I've never read a book that is told in such a unique manner! Foer uses numerous character POV's that span hundreds of years to tell this story within a story. My favorite parts were the letters from Alex, who is such an enigmatic character. He steals the spotlight in my opinion! He's the comic relief, the voice of the reader responding to Jonathan's story about his relatives. The lives of Jonathan's ancestors are the sad, introspective, and overly dramatized parts of the book. The reader is shown human nature in its most raw form. Parts of the book are shocking and disturbing, but it's truthful and that is what gives this story such power.