The Book Thief

I made a deal with myself to try and read a few of the books on my TBR pile each month on top of my other book commitments. The Book Thief has been on the top of that pile for quite a while. I know, I know! Try not to judge...I'm quite embarrassed that it has taken this long for me to tackle it. I honestly don't have any excuses. I love historical fiction and more importantly books surrounding World War I and World War II. My Mother, Sister and Daughter have all read it as well as numerous of my friends. It was time for me to read it.I knew I was in trouble after just a few pages. Not only did the story take place in WWII Germany but it was narrated by death. It did not have the makings of a happily ever after. First off, I wasn't sure how an entire book (particularly one that is 576 pages long) could be narrated by death without being completely depressing. I have to say though, that it worked beautifully. Of course there was a lot of depressing content, it was WWII after all, but at the same time there was a lot of beauty within the pages. Not only was the narration of the story unique but so was the writing and together it made for one of the best books that I have read in quite some time. The descriptors in this book were so vivid that I felt like I could reach out and touch them. It was pure 100% talent at its finest.I won't go into detail about the plot because this book has been reviewed millions of times. I will say, however, that the synopsis did not do it justice. It was far bigger and greater than how it was described. Some of the best characters were also found within the pages of this book that I adored. Leisel Meminger was an amazing young girl with a love for books. How could I not love her and the people she loved like Max, Rudy and Papa to name just a few.I won't lie and say that it was all rainbows and unicorns althought there was a lot of colour. There were times when I had a lump in my throat and a few times the tears ran down my face. I really can't properly put into words how moving and enjoyable this book was for me. After reading hundreds (yes hundreds) of books surrounding WWII you would think that they would all start to read the same. This was absolutely not the case. This was a uniquely beautiful story that would be suitable for readers of all ages. There really isn't anything that I can say other than it is a must read. I wish I hadn't waited so long to read it myself.I loved every heartbreaking page of this book and won't soon forget it.

When I saw the movie version of The Book Thief was coming out I thought it was the perfect time to finally read my copy of the book that has been sitting on my shelf for some time. With all the lovely reviews I have read I was sure I would love it as well and I was definitely not disappointed. While I cannot say that it is a feel good read in any way it is an incredibly beautiful story and one who's characters I will never forget.First and foremost the narrator of this incredible story is death himself. He's not the usual scythe and darkness death we have seen before but a death who is just doing his job and trying not to get too distracted by the strange lives of the living he passes by. There is a heart beating in that cold chest, one that cannot turn away from our main character, Liesel Meminger, a girl who refuses to let this horrid life she has been born into break her spirit. It might sound strange but, with all the war stories I have read in my lifetime, it is this book narrated by death that presents the most humane and heartbreaking story yet.Liesel is another wholly unique character. Made to go live with foster parents when the Communist label attached to her family becomes too dangerous, Liesel's younger brother dies on the way to their new home. Finding a book in the snow by her brother's grave, Liesel steals the book and resolves to learn how to read it. It is with this first theft that Liesel resolves to steal words when the world takes things from her. However words become so much more to our young heroine: a bridge connecting her to her foster Papa, Hans Hubermann; a way to escape the horrors happening around her, both figuratively and literally; a way to emotionally relate and communicate to the young Jewish man the Hubermanns hide in their basement. For someone who love words as well I became very attached to Liesel and her various ways of dealing with the unpredictable, often hypocritical world she had to try and navigate. How else might a young German girl, a member of the local Hitler Young group, deal with the unwarranted hatred she sees being thrown at Jewish people like the young man in their basement she has come to love like family?I couldn't end this review without mentioning the other unforgettable characters that saturate this story. By far my favorite character is Liesel's best friend, Rudy Steiner, a young boy always willing to do what his heart feels is right, regardless of the danger it might present for himself, and a boy who wants nothing more than a kiss from Liesel. I don't want to give too much away regarding their sweet, innocent relationship but I will advise you prepare and have some tissues when you begin reading the last 50 pages or so of the story. Another unforgettable character is Papa, a man who seems to have unlimited amounts of kindness and another character who refuses to let the propaganda of the Fuhrer dement what he knows to be the right way to be. There are so many more remarkable characters - Max, the young Jew in the basement, Liesel's harsh yet caring Mama, Rosa, the many colorful characters inhabiting Himmel Street - and this collection of humanity makes the ending of the book that much more poignant. I've never quite read anything like it.Anyone who loves reading history from an alternative viewpoint, especially history dealing with WWII, would be remise not to read this book. This is a powerful, beautiful, bittersweet story. It's the kind of story that you will not only never forget but one that, once you have read it, will make you forget what it was like to have not known and loved these characters. Truly a life changing story.