“Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.”
― Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See
The vibes
book / loungewear / blanket / candle / wine glasses / slippers / headphones
The review
Marie-Laure is the daughter of a locksmith, working at the Museum of Natural History. She’s slowly gone blind, and at age 12, the Nazis invade and occupy Paris. The two retreat to a coastal walled citadel of Saint-Malo, to stay with Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle.
Meanwhile, in a mining town in Germany, orphan Werner Pfennig grows up with his younger sister, listening to a banned radio — especially a broadcast from a professor who teaches them things they would otherwise never know. Werner has skills the reich needs, and he’s wanted by the Nazis.
The two protagonists’ lives, as different as they are, intersect with each other — as well as with an antagonist, Von Rompel, who will stop at nothing to get all of invaded Europe’s finest jewels — especially the one he believes will save his life.
Beautiful storytelling throughout short segments in long chapters and a dual timeline with anticipation always building. It’s literally a work of art, and has a pulitzer prize to prove it. If you’ve somehow managed to miss out on this book the past several years, now’s your time to pick it up.
The audio is solid, but opt for the book. And if you are doing the audio, slow your speed way down. It’s tempting to speed through the 15 hours, but Doerr pack so much into every line, it’s in your best interest to take it slow and savor every page.
The show
I had the opportunity to watch the first episode of the show (there are only four!!) early — it’s out November 2! It’s incredible. Like, I can just stop there.
BUT… and this is a but I personally don’t care about… but the show kind of puts ya right into the thick of it. If you’ve read the book, you don’t really need to catch up, you’re just *boom* in it. With the book, there’s a slow, and I mean SLOW, build to the big moving part of the story (aka when ish is going down!). So, while I appreciate the action moved up in the storytelling, it can be a bit overwhelming for viewers.
The solution? READ THE BOOK, PEOPLE!!
In the sneak peek I got, Shawn Levy — Canadian film director, film producer, screenwriter, etc. — is just the biggest fan of Anthony Doerr (Tony, as we call him now, I guess). Tbh the fanclub is mutual. Levy did Stranger Things (v different), and he was dedicated to adapting All the Light because he adored the book.
Apparently, this is the second time the rights were acquired, and the first time the crew involved attempted a 90-minute film adaption of the 500+ page book. Clearly, a four-part limited series was the way to go. Apart from a few changes (and I noticed them all because I literally finished the book in the same day I watched the first episode), the adaption stays true to the novel in a lot of ways…. INCLUDING MARIE-LAURE!!
The actress cast for adult Marie-Laure is actually blind and went into the audition (her first ever!) wearing an outfit from her Grandmother. Oh and young Marie-Laure? ALSO BLIND. Incredible. Are you crying? I’m crying.
Re-read (or read!) the book asap — you have almost two full months to do so! And then get cozy for release day, because I bet you’re going to plow through the show!
BookNerdalie 