Everything Is Illuminated
The debut novel and the clearest starting point for Foer's literary fiction.
Author guide
Jonathan Safran Foer Books in Order
Jonathan Safran Foer (born 1977) is an American novelist and nonfiction writer. His work combines literary experimentation with recurring concerns about Jewish history, family, memory, moral responsibility, animal ethics, and climate change. He is best known for the novels Everything Is Illuminated, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and Here I Am, as well as the nonfiction works Eating Animals and We Are the Weather.
literary fictionexperimental fictionnonfictionfood writingenvironmental writingJewish literature
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
A widely recognized, formally inventive novel that showcases his major themes.
Eating Animals
The best entry point to his nonfiction and ethical concerns.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (6)
- Everything Is Illuminated
novel · 2002
A young man arrives in the Ukraine, clutching in his hand a tattered photograph. He is searching for the woman who fifty years ago saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Unfortunately, however, he is aided in his quest by Alex, a…
- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
novel · 2005
A new novel by the author of Everything Is Illuminated introduces Oskar Schell, the nine-year-old son of a man killed in the World Trade Center bombing who searches the city for a lock that fits a black key his father left behind.…
- Eating Animals
nonfiction · 2009
Jonathan Safran Foer spent much of his teenage and college years oscillating between omnivore and vegetarian. But on the brink of fatherhood - facing the prospect of having to make dietary choices on a child's behalf - his casual…
- Tree of Codes
experimental novel · 2010
Tree of Codes is a haunting new story by best-selling American writer, Jonathan Safran Foer. With a different die-cut on every page, Tree of Codes explores previously unchartered literary territory. Initially deemed impossible to make,…
- Here I Am
novel · 2016
A monumental novel from the bestselling author of Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safran Foer's Here I Am In the book of Genesis, when God calls out, “Abraham!” before ordering him to sacrifice…
- We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast
nonfiction · 2019
Some people reject the fact, overwhelmingly supported by scientists, that our planet is warming due to human activities. But do those of us who accept the reality of human-caused climate change truly believe in it? If we did, surely we…
Frequently asked questions about Jonathan Safran Foer
Who is Jonathan Safran Foer, and what is he known for?
Jonathan Safran Foer is an American novelist and nonfiction writer known for literary fiction and ethically focused nonfiction about food and animals.
What is Jonathan Safran Foer's cultural and family background?
Foer grew up in Washington, D.C., in a Jewish American family. His debut novel drew on a trip to Ukraine to investigate a family story involving his grandfather and the Holocaust.
How did Joyce Carol Oates influence Jonathan Safran Foer's career?
At Princeton, Joyce Carol Oates advised Foer's senior thesis, which became an early version of his celebrated debut novel, Everything Is Illuminated.
What awards has Jonathan Safran Foer won?
His honors include the National Jewish Book Award for Everything Is Illuminated, the Guardian First Book Award, and the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction.
Sources: jewishbookcouncil.org (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)pen.org (opens in a new tab)
What is distinctive about Jonathan Safran Foer's literary style and legacy?
Foer is associated with formal experimentation, including visual elements and unconventional book design. His work has also achieved broad international reach, with translations into 36 languages.
Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)