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is suppose to be one of those rare book that comes along every so often and change your outlook on life. It's sad, depressing and makes you really think on what is most important in life. Did it succeed in doing that for me personally? Honestly, I wouldn't really say so as I've definitely read other more life changing stories that The Book Thief but that isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the book. It is definitely something special and I'm extremely glad that a movie was made of it as it broadens the audience members. Instead of always watching mindless action flicks, I hope more movie-goers give this movie a chance in hopes of experiencing something a little different than what they are normally used to.If you've never liked stories that uses a war torn WWII Germany as the backdrop, then well, that's exactly what you'll be getting here! Personally, I can never tire of it. It usually makes for a somewhat depressing yet captivating story. The Book Thief is told through the eyes of a very special "narrator" and I'm sure that if you've read some of the other reviews for the book, someone somewhere must have given it away. Luckily for me, I just picked up the book and started reading without every going through one user review at all. It does make for a very interesting narrative as you'll follow along in the childhood of Liesel Meminger of Himmel Street. Being very poor, there's not much that Liesel can do that requires money. Eventually though, Liesel finds that she would come alive through the power of words in a book. As the title already gave it away, stealing books would become one of Liesel's favorite hobbies.What I liked most about The Book Thief is the poetic nature of the author's writing. He never lost me for one moment throughout the book, which is quite lengthy if I think about it now. The author just finds a way to write ever so smoothly from page to page and once you discover who the narrator is, the poetic style of writing feels even more haunting and chilling to say the least. It might put some readers off in the beginning but if you stick with it, you'll feel right at home after a few chapters in. What I'm most disappointed with in The Book Thief is that well, I actually thought it would involve more book stealing! I thought it would involve Liesel finding more clever ways to get her next book in the collection but it's not really about that. The characters in the story are a bit dry as they just seem to remain the same throughout the book save for a few instances. On a positive note however, I still can say that there were many memorable pieces sprinkled throughout the book to makeup for the negatives.The Book Thief in my opinion definitely deserves its praises but everything is with fault and so is this book. When you have such a highly rated and popular book, there are bound to be many readers who gets sucked into the hype only to realize that its not worth it. That is fine because you can't create something that everyone will like. The Book Thief gives me yet another look into one of the darkest periods of mankind and for that it was worth reading in my eyes.

Zusak, Markus,, and Trudy White. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. Print608 pages, US $6.99 on Amazon (on 05/13/2021).***Spoilers will be included***Liesel, the perfect example of showing that one can overcome anything if they try really hard for it. In the beginning, she struggled with reading since she didn’t know how at all. That was until her adopted father Hans taught her how. She was made fun of for being a slower reader than her classmates. She just has a way with words, which encouraged her to steal books even if cost her own life. Her family helped hide a Jew in their basement during the Hitler Regime, which is the equivalence of having a death wish. At a young age, she had to keep dark secrets from others just to keep her family alive. She learned the seriousness of war, how people won’t submit to the fears of Hitler so easily.This story shows the importance of education, how words make a person so strong. A part in the book mentions how she’s stealing the words that Hitler used to make people support him. Like I mentioned before, she didn’t know how to read. She became more powerful once she learned how to. I think that’s why it was so important for her father to teach her how to. This book made you fall in love with the characters. Rudy, the one who loved Jesse Owens and dreamed to be him. He was super athletic and was pretty smart in class. Which was why it wasn’t a surprised when they wanted him to join their new program for making the best race. Max, the Jew who is so selfish and felt like he had to be in some way. It was sad when they had to go to someone else’s basement for the bombings while he had to stay alone at Liesel’s basement. He even gave Liesel a book, with small pictures throughout the story. People around her really made Liesel’s life more bearable. Like how she became friend’s with the Mayor’s wife. The massive library in their house gave Liesel hope. That she will be surrounded with books her whole life.What’s different about this book is that it’s narrated by death himself. It was clear that he had some biases. It was harder for him to collect people’s souls compared to others. He was always attached the book thief and the people that surrounded her. I had mixed emotions about death spoiling the ending, like how he told the readers that Rudy died. However, it did create the suspense about how it ended up happening. In the beginning, it was hard to read because I didn’t understand it. It was talking about colors and random things such as bombings. It was a lot to handle but it eventually became more clear. The writing style was definitely unique and something I really appreciate from the author. In other books that relate to WWII, they mostly mention people that support Hitler either out of admiration or fear. This book was clearly different. Yeah they did their salutes for the leader, but they just did it when they had to. They didn’t care about him being leader. They went against him but they didn’t make it so obvious like those who join the revolution.Her father deserved a lot better, he did escape death twice so I guess a third time was impossible. I never expected that Liesel would be the only only one alive from her street. Her love for words was clearly so strong that it helped her stay alive through the bombings. Max is eventually liberated from the concentration camp that he was in and visited Liesel right away. I think that’s where everything felt rushed from me. I wanted to know more about Max’s story. How Liesel cooped with everyone’s death. Especially the death from her lover. Then again, it’s up to our interpretation for everything. I highly recommend this book to any historical fiction lover like myself. I read this book in two days, it was too quick. I spent many days rereading many scenes and noticing small details that I missed before. Liesel and everyone on Himmel Street, including the Mayor’s wife, their lives will continue to live in my soul.A 5/5 book indeed.

