One of my new favourite authors did not disappoint

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

A skilfully written family saga about the relationship dynamics of a middle-class New England Jewish family. The book is very dialogue-heavy and the sharp, often bitterly humorous, conversations and flashbacks to certain memories, present a family unit that is on the verge of collapse. At the same time, the book is a fascinating take on the Biblical story of Abraham, as well as an exploration of individual identity, as opposed to cultural identity and the various identities (parent, spouse, son/daughter, brother/sister, etc), as well as the corresponding expectations, that a person has to assume in his/her life. The book questions, how can we remain true to ourselves when we are forced to conform and play out all these various roles?

I’m afraid I was not able to finish this book. I found the text relentless and I couldn’t get into the writing style at all. I am grateful for my review copy from NetGalley, but I did not enjoy this book.

One of my favourite authors, I've waited a long time for this but I think it was definitely worth the wait. Loved this.

Like many reviewers, what really struck me about this book was the family. Safran Foer is brilliant at writing family dynamics - in all their messy, hilarious tragedies and this is what makes Here I Am memorable to me. The shift to Israel and the earthquake is interesting but doesn't hold together quite so well. The conflict in this shift distances the reader from Jacob and the lives of those we'd been introduced too and the book attempts to become an Epic of Jewishness. It does hint at parallels between this and the struggles of the Bloch family but the narrative just isn't so strong once they are separated.

I do think Safran Foer is a brilliant and ambitious writer and have enjoyed his other work. This one wasn't quite for me but I admired it's scope and ambition and can see it being very engaging to another reader.

Couldn't get away with this book. Found it hard to finish it. Sorry.

Incredibly well crafted and realistic characters but the book bordered on self indulgent at times and I found it difficult to read at pace. Brought up some interesting themes on identity.

This book is brilliant in its depiction of the minutia of family life. Jonathan Safron Foer writes with delightful honesty about the struggle between spouses, parents, children and even pets. Foer’s personal touch is evident in all of these moments, and yet so many will feel that these moments could be taken from their own lives.

So much of this book tackles with the idea of identity, namely how we perceive ourselves vs the fear of how our loved ones view us, our morals, and choices. In conjunction with these domestic ruminations are discussions surrounding religious and cultural identity. Some may find this aspect of the novel impersonal. However, I found the use of the event in the Middle East a fascinating trigger of events for Jacob and his Jewish-American family.

Underpinning all of this is a great sense of humour that permeates the entire novel, adding levity to what can be a somewhat overwhelming and chaotic novel.