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The Book ThiefNazi Germany. For reasons she doesn't quite understand - something to do with the word Kommunist - nine year old Liesel is going to live with a foster family. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is her story. Liesel's foster parents oppose the Nazi regime, and are willing to help those in danger - as is shown by them taking in Liesel and hiding Max, a Jew, in their basement. But this isn't a story of heroics - openly fighting the regime would just get you taken away as well. No, Liesel must still have a clean uniform for her Hitler Youth meetings each week. Rather the book is about the little things in life which are changed by such resistance.
The Book Thief. There is plenty of thievery going on in Liesel's community, but she is only on the edges of it. What she does steal is books, once in a while, and each one has it's own story. This Novel is Narrated by Death. A bit quirky, you might think, and it certainly is for the first fifty pages or so - after that it settles down. What I liked about having such a narrator was that it gets away from using a death as a big event in a story. Yes, people are going to die, but don't let this rule your life.
In summary it's a haunting story giving a different view of a low point of 20th century civilization, and is well worth reading.
| Amazon.com info
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Paperback
576 pages
ISBN: 0375842209
Salesrank: 147
Weight:0.9 lbs | | Published: 2007 Alfred A. Knopf | | Amazon price $6.99 | | Marketplace:New from $5.98:Used from $4.23 |
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| Amazon.co.uk info
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Paperback
560 pages
ISBN: 0552773891
Salesrank: 163
Weight:0.85 lbs | | Published: 2008 Black Swan | | Amazon price £3.59 | | Marketplace:New from £1.90:Used from £0.43 |
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| Amazon.ca info
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Paperback
576 pages
ISBN: 0375842209
Salesrank: 547
Weight:0.9 lbs | | Published: 2007 Knopf Books for Young Readers | | Amazon price CDN$ 10.94 | | Marketplace:New from CDN$ 5.91:Used from CDN$ 7.49 |
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| Product Description
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It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
From the Hardcover edition. |
| A gem with a rough spot or two. **** |
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I have to say that I don't particularly like the layout of the book with its bold, terse intrusions that seem to be an attempt at some sort of post-modern technique that, in my opinion, detracts from rather than elucidates the story.
That said I did like this book. The grim Reaper as narrator (and even the aforementioned technique) work well when dealing with the evils of the Nazis. This may be particularly instructive as the modern world continues with the old us vs them dialectic.
Zusak's tale brings to mind Gunther Grass' poignant little book "Cat and Mouse," with its rendition of boys growing up and coming of age during the Nazi era in Danzig. As much as I liked Grass' book, Zusak's is better in my opinion: broader in scope, characterization and even historical perspective. Where Grass uses the obvious metaphor of the cat toying with the mice until it kills them, Zusak's Is more subtle: the idea perhaps that every life is a book and that in dire times one may have to steal a life.
I've given only four stars not only based on the format, but because I thought some of the dialogue needed a little more work.
Michael D. Edwards, Author of the recently released "Royal Ryukian Blues" a memoir of Okinawa. |
| The Book Thief stole my heart **** |
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The Book Thief was suggested to me by Aine Gleadhill of Belfast She is an author and a great reader. She knows me well. The book clutched at my heart and would not let go even when the story ended. Picking up the next bool was more than a little difficult. I let The Book Thief lay on the table and went back again and again to review the amazing wisdom and philosophy... Fear of Death keeping us from living.
Roisin |
| The Book Thief ** |
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| Very hard to read. The story is good but written in a very fragmented way. I would not recommend it. |
| Didn't really like it *** |
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Alfred A. Knopf, 2005
550 pages
YA; Historical
3.5/5 stars
Summary: (from goodreads)
"It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist-books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. "
Thoughts: I saw many rave reviews of this before I started reading it so I had high hopes. Alas I must be an exception for while I can see the strengths of it, it didn't work for me.
I liked the idea of Death as narrator but Zusack's Death isn't as good as Terry Pratchett's Death. I liked the idea of a young girl in Nazi Germany. Despite the popularity of WWII in film and fiction, I still feel as if there isn't as much in YA (in general I feel like there isn't much historical fiction in YA at all). Another problem was that despite the little moments in the book, the overwhelming feeling I got from it was depression especially as Hitler and the Holocaust are referenced frequently. I know the Holocaust was an awful event and I do not want anything of that kind to ever happen again but I personally had trouble handling that aspect. I also didn't like the use of German, followed by a rough translation of what was said-I found it annoying, perhaps because I have studied German and didn't always need the translation so it was like having something repeated to me.
My favorite part was the descriptions of books and the joyful experience of reading. Liesel certainly needed some good in her life and I think book bloggers will appreciate those passages. The ending did make me cry. The death all around was too much and practically everyone dies.
Overall: While I recognize this as a book that is kind of book that wins awards, I didn't particularly like it.