I purchased this book on my Kindle, which I totally love - but its one downside is that you can't pass a book along to somebody else when you're done with it. If I'd known how much I'd want to share this book, I would have bought a paper copy. I might actually go ahead buy a few copies just so I can share them.I heard the following explanation of why it's in the "Teen Literature" genre (I don't know if this explanation is correct, but it makes sense): It was originally published in Australia in the normal "Literature" genre, and was fully intended for an adult audience. When the publisher brought it to America, though, they decided that books in the Literature genre don't sell as well here and it would get more exposure in the "Young Adult" and "Teen" market, so they threw it in there to make more money.I think probably every teen SHOULD read this, in the same way they should all read The Diary of Anne Frank, but I doubt it will appeal to many of them. Certainly not to the same crowd of teens that's gone crazy recently over Twilight and Harry Potter before that.It's the (fictional, but very true-to-life) story of a young girl raised by foster parents in Germany during World War II. Her family is hiding a Jew, and so is in constant danger of being discovered by the Nazis. (In this way, it's reminiscent of The Diary of Anne Frank but told from a completely different perspective.) Interestingly, the story is actually narrated by Death. Death himself is very much a character in the book even though he takes no direct hand in the plot other than quietly and compassionately collecting souls when their time comes. He interjects his own opinions and notes throughout. (At first these interjections seemed distracting, but before long they became one of my favorite aspects of the book.) By tying such a narrator so closely to the story the author ensures that the right mood is maintained throughout. The author's concept of an personified Death is very different than the ones we are used to. In one parenthetical statement Death even alludes to his more classic personification when he comments, "I like this human idea of the grim reaper. I like the scythe. It amuses me."The main character of the book is Liesel. Everything she's ever had, even her family, has been taken from her, so early on in the book (the first chapter or two, if I recall), in attempt to have anything at all that is hers, she steals a book left accidentally on the ground by an apprentice grave digger just after the funeral of her younger brother. It's "The Gravedigger's Handbook". She can't read, and has no idea of what the book is - it's just one of the only things in the world that is hers now, so she hides it away like a treasure. When her foster father finds it, he realizes that she'd like to learn how to read. Being too poor to afford any other book, they use that one to teach her. He's hesitant about the subject matter but, in a wonderful illustration of the character's optimism in the face of even the most depressing situation he laughs and tells her as they get started, "Well, promise me one thing Liesel. If I die any time soon, you make sure they bury me right. No skipping chapter six or step four in chapter nine." The Gravedigger's Handbook becomes the first of several books that she steals, and the story tells how each one changes her life.This is the first fictional novel to ever actually make me cry. A few times throughout the book I realized I was about to let loose a tear, but I managed to get through those without actually crying. (Typical male: Just had to man-up, ya know?) But then, as I finished it, my face was literally wet. It's an amazingly moving book. In addition to the tears, it also made me laugh in a lot of places, made me happy and inspired in a lot of places, and just generally ran the gamut of human emotion. I've never had a book affect me like that, and certainly not one that I knew was fictional. (But just because it's fictional doesn't mean it isn't full of truth. It shows many of the horrors of war in such realistic terms that you'd swear it could only be written by somebody in Anne Frank's position.)I've always felt for the Jews who were persecuted during that war, but this book has given me a whole new appreciation for the few German citizens who were brave enough to protect some of these persecuted people, the ones who were wise enough to recognize the Nazi propaganda against the Jews for what it was, and who were human enough to risk their lives and families to do what they could do to help the oppressed.As far as actual objective quality of writing, I wouldn't go so far as to say that The Book Thief is written as well as a few others I've read. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett comes to mind as one with higher quality writing, as does The Archer's Tale by Bernard Cornwell. But the writing here is incredibly poetic in many places, and when it comes to grabbing your emotions and making you feel like you're living in the story, I've never seen another book as well-done. Because I'd heard it was in the Teen section of the bookstore, I started it very skeptically, and it took a while for me to get used to the very odd narrative style - but by the time I was a third of the way through I was completely hooked.Whoever it was at the publishing company who decided to call it "Teen Literature" needs to be strung up by the thumbs. I'll admit that if every teen read this book during their most impressionable years then it would probably make the world a better place because more of them would grow up into people who want to actively avoid war. But I doubt that many teens have the social maturity to really appreciate all that this book has to offer. I know there are many who do, and those that do have my complete respect, and I hope this book finds them. But the adult market is a far more appropriate venue for this book that I can only hope becomes regarded as a classic in years to come.

