The Book of Everything

Feedback for The Book of Everything by Guus Kuijer

Front cover reads:
Do you believe in God? Thomas can see things no one else can see. Tropical fish swimming in the canals. The fierce beauty of Eliza and her artificial leg. The magic of Mrs. van Amersfoort, the Beethoven-loving witch next door. And the Lord Jesus, who visits Thomas often and tells him, "Just call me Jesus."

Do you believe in love? But Thomas also sees his father hit his mother, with blows that make the angels weep. Thomas can comfort her in her pain, he can call all the plagues of Egypt down as retribution, but he cannot protect her. Not even Jesus can do that.

Do you believe in happiness? And yet through Eliza's faith, through Mrs. van Amersfoort's friendship, through a visitation of frogs and other matter-of-fact-miracles, Thomas discovers how happiness begins: with no longer being afraid.

Whether you believe or whether you doubt, you will never forget The Book of Everything.


Thoughts:
Hm. Just weird. A cute and touching story, but some of it was just confusing. I could relate to Thomas on a few levels, but not on others. This was in the children's section of the library. I don't think that it's appropriate for children. It talks about God dying and Jesus not being able to save people or wanting to. That's just no good. I think that the author provides "truth" as Thomas perceives it. His version is influenced heavily by his father's explanations of the Bible and growing hypocrisy. I think that any kid who reads this will come away from it seriously confused about things.

Kuijer must have written it in German, and Nienwenhuizen translated it. It has some unexpected twists that make you gasp, a ton of beautiful imagery, and a pretty complex protagonist who is only 9 years old. I polished it off in about 2 hours. I get the distinct feeling that I should read it again. It's just leaving me with this feeling of uncertainty.

No word nerd seal of approval. I would only recommend this to huge literary critics who could read into it and pull some guts out of it, because I'm sure confused.

Good quotes, though:

"They walked, because God did not want trams to run on Sundays The trams ran anyway, and that was not very nice for God to have to put up with" (6).

"The angels in heaven covered their eyes with their hands and sobbed loudly, because that is what they always do when a man hits his wife" (9).

"He thought it was spooky enough at Granddad's, because Granddad took his teeth out of his mouth while Thomas was watching" (52). My gramps used to do that, but it was cool!

"Listen to this, Thomas. [...] I haven't had an easy time with my father either, you know. [...] He was very strict. I had to be nailed to the Cross whether I wanted to or not" (59). Love how this shows Christ's human side.

"I agree with that completely. [...] But there is something missing. It should read 'A man who hits his wife without good reason dishonors himself'" (74). I really dislike this character. He uses the Bible to justify beating his wife: "It is simply a fact of life that the man is the head of the household...[...] It is the man's task to lead and instruct his wife and children. [...] And if you obstinately resist God's commandments, your husband has the right, no, the duty, to compel you to obey, with a hard hand if need be" (62-63).

I think that he was trying to use Ephesians 5:23-24 to support his thinking: "For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything."

But the idiot should have kept reading : "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, with out spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. for no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body." Ephesians 5:25-30 Hitting is never right, good, or acceptable.

"No one had been minding Margot. Suddenly she was there, as if she came falling form the sky. In her right hand, the carving knife flashed, and her eyes blazed. She jumped in front of her father and pointed the knife at his throat. [...] She looked like an angel. The most dangerous angel in Heaven. One of those with a flaming sword" (80). I love how images of St. Michael the Archangel keep popping up in the books I read.