Cover: The dominoes are a good choice for the cover. |
| This book will touch you for sure, don't miss the experience! ***** |
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| Although this book already has 917 reviews as I write, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to add my name to the list of lovers of this powerful book. I had a little trouble getting into it at first. After about 85 pages I called the friend who recommended it to ask why she loved it so much. She told me to persevere and I will be greatly rewarded. So rarely do I have tears in my eyes while reading. There are many well written powerful books on the market with heart wrenching tales to tell but this book does it so well without being maudlin and manipulative. It is a very special piece of literature. |
| Amazing ***** |
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| One of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. Zusak has the ability to take you on a journey that changes your perspective of life, friendship and love. It is joyous, heart breaking, funny and infuriating, often all on one page. I don't want to give away any of the story, I just want to say READ IT! It has become one of my most treasured books. |
| Stirring! ***** |
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Another very successful title of the last decade that has been mentioned in more than one top ten list. In fact reading one of these lists recently I realised that this was one of only three titles on such a list that I had not read!
When I looked on Amazon recently there were already 603 reviews published of which 445 are five star ones. There are a handful of reviews from readers that did not like the novel but they are insignificant when a novel is so popular.
Out of the three books that I needed to read to have read all ten recommendations for the decade it is interesting that two of them were both about the Nazi Germany during WWII, a subject I maybe subconsciously steer away from. The other one was The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas similar in that it also has a child as the main protagonist. I only mention it here as I feel if you read one of these you should read both. I obviously made a mistake by avoiding them for so long.
The Book Thief is written in a truly unusual style, in fact I do not think I have ever come across anything else written in a style quite like this before. Short sections that all link together almost like a diary, but the weirdest thing of all for me was the fact that the story is narrated by Death. One needs to accept that a story told by Death is almost certainly going to be a tear jerker which it is but it is also very compassionately told. This is not a book to enjoy as such but it is a story that will make you think, I suspect not for the first time about the awful atrocities that were committed in Nazi Germany during the second World War.
The young protagonist is Liesel who is sent to a foster family for her own safety in 1939 when her parents are sent to a concentration camp. Set in a small German town called Molching it is basically the story of her day to day life on Himmel Street plus the other folk that become her friends and neighbours. Liesel steals books to feed her desire to learn to read and write, hence the title! Work and food are scarce and as the war progresses death is always close in one way or another.
Death's account of Liesels life is thanks to the author full of descriptive imagery which will provide you with strong images of immense cruelty and human misery but also of love and kindness to others.
If you have not already read this, I think I am in the minority in not having done so before now, I recommend you do so. It will stir your emotions but it is for all that an easy quick read. Just make sure you have the tissues ready. |
| READ IT ***** |
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Beautiful, stunning, original.
Moving, emotional, tense.
I wonder why it has taken me so long to read this book - please don't listen to anyone who says it's depressing - it's not. It's quite simply amazing. |
| Truly Wonderful ***** |
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I have never written a review before and although there are many I can't resist adding to them.
This book is truly fabulous. I started it one night and finished it the next. Usually I put finished books on the shelf even if I have enjoyed them but never have I woken up the next day and read the last few pages again. The last 2 pages in particular made me bawl like a baby again and again.
This book will stay with me for a long time and I am glad of that. |
| One of the best reads ever ***** |
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| This is a slow burner,beautifully written and observed, at the same time shocking. Its one of the best books i have ever read. |
| A must read! ***** |
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A tremendously inspiring and moving book. Takes the German experience from the World War II and humanizes it on numerous fronts.
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| Needs to win awards. ***** |
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| This book is brilliant. Emotional, captivating and inspiring. I was reading reviews on google and inadvertently stumbled upon this book's review and thought to myself I have to read it and I am glad I did. |
| Touching and thought provoking ***** |
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| Best book I've read on the Holocaust. I'd recommend it for high school students or adults looking for factual historical fiction. |
| A great read! ***** |
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I have gotten away from reading fiction, leaving many books half -finished over the last few months. This book drew me right in and just held and haunted me until I finished it. It must have have done the same with the author. I can imagine him struggling to live day to day while carrying this around in his head and heart, letting it out bit by bit, wondering where it was taking him.
I loved the author's style and the unique point of view of the narrator.
What a great book! |
| Hmm... *** |
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...it didn't move me.
Before I began reading it, I was curious about how this novel could have accrued so many accolades...and yet also, some really scathing reviews. The book's blurbs were *so* effusive. It seemed like reading it was going to be a real experience for me, a truly transcendent experience.
It wasn't. On either count.
It's well-written.
Its often pithy and almost point-form style makes the subject matter easier to process. (Not that I needed it to be; I'm an adult reading a piece of young adult literature.)
And the characters are almost all interesting and well-shaped.
But it wasn't a memorable story. I didn't find myself not wanting to put it down. In fact, I found myself in 'dutiful reader' mode.
I'm glad that this story was written. I'm glad that so many people have clutched it to their chests. And I'm glad for the author's success.
It just didn't do it for me...regardless of its category.
(Personal rating: 7/10) |
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