure's father/a locksmith
* Dr. Geffard � French mollusk expert
* Dr. Hauptmann � German science professor
* Etienne LeBlanc � Marie-Laure’s great uncle, a broadcaster
* Frank Volkheimer � massive German staff sergeant
* Frau Elena � orphanage supervisor
* Frederick � Werner’s fellow cadet and early friend
* Harold Bazin � Maloluin indigent
* Jutta Pfennig � Werner’s sister
* Madame Manec � Etienne’s housekeeper
* Neumann One � German Soldier
* Neumann Two � German corporal
* Walter Bernd � German engineer (hide spoiler)]

Martin - I put a response to you in the other thread. I thought I was doing fine keeping it to the first 50 chapters and then noticed that I was in the second half of the book so moved it on over to the other place. :)

Question for the Group

(view spoiler)[ Did anyone have a problem with the father going to such an extent making the models of the neighborhoods? I had a bit of trouble making my "willing suspension of disbelief" toe the line at first. It was a little hard to believe that a father from that era would take such a deep interest in the developement of his child, let alone his daughter. Smacked more of something a late 20th century or 21st century father would be inclined to do. I finally decided that it worked as a plot device and to just leave it alone. (hide spoiler)]

by Markus Zusak

Response to Kressel:

(view spoiler)[Maybe a bit - young female characters set during world war II with doting fathers - from what I can remember - but then I think it is different from other perspectives. I loved The Book Thief. (hide spoiler)]

Simon and Schuster’s Reading Guide for the Book - Overall Topics for Discussion for the entire book - things to keep in mind

If you decide to answer/discuss any of these - place as the header - Topics for Discussion - and also include the number of the question being discussed in bold at the top - placing only the response/the comment itself in spoilers

(view spoiler)[Topics & Questions for Discussion

1. The book opens with two epigraphs. How do these quotes set the scene for the rest of the book? Discuss how the radio plays a major part in the story and the time period. How do you think the impact of the radio back then compares with the impact of the Internet on today’s society?

2. 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?

3. Whose story did you enjoy the most? Was there any character you wanted more insight into?

4. When Werner and Jutta first hear the Frenchman on the radio, he concludes his broadcast by saying “Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever� (pages 48�49), and Werner recalls these words throughout the book (pages 86, 264, and 409). How do you think this phrase relates to the overall message of the story? How does it relate to Madame Manec’s question: “Don’t you want to be alive before you die?� (page 270)?

5. On page 160, Marie-Laure realizes “This . . . is the basis of his fear, all fear. That a light you are powerless to stop will turn on you and usher a bullet to its mark.� How does this image constitute the most general basis of all fear? Do you agree?

6. 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?

7. On page 368, Werner thinks, “That is how things are . . . with everybody in this unit, in this army, in this world, they do as they’re told, they get scared, they move about with only themselves in mind. Name me someone who does not.� But in fact many of the characters show great courage and selflessness throughout the story in some way, big or small. Talk about the different ways they put themselves at risk in order to do what they think is right. What do you think were some shining moments? Who did you admire most?

8. On page 390, the author writes, “To shut your eyes is to guess nothing of blindness.� What did you learn or realize about blindness through Marie-Laure’s perspective? Do you think her being blind gave her any advantages?

9. 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?

10. 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?

11. Von Rumpel seemed to believe in the power of the Sea of Flames, but was it truly a supernatural object or was it merely a gemstone at the center of coincidence? Do you think it brought any protection to Marie-Laure and/or bad luck to those she loved?

12. 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?

13. The 1970s image of Jutta is one of a woman deeply guilt-ridden and self-conscious about her identity as a German. Why do you think she feels so much guilt over the crimes of others? Can you relate to this? Do you think she should feel any shame about her identity?

14. 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?

15. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once wrote that “the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.� All the Light We Cannot See is filled with examples of human nature at its best and worst. Discuss the themes of good versus evil throughout the story. How do they drive each other? What do you think are the ultimate lessons that these characters and the resolution of their stories teach us? (hide spoiler)]

I enjoyed the father's role. (view spoiler)[He was very protective of her, and I like the way that he tried to make her self-sufficient by encouraging her to be able to move about town. I enjoyed the 'horse in the lobby' scene. (hide spoiler)]

Pamela wrote: "Question for the Group

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Pamela - having lived on a kibbutz for a year and worked shoulder to shoulder with survivors still bearing their camp numbers on their arms; and having known personally those who have fled persecution behind the Iron Curtain, I had no problem with the father's compassion for his daughter. (hide spoiler)]

Kressel wrote: "Anyone else find this book reminiscent of The Book Thief?

by Markus Zusak"

The similarities occured to me also, and I loved The Book Thief. However, being only 100 pages in, I am already sure that this book will stand on its own.

Summaries for Part Zero, One, Two, and Three through Chapter 50

(view spoiler)[
Part Zero
Chapters 1-8

The story begins on August 7, 1944 in France. Leaflets are falling in the night advising locals to flee in advance of an American offensive. The offensive begins. Bombers are preparing for an attack. We are introduced to Marie-Laure who is in the French town of St. Malo, where the attack will begin shortly. She is kneeling over a miniature of the city, running her hands through it and naming its parts.

