The Book Thief

I started the book with high expectations. I had heard only good things about the book, and the opening chapter read like an Easy Reader Kurt Vonnegut. I love Kurt Vonnegut, so I anticipated enjoying some Vonnegut-lite. In spite of its enjoyable style, The Book Thief is unfortunately overambitious.

The novel tries to deal with a variety of themes: growing up, family, death (who narrates the book), the joy/power of books/learning, WWII, Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, the psyche of the German people during WWII, the list could go on and on. Although it's admirable to attempt such a broad portrayal, The Book Thief never really manages to tie everything together. It's a good book, but one that tries to be much more than it actually is.