The Challenge Factory discussion

Runell, Sarah & Stacie - All the Light We Cannot See

Checking in!

Hi guys :) I ordered the book online and literally just got it in today, so I'm ready when you are!

I've got this baby in hardback, so I'm good whenever you guys are.

Also, I should point out that I really suck at buddy reads. I just don't really know how to conduct/act with one. It never stops me from wanting to do them, but I'm just usually so bad at them. So, with that warning heeded, how do you guys want to do this?

Well, I don't think anyone is good or bad. Buddy reads should be fun! To take the pressure off, why don't we just read to our liking and update as we go along? Just make sure to add in spoiler tags and notate where in the book you are, just in case some of us haven't reached the same point in the book. Does that sound alright with y'all? We could totally do the whole read 3-5 chapters and discuss if that's more along the lines of what you guys are comfortable with. I don't mind either way.

In the end, I'm good with whatever way we decide to do it. I just wanted it to be known that I usually totally forget to check in and do the whole discussing part.

In any case, I'm excited to start reading it!

I prefer the reading at our own pace mostly because I tend to read pretty fast and get ahead of the 3 to 5 chapters that are set out.

I like sarah's idea of updating as we go along and using spoiler tags.

okay, awesome. so we'll just read at our own pace and then update as we go along :) let me know when you guys are ready to start.

I'm good to start whenever you guys are!

if you guys want to go ahead and start, you can. i started because i just finished up a book. I love it so far. Anthony Doerr is a gifted writer. The imagery is beautiful. I'll discuss more when I can get ahold of my laptop, which may not be for a couple days because my husband is using it, but I'll update as soon as I can. enjoy the read!

Oh, gosh. I’m about half-way through with the book and I absolutely love it. I’m not big on historical fiction, but this book received so many rave reviews that I really wanted to check it out. Boy, oh boy, was everyone right. What I’ve read so far has been absolutely amazing. Doerr’s imagery is stunning, his characterization is on point, and the overall story, so far, has been absolutely captivating.

I’ll go through my thoughts based on each section.

Zero 7 August 1944

(view spoiler)[
In all honesty, there isn’t much to say about this section. It’s merely an introduction to the story. Leaflets and bombs are being dropped from the sky, one, a warning from allies, and two, destruction by enemy. Saint-Malo, Number 4 rue Vauborel, the hotel cellar and two characters, whom differ greatly, are introduced. Marie-Laure, a sixteen-year-old blind girl, and Werner, an eighteen-year-old German private are two people on different sides of this war; however, both lives are drastically impacted by it. I do, however, like how Doerr went about introducing all of the above. It truly prepares you for everything he writes about later.
(hide spoiler)]

One 1934

(view spoiler)[
There are so many things going on in this section.

We learn about Marie-Laure and her loss of eyesight and how it affects her way of life. We learn about her wonderfully loving father who wants nothing more than to help his daughter. We also learn about Werner, and at this point in the story, he is an inquisitive, sweet, and adventurous little boy. He learns how to fix radios on his own at 8 years of age. I wish I had those skills! Every now and then, Werner listens to broadcasts and from these broadcasts, we, the readers are slowly introduced to the beginning stages of the war.

The media (radio stations) has a big influence on society’s thoughts. This is not very different from today! The German broadcasts use their airwaves to sublimate their views onto the German population with statements like:

“We hope only to work, to work and work and work, to go to glorious work for the country.”

“Over these three years, our leader has had the courage to face a Europe that was in danger of collapse…
…He alone is to be thanked for the fact that, for German children, a German life has once again become worth living.”

“Only through the hottest fires…can purification be achieved. Only through the harshest tests can God’s chosen rise.”

Propoganda will always be around. Obviously not in the same manner as it was back then, but the media is still pretty influential! Once the notion of “purification” started to take hold, German propaganda really started pushing out more and more. Men are lining up to “serve” their country. “Heil Hitler” is the common phrase around town.

