All The Light We Cannot See | Review

In his compelling and tragic tale of a wartime, star-crossed love, Doerr skillfully swerves to avoid cliches and audience expectations. This novel is perfect if you want to expand your reading collection, vocabulary and writing style. Doerr tells his tale through the tragic misfortunes of Marie-Laure and Werner in their alternate countries of France and Germany throughout the Second World War; however, he juxtaposes common anticipations by exploring with his English speaking audience the story of the assumed villain rather than a spectacular wartime hero. In a story unlike any wartime novel I have read before, Doerr manages to strike empathy as well as curiosity from his gripped readers. 

 Although the issues raised can be somewhat overwhelming, the resolution leaves the reader with enough closure to move on, keeping the stories of these characters with them, without answering all of our questions. As a direct result, Doerr provides a new outlook on the infamous war. Doerr also tackles the issues of prisoners of war, the Hitler Youth and wartime rape, including the future impact on the personas in a tasteful style that will leave the reader thinking rather than feeling uncomfortable. The character development introduces more complex personas that the audience can connect with- Marie-Laure loses her sight early on in the novel which subtly enhances the audience's empathy with her later sense of loss. It is stunningly captivating. Similarly, Werner's innocent ignorance within his involvement in the Hitler Youth emphasises the question of who the villains of this war really were. Thus allowing a deeper insight into the tragedy of that lost generation. Doerr exposes callous prejudices that were a ripple effect of these injustices. 

 Each chapter within this novel is a work of pure art; my favourite being entitled, 'The Sea Of Flames.' Doerr's captivating imagery, symbolism and vocabulary emits a sense of learning throughout the book. Whilst discovering new words and vocabulary, Doerr manages to subtly teach a broader lesson to his readers. 

 The book in its entirety can be hard to digest at times with a lot going on at once and a complex narrative style. As readers, we follow an abundance of interlinking stories across broad time periods; however, if you continue, allowing the links to connect, the confusion is replaced with a new outlook and perspective that leaves the reader resolved yet always wanting to know more about what happened to the lost characters slipping through the pages. By shedding very little light on Marie-Laure and Werner as lovers, though he no doubt falls deeply for her, Doerr creates their sense of emptiness within his readers who subsequently wish there had been more for them. Overall, it is a captivating read and a skillful allegory that opens the eyes of readers in a riveting new way.