Readers United Book Reviews | All the Light We Cannot See and Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance

Skylar Hansen-Raj ’20 returns with two interesting and profound historical novels, one fictional and one biographical.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See is a beautifully written piece focusing on the effects of war on seemingly everyday people. Doerr’s gorgeous style of writing is both clever and unique, as it slowly unfolds a bittersweet story of two young adults during World War II. This book is a magical read, as it is able to pull the reader in. 

One of the story’s main features is Doerr’s use of time skips. He starts off the book with a vivid image of an airplane gliding over the coastline of the French port Saint-Malo just before liberation. “To the bombardiers, the walled city in its granite headland, drawing ever closer, looks like an unholy tooth, something black and dangerous, a final abscess to be laced away,” Doerr writes. The poetic language of the text allows the story to be one of grace and strength instead of grit and gore. Although a variety of tough subjects are brought up, Doerr’s careful insight and use of blank space allow the reader to pause and truly reflect.

The plot centers around two characters in very different situations. The first is Marie-Laure, a headstrong and resilient girl who happens to be blind. The other is Werner, an orphan with a knack for mathematics who was born in the wrong place and time. Marie-Laure and her single father, a locksmith, escape Paris just as it is occupied by Germany and flee to Saint-Malo where relative Etienne lives. The father is entrusted with the safekeeping of the Sea of Flames, a highly valuable diamond that supposedly allows the owner to live forever. However, it causes terrible things to happen to the people the owner loves. Over the course of the book Marie-Laure struggles for survival, learns to do what’s right, and comes to love the city.

In the beginning of the novel, Werner dreams of leaving the orphanage. He and his younger sister Jutta listen to the broadcasts on the radio. One broadcast specifically catches their interest: a Frenchman who plays the piano and talks about science. He is the one who inspires Werner to build and solve the mysteries of the radio. Werner is noticed for his skill of the radios and successfully tests into the Nazi academy. He leaves Jutta behind, but not before she demands, “Is it right to do something only because everyone else is doing it?”

At the academy, Werner’s skill is noticed and put to use. He also befriends Frederick, a kind boy who seems out of place. Throughout the book Werner suffers and regrets before he finally understands what it means to live.

I really loved this book. The imagery and writing style impressed me so much that it has inspired me to try some creative writing. The way Doerr articulates the meaning of living is especially profound. The book manages to not be heavy on war but instead on the small actions of people trying to live their lives during hard times. It is not just a tale of survival; it is a story of love and hope. Doerr successfully manage to place the reader into the mind of a Nazi and makes you challenge your own morals. Although I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending, I feel as if I could read this book a hundred times more.


Verdict: I would strongly recommend this book to those who feel like a dark theme but a light read.

Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance by Alessandro Vezzosi

Leonardo da Vinci: The Mind of the Renaissance, by Alessandro Vezzosi, is an excellent documentation of da Vinci’s background, private life, discoveries, and art. A dense but short read, it is extremely factual and surprisingly interesting.

One of the greatest figures of the Renaissance, da Vinci has long been idolized and studied. This book goes into deeper detail of who he truly was. Although best known for his art, da Vinci was so much more than simply an artist. He was a scientist, philosopher, anatomist, astronomer, engineer, courtier, and an inventor. In fact, his paintings were often ways of studying the human body and its capabilities. His spirited and active imagination led him to explore the mysteries of the world. He studied the heavens and designed several parachutes to get him there. Da Vinci also researched medicine, hydraulic, mechanics, painting techniques, architecture, warfare, and weaponry. Many of his discoveries were crucial to inventions made today.

This book is more than just a biography. It takes the reader on a journey through Florence, Milan, and France. Each setting is accurately detailed and represents the hardships da Vinci faced as he struggled to make a name for himself in the world.

This book was fascinating to read because I had never appreciated all the work da Vinci did. He was a true scientist. I loved the way the information was presented. Instead of cramming everything onto a page, the author created a fresh format to keep the book from becoming overwhelming.

Several prints of da Vinci’s paintings and notes are also included, which allow the reader to see the exact pieces the text references. I gained a lot of respect for da Vinci, as there is a lot more than the textbooks describe him to be. Although little is known about the true life of da Vinci, the book does a great job describing myths and also real snippets of his own works. My favorite quote of da Vinci’s is: “When I thought I was learning to live, I was learning to die.”

Verdict: I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for great and in depth information about both the Renaissance and da Vinci.