As aforementioned, the war affects the characters in different ways. Marie-Laure is worried and frightened about how the war will impact their (her and her father) lives. She can sense everything changing. Being blind, she relies on many to help her. In 1944, she does seem to be a lot more independent, but she is still fearful. Her and her father eventually flee Paris. Werner goes through the motions of listening to radios, learning how to fix anything and everything, and getting help with recruitment for a special school. Jutta, Werner’s younger sister has strong thoughts on the war. She’s upset that the German’s are bombing Paris. Werner lets her views drop by the wayside because he thinks this is his opportunity to be great. Werner remembers a Frenchman on the radio say, "Open your eyes…and see what you can with them before they close forever.” He thinks this is his chance to see and do all the things he can to be the best, to learn and to better his future. I really love how Doerr uses two completely different characters. He allows us to feel empathetic towards two people on two different sides of the war. I love when authors do this. Granted, nazis suck and I, obviously, do not agree with any of the nazi views, but when reading, I love when authors allow the readers to feel empathetic towards the “enemy”. It gives the book an added dimension.

The Sea of Flames, the largest raw diamond, is mentioned many times. It is said to hold a curse, and, obviously, it will become an important object throughout the entirety of the book. Keep it secret, keep it safe ;] (if you didn’t know, lotr reference! but y’all probably know that already).

Light is mentioned in the title and there are many references to light, so light HAS to be an important topic. Werner listens to the Frenchman on the radio discuss light—the mind is dark but the world the mind constructs is full of light, all of light is invisible, etc. Marie-Laure mentions a rumor she heard about the Sea of Flames being a “piece of light from the original world”. I’m going to make note of light and see how much Doerr references it throughout the book. I kind of think I already know how it’ll play out, but I’m still curious to see where he’ll go with it.
(hide spoiler)]

Two 8 August 1944

(view spoiler)[
“Ce n’est pas la réalité” (This is not reality). Marie-Laure says that after bombs were dropped in her town. I mean that about sums up this section. Both she and Werner are scared. I don’t think anyone believes that bombs going off in their backyard would actually be reality. Instead, it would be a complete nightmare. The only thing she can do at this point is to keep the stone and herself safe. Werner is stuck under rubble with a broken radio and injuries all around… He’s losing hope, and honestly, who wouldn’t? Both of them are experiencing surreal situations.
(hide spoiler)]


Three June 1940

(view spoiler)[
Marie-Laure and Daniel, her father, eventually have to make their way to Crazy Uncle Etienne’s house is Saint-Malo, where we find Marie-Laure in the beginning of the novel. At Etienne’s house, they meet Madame Manec, whom I adore. She informs them of the fact that many are going hungry and many are homeless. Eventually, Marie-Laure meets her uncle, who has a case of PTSD (though Doerr never truly references it in that way) and an obsession with radios. He’s not the typical crazy. His “crazy” stems more from his PTSD and how he’s frightened of all that can happen outside of the walls of his house, where he feels safe. Eventually, due to a “concerned citizen,” Daniel is detained. Daniel isn’t even given an opportunity to contact his family to inform them of what has happened, and he is unable to get help for himself, so, basically, let the worry begin… Marie-Laure will obviously have many issues with this since her and her father are connected at the hip, which isn’t totally bad but in the instance where she needs to be independent, especially in such horrible times, it is a hinderance.

Werner goes through the entrance exams for the school. The testing process is one to make sure he’s “Exceptional. Unexpected…only the purest, only the strongest.” He’s eventually accepted, which causes Jutta grief. She doesn’t like the way the Germans are fighting the war. Werner, however, thinks it’s for the best. There was an argument he had rehearsed. He wanted to explain himself to his sister. He wanted to tell her “It means duty... Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer (one people, one government, one dictator).” This, however, makes him feel some guilt due to Jutta’s every abounding hatred towards the situation. Werner makes it to the school and it is extremely regimented—everyone is different, but at this school, they must have some semblance of uniformity; they must all be the same. They must sacrifice all for their country. I knew this was how Germans started to act during Hitler’s reign but it still puts a sour taste in my mouth when I read about it.

He meets Frederick, who becomes a good friend. He eventually helps take care of him/ helps him along in school. I truly adore Frederick. He’s not “hard” like all of the others in the school. He seems so gentle and friendly. During physical training, Bastian, the man in charge, makes it super difficult. Everyone has to meet a standard of greatness. They are not allowed to be weak. Federick sticks up for himself during physical training. He says he is not the weakest, and he gets hell for it. He stays strong even when he is beaten down thoroughly. I like characters like Federick. They’re the characters who open the eyes of others into the problems surrounding them.