"The Book Thief " is one of the best novels I have read. Truly! Author Markus Zusak's storyline is both sad and wonderful, as it deals with Germany during WWII and the Holocaust. His memorable characters have tremendous depth, and the plot is extremely original. However, what makes this book so extraordinary is the author's writing, which, at times, is more poetry than prose. I frequently found myself reading passages of the elegantly written narrative aloud.Appropriately for the times, Death is our narrator and a major character. Death, the "gatherer of souls," writes of himself, "I do not carry a sickle or scythe. I only wear a hooded black robe when it's cold. And I don't have those skull-like facial features you seem to enjoy pinning on me from a distance. You want to know what I really look like? I'll help you out. Find yourself a mirror while I continue." In the Prologue, Death states, "Here is a small fact: you are going to die. Does that worry you? I urge you - don't be afraid. I'm nothing if not fair." The figure describes himself as amiable, even affable, but warns, "don't ask me to be nice. 'Nice' has nothing to do with me.'"When the novel begins, Death is gearing up for mass production. It is 1939 and WWII has just begun. By 1945 the entire world will be at war. And it is Death who comments on man's inhumanity to mad, almost without emotion, in as objective a manner as possible. This inhumanity will cause it/him to work 24/7 in various places in the world at once. That's what I call multi-tasking.Nine year-old Liesel Meminger is our protagonist, "the book thief," although when we meet her, she is unschooled and cannot read very well. Liesel, her little brother Werner, and their mother are on a train to Munich. All three are skinny and pale, with sores on their lips. It is on the train that Death comes to claim young Werner's soul. Liesel and her mother despair. The boy is buried near the city, and one of the gravediggers, an apprentice, drops a black book as he walks away in the freezing winter weather. Liesel picks up the book, without calling out to notify the gravedigger of his loss. The book is titled, in silver letters, "The Gravedigger's Handbook." It is the first book she steals. So much has been taken from her, the grieving child feels like she settles part of the score when she commits the theft. In Munich the girl's mother bids her good-bye and turns her over to a foster care woman. The mother disappears, never to be seen again.Liesel and the woman make their way to a small town, Molching, on the outskirts of Munich, close to the Dachau death camp. They stop at a small house on Himmel Street, where her new foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, await the little girl. Hans is a kind and loving man who quickly takes to Liesel and visa versa. Rosa is also basically kind, although she puts up a front as a shrewish loudmouth. She is a laundress by trade and Hans is a house painter who loves to play the accordion. He is not a member of the Nazi Party. When he realizes he is losing customers because of his lack of enthusiasm for Hitler and the Nazis, he tries to join but his papers are on permanent hold. Their two children are grown and live away from home.Liesel has terrible nightmares and occasionally wets the bed. Hans, hearing her late night screams, sits with her and comforts her, sometimes until dawn. Occasionally he plays the accordion for her until Rosa yells at him to "shut up!" The empathetic, kindly man and the traumatized little girl form a close bond and Hans begins to teach Liesel to read, especially as she is fascinated by words. She believes that words have great power, after all, Hitler didn't need guns to persuade the German people to follow him and to hate Jews. He used words.When she begins school and the teacher realizes that the girl can't read, she is placed in a class with younger children. Most humiliating! It is during one of Liesel's frequent nightmares, that Hans begins to teach her to read. Since the Hubers have no books of their own, Hans uses Liesel's "The Gravedigger's Handbook." as a teaching tool. Then another book, a copy of "Mein Kampf," is acquired, one of the few available books which have not been burned. And yet another book, "The Shoulder Shrug." which Liesel snatches from a pile of burning books, is added to her collection. "Germans loved to burn things. Shops, synagogues, Reichstags, houses, personal items, books and of course, people."Eventually, Liesel acclimates to her new home and makes friends, especially with Rudy, the boy next door and her biggest fan. She never overcomes her nightmares, however, nor does she ever forget her mother and brother. It is at this time when she is forced to join Hitler Youth.Then Max Vandenberg, a German Jew in hiding, comes to ask Hans to fulfill a promise he made to his father, a comrade in arms who saved Hans' life during WWI. A Jew seeking refuge...what to do? Hans, an honorable man, feels obligated to keep his promise, even though it would mean death for Rosa and himself if Max were discovered in their home. Liesel is sworn to secrecy. The Hubers take the man in and set up living quarters for him in the basement. Max becomes part of the family and forms a close friendship with Liesel. She becomes his eyes and ears to the outside world. He eventually writes a book for her, "The Standover Man" - a simple, illustrated and haunting book about what it is like to be born Jewish in Hitler's Germany.Life goes on. Liesel learns to read and steals more books - fourteen in all. She and her friends adventure. Germany declares war on Russia. Death's work increases, especially on the eastern front and in the concentration camps. He/it feels overwhelmed by the souls to collect from the camps, gas chambers, battlefields, and causalities from air-raid bombings. Max begins to do crossword puzzles in the old newspapers Liesel occasionally finds for him. Rosa's and Han's workload diminishes significantly. Times are tough, rationing is strict, and people don't have money to send out their laundry or to have their houses painted. And, of course, Hans carries the stigma of not belonging to the Party. I don't want to include any spoilers, so I will stop my summary here.This is a powerful novel that kept me riveted throughout. As I wrote above, I sometimes stopped to read parts of the prose aloud. There is humor here also. One needs comic relief when reading a novel about such a heinous period in mankind's history.Markus Zusak's parents grew up in Nazi Germany and Austria. He frequently thought of writing about the things his parents had seen during the war. He says he thought about the "importance of words in that time, and what they were able to make people believe and do."The novel's last words belong to Death: "A LAST NOTE FROM YOUR NARRATOR: I am haunted by humans."Jana Perskie