We are then introduced to Werner, a boy who lives just a few blocks from Marie-Laure. He awakens in The Hotel of Bees and flees to the cellar ahead of the attack. We hear an Austrian cannon in the background. Other locals in St. Malo are awakening to the attack between the Austrians and Americans. Marie-Laure takes a building out of the miniature. It is the place that she currently lives, her uncle's home. She finds a stone embedded in the building. She calls for her father.

Werner considers his surroundings and the people around him, including Volkheimer and Bernd. He reminisces about old childhood radio broadcasts.

Both Marie-Laure and Werner weather the bombing in St. Malo.

Question: The author starts with Part Zero. Why do you think he decided to start with Zero and not call this part the prologue?


St. Malo about 1944

Part One
Chapters 9-31

In Part One we go back in time to 1934 in Paris when Marie-Laure is six and just going blind. She is taking a tour of the Muséum National d’Historie Naturelle where her father works. We learn about the history of the Sea of Flames Diamond, which is supposedly held at the museum and is said to be both blessed with healing powers and cursed to cause the death of those its holder loves. Marie-Laure’s father works on a model of the city for her use and he makes sure she can learn Braille.

We learn about Werner’s childhood. He is a mining-town orphan living with his sister Jutta in a local orphanage. Werner and his sister talk about the mines where their father died. Werner finds a broken radio in the trash and figures out how to repair it. Once fixed he finds music for everyone to listen to.

Marie-Laure learns to solve puzzle boxes (and quite well). We learn more about the miniaturized city that her father builds. It is for Marie-Laure to learn to navigate about her neighborhood. Her father takes her out into the city having her find her way home. After repeated attempts, she learns to get home.

Werner listens on the radio to music, Nazi German propaganda, and French language broadcasts. A ministry official visits and notes that all boys will go to the mines to work at age fifteen. Werner and Jutta muse on the identity of the radio broadcaster. Werner dreams of becoming a scientist or an engineer. Werner joins the State Youth and continues building and repairing, giving him a way to earn money for his upkeep.

For her birthdays, Marie-Laure receives a puzzle box and a Braille book from her father. She particularly likes Jules Verne. Marie-Laure learns of a new stone being installed in an exhibit at the museum and a curse attached to it. Marie-Laure is accosted on the street and begins having nightmares about the possibilities of war. They begin the evacuation of Paris, including Marie-Laure and her father. They make for Evreux and we learn that Daniel is on a mission to safeguard the Sea of Flame, or a copy of it.

Question: In Part One we see major changes happen to Marie-Laure and Werner. What do you find interesting about the changes to each person's situation compared to the other?


A 1940s radio

Part Two
Chapters 32-36

It is now August 8, 1944 and the bombing at St. Malo begins. Marie-Laure seems to be alone, not sure if she has survived or not, what is perceived or real. She finds food and hides in the cellar.

Werner is in The Hotel of Bees and thinks he is deafened. Volkheimer finds him along with the engineer Bernd who is badly injured. They are trapped in the cellar.

Question: Part Two is a short section compared to Part One. Why do you think Doerr would make the quick trip back to 1944? What feelings are invoked in this short section?


Anthony Doerr walking by Number 4 Rue Vauborel

Part Three
Chapters 37-50

Part Three takes us to June 1940. The LaBlancs finally reach the St. Malo home of Marie-Laure’s great uncle Etienne and his housekeeper Madame Manec. Etienne generally keeps to himself and Marie-Laure learns that Etienne has had some psychological issues since returning from World War I.

Werner takes an entrance exam to enter a special school instead of entering the mines. He is able to pass, says goodbye to his sister and the others at the orphanage and heads to school. He meets and befriends Frederick. We are also introduced to Von Rumpel who is an expert gemologist who is pursuing the Sea of Flames. We also meet Dr. Hauptmann who exams Werner’s skills with mechanics and trigonometry, taking Werner on as his special pupil.

Daniel LeBlanc reports to Marie-Laure what he has seen as Nazis take control of St. Malo. Marie-Laure explores Etienne’s home and eventually meets him. He reads stories to her and plays games of pretend. Daniel begins another model for Marie-Laure, this time of St. Malo.

Question: In this section we read about Jutta's concern over the Nazi propaganda that she is hearing on the radio. How does this compare to the story being told of the diamond at Daniel's museum? Are these both types of myths?


Evreux, France
(hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[Of course there are differences, but I see Marie-Laure as Liesel and Werner as Rudy. I also wonder if the author, who is American, chose the name Marie-Laure as a nod to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Mary and Laura. She's blind like Mary and (hopefully) as spunky as Laura.

by Laura Ingalls Wilder (hide spoiler)]

Did all that really need to be under a spoiler? I don't think I gave anything away.

Problem..... help please

So I am reading in Kindle which means no page numbers but also there are no chapter numbers and there is no listing at the beginning of the book with chapter numbers -

So ....any suggestions?

I am not treating this as a spoiler and I assume that a response should be OK the same way.

Thanks

Vince

Hi Vincent - I have the Kindle version too. If you go to the "Go To" option when you have the book open, it should show you the chapter names and numbers and parts. I have a paperwhite. If you go to location 6087 at the very end just after the copyright page, you will see the table of contents labeled as "Contents". This does not show up in the "Go To" section, I just stumbled across it.

Alternately, if you have the Kindle Cloud Reader on your PC (it's a free app) and open it there, there is a table of contents in the back, too.

I hope that helps. No need for spoilers on this.