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The Problem is the Lack of Inventiveness There are a few hot headed reviews below, who, in response to some of the negative reviews posted here (as well as in response to negative reviews in The NewYorker-- by John Updike-- and in The New York Observer) have lashed out angrily, saying that these people don't get it, don't like the imagination, the inventiveness, are picking on the author for the wrong reasons, etc., and are then defending what they claim to be the originality of Foer. However, that is precisely what the problem is with "Extremely Loud.." There are more and more readers and reviewers who are beginning to point out, that Foer's book is an unsettling "borrowing" of the author David Grossman (are actual, in-the-courts plagiarism charges far behind?). There are also other claims floating around to Foer taking liberally in plot, story, substance, etc. from Beverly Cleary ("Dear Mr. Henshaw") as well as the less veiled borrowing of the main character of "The Tin Drum" (how original is the character of Oskar in the end?). Another book that there is a little-too-close of a similarity to is last year's "The Mysterious Incident of The Dog in The Nighttime"... Foer here has put forth a book with a terribly similar voice/ narration, as well as the general premise of a strange little brilliant boy going off on a quest alock to unlock a mystery. Besides this, for anyone who has ever taken a generic modern literature class in college has become familiar with all the little tricks and stylist techniques that every major "modern" author in 20th century lit has already given these a whirl (at that time, there actually was something unique and novel to them.) So, given the taking of other writer's plots, characters, voices, storylines, style devises-- where is the originality and the inventivess? It would be sad to think that we're a population that is so lacking in literary background to be tricked-- but then, within the framework of all these sophomoric gimmicks and games, maybe this is all just a prank. Give it a couple months, and we'll be hearing "gotcha!"