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak is an unusual, highly creative, captivating, and darkly enchanting novel. It tells the story of four years in the life of Liesel Meminger, a foster child growing up in Nazi Germany during the last years of World War II. We watch her grow from a frightened child of nine to a disillusioned and angry teenager forced to come to terms not only with the inhumanity wrought by Hitler's Holocaust, but also with her community's participation in it. Liesel's life is an uncommon story--one filled with both beauty and brutality. It makes for a riveting and compelling tale, and few readers, even those who find fault with the narration, will fail to be entertained.Liesel's life story is narrated by Death--a character who shares center stage along with the young girl as one of the book's most endearing and unforgettable protagonists. Death has a distinct fascination for this child. He rescues her autobiography from a garbage truck, and admits to having reread it thousands of times in an attempt to understand humanity. In the beginning of the novel, Death tells us: "in one of my vast array of pockets, I have kept her story to retell. It is one of the small legion I carry, each one extraordinary in its own right. Each one an attempt--an immense leap of an attempt--to prove to me that you, and your human existence, are worth it."The language of the narrative is brilliant in its originality. What makes this possible is the otherworldly point-of-view that Death brings to the narration. Through Death's eyes, our human world is seen anew with distinctly fresh and vivid prose. Death does not appreciate the difference between animate and inanimate objects, between people and things--thus his narration is filled with countless richly original metaphors that entertain (and yes, sometimes distract) the reader at almost every paragraph. Take these phrases for example: passengers "slide" out of a train "as if from a torn package;" a man wears "a face with the shades pulled down;" a woman "empties [her] words out into the sink;" books stand upright on a table "as if in conversation;" two words of regret are "giants" that a girl "struggles with, carries on her shoulder, and drops as a bungling pair at" a woman's feet; an exchange of gunfire is "a conversation of bullets;" and kind words "drop out of [a man's] mouth like jewels." There is enormous reading pleasure to be had between the pages of this book merely by experiencing the narrator's richly creative prose."The Book Thief" is being marketed as a young-adult novel, but it can easily be enjoyed and appreciated by adults. Although the story unfolds against a background of immense historical inhumanity, Liesel's story is one of courage, goodness, integrity, and compassion.This book has an overall fairy-tale-like quality, yet it deals with major themes concerning the human condition. I found this juxtaposition between the fairy-tale world and the real world jolting--for example, at times the character of Death entranced me, and at other times I felt his presence to be annoying and contrived. Also, the construction of the plot, although highly original, made it difficult for me to believe in the story or its themes. The author constructed the telling of Liesel's story to be twice removed from any adult reality: first, the story is written down by a young girl who naturally lacks a reliable understanding of the full breadth of human experience; and second, the story is read, reinterpreted, and retold by Death, a character who acknowledges his complete inability to understand the human experience. Yet, we the readers are supposed to derive deep understanding about the human experience from these two unreliable narrators.The fairy-tale-like quality of the work made it difficult for me to give credence to its weighty main theme, namely: given all the pain and inhumanity inherent in the human condition, is there still sufficient value in human existence? In all likelihood, the young adult reader will come away from this book answering this question with a resounding, "Yes!" But the adult reader may want more complexity and reality from a novel dealing with such a serious theme. For the adult reader, I believe the book succeeds better with its secondary theme concerning the enormous power of words to do good and bad in the world.As a young-adult novel, "The Book Thief" succeeds admirably. Its words are powerful and do good in the world. I recommend this work and eagerly look forward to reading more books by this gifted writer.

The Book Thief written by Markus Zusak takes place in 1939 Nazi Germany. The main character Liesel Meminger is traveling to Munich via train with her brother and mother. Liesel and her brother were about to be given over to foster parents, when tragedy strikes and Liesel’s brother passes during the train ride. Liesel is only nine years old and is experiencing life-altering changes. Things don’t get much better when she arrives at the home of Hans and Rosa Hubberman in Molching. Liesel has nightmares every night for the first several months. Hans would sit up nightly with her helping her through her nightmares, eventually creating a trusting relationship between the two. Liesel starts school and is soon made fun of because she can’t read. The only thing that helps Liesel through the days and nights in Molching is her only possession that serves as a connection between her and her mother and brother; The Grave Digger’s Handbook. The presence of the Nazi party grows strong in Liesel’s new home. The burning of enemy propaganda takes place. Liesel finds a book that survives the burning and keeps it for herself. Little does Liesel know, she is caught taking the book by Ilsa Hermann, the mayor’s wife. It turns out, Ilsa has an extraordinary collection of books herself in her home library and shares her loves of books with Liesel. Liesel and her school friend Ruby visit the mayor’s house frequently in the night to steal books from the library. Her actions become notably accepted when Liesel finds a dictionary/thesaurus left by the window of the library one night as a gift. Aside from Liesel’s book thievery, she carries another secret with her daily. In the basement of the Hubberman’s home lives a man by the name of Max. Max is the son of a the man who saved Hans life during World War I. In return, Hans offered to repay him in anyway possible. Max and Liesel became good friends after realizing that both of them have lost their families, are fist-fighters and both have nightmares. Max is also fascinated with the power of words like Liesel, and writes Liesel a book about his life for Liesel’s birthday. When the air raids begin, Liesel and Rudy’s families find protection in a neighbor’s basement after determining their basement’s were not deep enough to protect them from the bombings. Ilsa Hermann brings Liesel a black book one day so that Liesel may start writing the words to her own story. Liesel is in the basement writing her book as bombs begin to drop on Himmel Street, where Liesel lives. She emerges from the basement to find her mama, papa and Rudy dead from the bombings. Liesel is taken away by air raid officers and it is then that Liesel’s book is found. The Book Thief ends with the story of Liesel’s death by age after living a life in Sydney, far from Molching and Himmel Street with her husband, her