We also meet Von Rumpel, who is on the search for the Fire of the Sea, and nothing will get in his way. Von Rumpel is an interesting character. He’s like that quiet evil that slowly slips its way in. He doesn’t do much, but the amount he does is super effective.

At this stage, the German army has decided to instill curfew, ban items, etc. Food is taken away from them, and many are going hungry. The Germans are soaking up all of their supplies, all of their food, etc. They take and they take and those in Saint-Malo are the ones suffering. This just reminds me of large corporations nowadays. They take and they take. The greed…the power.

Communication is at a standstill for those in Saint-Malo. Eventually, the Germans collect all radios from all of the households. Marie-Laure and Etienne hide Etienne’s transmitter from the Germans. Censorship is instilled when letters are mailed between students in Werner’s school and the students’ homes. What’s sad is that even today, censorship is still around. People are having books banned from libraries and more. It’s crazy because this book takes place in the 30s and 40s, yet so many of the issues are still around today. I’m truly loving how history is interweaved throughout, and I’m loving how Doerr has created such relatable characters—characters we worry for, characters we pull for, characters we just absolutely adore and admire for their intelligence and strength and naivete.

Another light reference is made. This one discusses the very lights—lights that are shot up into the sky so snipers can spot targets and shoot them down. We learn that this is the basis of Etienne’s fear. “That a light you are powerless to stop will turn on you and usher a bullet to its mark.” It’s a pretty powerful fear.
(hide spoiler)]

Four 8 August 1944

(view spoiler)[
I’m absolutely in love with the imagery right now.

“The moon sets and the eastern sky lightens, the hem of night pulling away, taking stars with it one by one until only two are left.”

Anyways, von Rumpel knows that the stone is in Marie-Laure’s house. I’m super curious to see how Marie-Laure will react to the situation, especially considering the fact that she’s all alone. Her father is gone, Etienne is nowhere to be found. Marie-Laure is, however, more prepared than Werner in the bombing situation. She finds food and hides while he continuously feels hopeless in the matter. Volkheimer has to remind Werner of what he has to live for (sister).

Oh, i like Volkheimer too. He has this rough exterior but every now and then his soft side shows. He’s gentle and funny, but like most of Germany, he has to serve his country.

Anyways, back to Marie-Laure. Her and her uncle have a “nice” set-up for bad situations like the one she is currently in. They have a bathtub filled with water (though it gets dirty) and a trip wire to let them know if someone has entered the house, which von Rumpel does! Oh, the suspense. Like I said before, I’m really interested to see how Marie-Laure interacts with von Rumpel.
(hide spoiler)]

I’m still in the middle of part 5, but i’ll update my thoughts in regard to that chapter as I finish that along with some other sections.

Happy reading, guys!

p.s. sorry if my thoughts are long… i tend to ramble but i’m so excited about this book and there’s so much to discuss!

I may have to move it up my list based on your excitement!

you should :)

i was finally able to finish this tonight. i was trying to get it done earlier but my weekend was extremely busy. I'll update it when i can get my laptop away from my husband :) just thought I'd stop by and say how much i love this book. happy reading!

I'm still waiting for it to come in from the library.

no worries. take your time! I'll update when i do and you can update when you read. I'll continue to check in and respond to your thoughts :)

just checking in to see if any of y'all have read it yet.

I finally got it from the library and started it! I read a little last night but didn't want to read too much because I knew I had to get up in the morning! More later after I've read more.

hope you enjoy it

Is this a love story (HEA)?

towards the end there's a little bit of a love story but the book isn't focused on that and it's not your typical love story. it's an obvious historical fiction, a bit of coming-of-age.. it's a story about two completely different people experiencing drastically different situations (a blind french girl and a german boy who becomes a private) during the same war and their experiences before, during, and after the war, and how they come to find each other in the end. after you read it, you'll understand what i mean about it not being a typical love story.

oh, i dont know what hea means :x

Happily Ever After: HEA.

Thanks Sarah

oooh, thanks for the clarification. not a "hea" ;) in the way most people would want, but considering war and all the tribulations that come with war.. as much as an hea for that type of situation.

as much of *