Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

I recently read the novel "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer and it will easily join the list of my top ten favorite books. The story, involving the death of 9-year-old Oskar Schell's father in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, is almost refreshing even though is deals with a traumatic, disturbing and overplayed part of our recent history. Foer uses the playful and humorous imagination of Schell to create an original, inventive and touching story that brings humanity and clarity to such a devastating event. Foer's inclusion of photographs and illustrations add a unique experience to the novel's reading, on top of Foer's odd, quirky and sometimes unexpected prose. I finished the book feeling energized, knowing that there are still authors out there with the capacity to write a fresh, invigorating novel.