three children and her many grandchildren.Ever too often do you pick up a book where there is just word after word filling page after page. However, in Markus Zusak’s young-adult fiction novel The Book Thief, Zusak appeals to many different elements of literary composition. I enjoyed how the book was separated into ten parts plus a prologue and an epilogue. This helps you follow Liesel’s story as she grows into a strong, young women throughout the Nazi invasion in Germany. I also liked the bold text inserted selectively within the text serving as means of clarification for parts of the story. Sometimes, the bold text would be a definition, an excerpt of dialogue or thoughts from inside the mind of one of the characters. The plot of the story is simply surviving the Holocaust. However, embedded within this broad plot are smaller character plots such as Liesel’s struggle to learn to read while stealing literature and Hans ability to protect his family from the Nazi invasion. I think the author’s decision to include multiple story plots allows this book to be enjoyed by a wider audience. Adolescents and young-adults can enjoy the youthful spirit of Liesel and her will to steal books and learn how to read while living through Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. Older audiences can enjoy the adult ideas of safety, protection, war, sacrifice and choosing between right and wrong. The layered effect the author uses here keeps the book entertaining and constantly evolving without losing the reader. As a reader, I felt confused, scared, brave and inspired with the characters. The use of a narrator combined with segments of the story being told from the character’s perspective also adds to the author’s ability to share these emotions with his readers. As part of my Reading Across Curriculum Course at The Ohio State University, I was expected to choose a book to use as a multi-genre book project piece. I remembered the title The Book Thief and the great reviews about the book and the film. Instantly I knew this was the book I would choose with my passion for world history. The book contains historical topics that can generate rich discussions in the classroom around ethics and communism with middle school and high school students. Since I teach first grade, it was much more difficult to decide how this book would be appropriate in my classroom. If you think about Liesel, much of what she experienced happened to her when she between the ages of nine and eleven years old; not much older than the students in my own classroom. Some of the things she was experiencing, can be comparable to the students in my classroom as well. For example, Liesel couldn’t read. She was determined to learn how to read and went to some far measures in order to become literate. This topic could potentially create a rich classroom discussion amongst first grade students. We could also share Liesel’s story in a first grade appropriate manner, and take on the roles of Liesel, Hans, Ilsa and other important characters in the book and interview them on their thoughts about being able to read, especially girls.

This book has been recommended to me to read for years! However, I never have read it before and I have never seen the film. No one informed me of what I was missing out on. Yes it is a little slow to start with and some of the things Death, the narrator, says are a little confusing and complex but what an amazing book. I absolutely loved it, from the unhealthy interest in WW2 I have, to the love of books which I share with Liesel. Had I have lived in the same times as Liesel then I would have been arguing with her as to who was the person who had open access to a library.I enjoy the way Zusak uses an inundated amount of historical accuracy in his book. He has used a number of my interests and brought them together in one book! History, WW2 and books. Zusak has created a book which caused me to actually genuinely feel for the characters. This is the first time in a long time where I have wanted the characters to do well in their lives. I have wanted two key characters to realise their love for each other, Liesel and Rudy. I felt for Liesel when she finds out what happens to her family at the end of the story, when you want someone to do well and Death does everything to stop this from happening.Death, who ironically has a sense of humour, informs us at the beginning of the story that he has three encounters with Liesel during the course of the story. She suffers the death of her brother at the beginning of the story, she experiences a catastrophic event at the end of the story and her own death much later in life. How Liesel was able to cope with what fate befalls her I can never understand. Perhaps due to Liesel's unfortunate past this allows her to handle and cope with the later events of her life. No child should have to experience what she has to go through.The edition of The Book Thief I read is the 10th Year Anniversary, so there is an interview with Markus Zusak at the end of the story. He informs the reader of his love for Rudy. I absolutely share this love for Rudy. Rudy is a spontaneous, boisterous and loud personality. I love the way he knows what he wants and goes to get it. How he makes his love for Liesel clear from almost their first meeting. He constantly asks for a kiss from her, which she denies him until it is too late. Liesel then tries to share and show her love for Rudy which she has not made known to him. Rudy wants to be a famous runner like his hero Jesse Owens. He even goes to the extent of using coal on his face to blacken his skin. He has the naive approach of not understanding why he can't pretend to have a black face in Nazi Germany.All of the residence on Himmel Strasse are clear evidence that a large proportion of Germans were not approving, happy or consenting to the appalling genocide which was taking place at the hands of the Nazi's. There are a number of people who believe because the Nazis conducted all of these disgusting atrocities the whole of the German population was consenting. The people of Himmel Strasse were disguised by the Nazis and did not want any part of their proceedings. Yes they joined the Nazi party, yes they went to the Hitler Youth meetings but this was due to their fear of what could happen to them. They also hid Max, an innocent Jew, in their basements, they would try and feed starving Jews during their parades through their town. They wanted what was best for all of mankind and the demise of Hitler would ensure this.I got really upset at the ending of this story, which is something which has not happened for a very long time whilst I have been reading. I genuinely felt for the characters and I wanted what was best for them. For this I thank Markus Zusak. Thank you for creating something I will read time and time again. This has been one of the best books I have read for a number of years and I will definitely recommend it to everyone. Thank youRating: 9.5/10 (due to the slow start)10-word-review: Amazing, spectacular! Definitely recommend, will read time and time again.Check out more at [...]

Parece ser um ótimo livro, uma edição especial, ocorreu tudo bem com a entrega, chegou muito antes do prazo para uma compra internacional.

Lorsque je lis le synopsys de La Voleuse de Livres, je ne suis franchement pas emballée. J'ai pas envie de lire un Schindler's List.Cependant, je me suis forcée en voyant tous les avis positifs sur ce livre.Liesel Merminger est une petite fille pendant l'Allemagne nazie. Ses parents sont soupçonnés de communisme, aussi est-elle confiée aux Hubermann qui vivent en périphérie de Munich. Elle vole des livres. L'histoire est simple. Ce n'est pas l'intérêt du livre.Première surprise : un format et un narrateur inhabituels. Ce livre est en effet raconté par la Mort, une Mort qui observe l'humanité à un de ses moments les plus cruels, le nazisme. La Mort a une prose belle, simple mais poétique. Markus Zusak joue avec les codes du roman, au diable les règles de la narration, au diable le suspens, et ça aurait pu très mal se terminer mais c'est génial.L'autre particularité de ce livre, c'est qu'il n'est pas vraiment centré sur l'Allemagne nazie. Je veux dire : oui, c'est un livre dont l'histoire se passe pendant l'Allemagne nazie, mais on s'intéresse plutôt à l'humain. Aux petites personnes qui n'ont rien de spécial mais qui deviennent extraordinaires sous la plume de Zusak. Liesel Merminger est l'héroïne de ce roman - mais elle ne fait rien de spécial, rien qui ne sera reconnu dans l'Histoire, personne ne se souviendra de la petite voleuse de livres et pourtant elle est extraordinaire. On s'attache à chacun des personnages, merveilleux à leur façon et en toute subtilité. Je ne pensais pas que j'aimerais Rosa Hubermann et finalement, mon coeur se serre à chaque fois que je pense à elle et à ses "Saukerl, Saumensch".C'est un livre puissant. C'est un livre sur ces personnes que personne ne connait mais qui sont toutes sublimes à leur manière, sur l'amitié, l'amour, la famille, l'injustice, l'innocence de l'enfance. Sur le pouvoir des mots, sur le pouvoir des livres.C'est un de ces livres qui transcende sa forme et c'est mon livre favori.

Un gran bel libro che letto in lingua originale mi ha dato qualche difficoltà a capire certi meccanismi di scrittura e comprendere alcuni concetti, ma nel complesso molto valido. Il racconto della bambina ti tiene incollato al libro per ore finendo di leggerlo in pochi giorni.Il finale è da strappalacrime, è emozionante e ti fa riflettere su tutto quello che hai letto fino a quel momento. Veramente da leggere

MEINUNG- zu häufige Verwendung der Wörter „Saumensch” und „Saukerl”Hierbei muss ich dazu sagen, dass ich das Buch auf Englisch gelesen habe, insofern ist dieser Kritikpunkt für die deutsche Fassung wohl nicht unbedingt relevant.Die zwei oben genannten Wörter werden so häufig verwendet – insgesamt 105 Mal, und es kann sein, dass mir beim Zählen ein oder zwei durch die Lappen gegangen sind –, dass es mir vorkam, als seien es die einzigen deutschen Schimpfwörter, die Markus Zusak kennt. Um fair zu bleiben, gilt es zu erwähnen, dass diese Wörter gut die eher derbe Verhaltensweise von Liesels Adoptivmutter widerspiegeln und ich Rosa Hubermann im Laufe der Geschichte auch gerade deshalb ins Herz geschlossen habe. Zudem intensiviert es die Atmosphäre der 30er und 40er Jahre, dennoch gingen mir die „Sauwörter” gerade in den ersten 100 Seiten sehr auf den Keks. Davon abgesehen, fand ich die eingestreuten deutschen Begriffe sehr gelungen und auch grammatikalisch korrekt. Die Tatsache, dass diese Lappalie mein einziger Kritikpunkt am ganzen Buch ist, zeigt, wie sehr mir Die Bücherdiebin gefallen hat.+ Erzählstil und Aufbau des BuchesIch fand es richtig klasse, dass die Geschichte vom Tod höchstselbst erzählt wird. Es ist sehr passend, schließlich war die Nazizeit ja maßgeblich von Tod und Verzweiflung bestimmt. Der Tod ist zynisch und gibt bissige Kommentare ab, was ihn beunruhigend sympathisch und amüsant erscheinen lässt.Markus Zusaks Schreibstil ist fantastisch. Zum Beispiel wird die Atmosphäre lebhaft mit Farben beschrieben, was ich interessant fand. Von der ersten Seite an war ich völlig in der Geschichte versunken.Die Story ist unterteilt in zehn Abschnitte, die alle nach dem jeweiligen Buch benannt sind, das Liesel gerade durch ihre Erlebnisse begleitet und am meisten beeinflusst. Markus Zusak macht außerdem Gebrauch von einem faszinierendem literarischen Mittel, denn der Erzähler macht Andeutungen zu Geschehnissen, die erst viel später stattfinden werden. So erfährt der Leser bereits in der Mitte des Buches, welche Charaktere am Ende sterben werden. Das Faszinierende daran ist, dass es der Spannung keinen Abbruch tut, sondern mich nur noch mehr dazu gebracht hat, weiterlesen zu wollen. Es ging nicht darum, was passiert, sondern welche Ereignisse zu dem erwähnten hinführen.+ Ton und historischer HintergrundDie Glaubwürdigkeit des Buches geht einher mit dem erstklassigen Schreibstil. Das Buch ist sehr überzeugend und ich finde, es ist dem Autor gelungen, die Stimmung und die Mentalität der Menschen während der Nazizeit einzufangen. Beim Lesen kam es mir vor, als würde ich alles selbst neben Liesel erleben. Die Geschichte lies mich viel darüber nachdenken, wie es wohl gewesen sein musste, während dieser Zeit gelebt zu haben – ganz gleich ob nun als Deutsch, Jude oder irgendjemand anders. Es ist sicherlich kein erfreuliches Thema, dennoch ist es sinnvoll, sich von Zeit zu Zeit damit zu beschäftigen+ CharaktereHans Hubermann, ein Maler und Akkordionspieler, und seine Frau Rosa nehmen die junge Liesel Meminger bei sich auf, obwohl sie selbst kaum genug zum Leben haben. Sie sind liebevoll Zieheltern, und sie sind auf ihre Weise sehr menschlich und gütig. Es war toll zu sehen, wie sich ihre Beziehung zu Liesel im Verlauf der Geschichte entwickelt hat. Darüber hinaus ist es sehr bewegend, darüber zu lesen, wie diese widerständige Familie und andere Bewohner der kleinen Stadt Molching mit den Lebensumständen der damaligen Zeit umgehen. All die kleinen Zeichen von Widerstand, Solidarität und Güte, während andere Menschen all ihre Menschlichkeit verloren zu haben scheinen, sind herzerwärmend.Nicht nur die Hubermanns brillieren in diesem Buch, sondern auch die Frau des Bürgermeisters, Rudy und selbstverständlich Max Vandenburg, der jüdische Faustkämpfer (der übrigens in viel mehr Szenen hätte vorkommen sollen!). Jeder dieser Charaktere steht in unterschiedlicher Weise in Beziehung zu Liesel, und ich fand sie allesamt sympathisch!+ EmotionenDie Bücherdiebin ist emotionsgeladen, und das nicht nur, weil es zur Nazizeit spielt. Beim Lesen fühlte ich mich hilflos und war wütend wegen der Grausamkeit der Menschen. Ich war traurig wegen der sinnlosen Tode unschuldiger Menschen und weil das Ende herzzerreißend war, auch wenn man als Leser bereits wusste, was passiert. Ich war erfreut und berührt, weil das Buch zeigt, dass man auch dann seinem Leben einen Sinn geben kann, wenn um einen herum schreckliche Dinge geschehen. Die Bücherdiebin stimmte mich optimistisch und hoffnungsvoll, dass, ganz gleich zu welchen grausamen Taten Menschen imstande sind, es immer auch solche gegen wird, die zu Liebe, Güte, Freundschaft und Ehrlichkeit fähig sind.FAZITIch bin mir sicher, dass mich diese Geschichte und ihre Charaktere noch auf lange Zeit begleiten werden. Falls Die Bücherdiebin schon lange auf eurer Leseliste war und ihr bisher jedoch aus irgendeinem Grund gezögert habt, es zur Hand zu nehmen, lest es. Oder wenn euch das Buch bisher nicht gereizt hat, ihr aber interessiert seid an einer Geschichte über die Macht von Worten und Büchern, dann lest es. Die Bücherdiebin richtet sich meiner Meinung nach nicht nur an Jugendliche, sondern kann von (nicht ganz so jungen) Kindern, Jugendlichen und Erwachsenen gleichermaßen gelesen und gemocht werden.