The Book Thief
Ratings1,266
Average rating4.3
Very good, very sad. Death's perspective as a narrator was fascinating, as someone who didn't actually enjoy their job and observed people from afar. The love between the characters was so beautifully put.
Read my review on my blog here: https://theconsultingbookworm.wordpress.com/2015/02/08/the-book-thief-markus-zusak/
“Humans, if nothing else, have the good sense to die.”
Alright, guys. It's been a while since I've written a review. A while. So I'm very sorry for that, first of all. Next up, I'll be honest with you. I read this book (and a couple others that I'm reviewing tonight) a little while ago. Thus, my first couple reviews will probably be mediocre. Sorry. I will also get tired, most likely, and not get through all 8 books. le sigh
ANYWHO, here's the actual review...
Ah, The Book Thief. Surprisingly, I never got the chance to read this lovely novel before I was assigned to it in school. We were doing Holocaust lit circles, and my teacher assigned me this one. I remember thinking to myself, “Ah, what the heck! It's good to expand your reading genres, Hailey!”
So, I read The Book Thief.
And it was brilliant.
Perhaps one of the things I enjoyed most was how the story was narrated by Death. Yes, I'll admit, he did get pretty annoying at times. And by annoying I mean I'm-going-to-punch-you-in-the-face-annoying. But it was a refreshing take on the story. I honestly don't think the book would have been as good if it were narrated in Liesel's POV.
The characters were very well-written and touched my heart, somehow. When it comes to books, I either get really attached to the characters emotionally, or I don't give a crap about what happens to them. Fortunately, for The Book Thief, it was the former. When you-know-what occurred I was very distressed and was so attached to the characters emotionally that it was really hard to get through that part. Really hard.
The writing was beautiful, and Zusak easily captivated my attention. I'm hoping to read more from him in the coming future.
To be very honest the description of The Book Thief didn't grip me initially, the story of a young girl hiding a Jew in the basement of her adopted parents home whilst having her story narrated by death all sounded a little maudlin.
Then I watched the trailer for the movie adaptation and was intrigued enough that I decided that in my usual fashion I needed to read the book before watching the movie. It was on my to do list but wasn't pressing until I read Prisoner of Night and Fog and realised that whilst it showed what was happening inside the Nazi party prior to the war it would be nice to read about what was happening outwith in the streets of Germany during the war.
I have to be honest the first few chapters were a little unusual, death makes for a strange narrative character and he jumped around a fair bit not making much sense. However as we moved forward and we travelled with Leisel, our Book Thief of the title, to her new foster family the book became truly engaging.
It was full of really well crafted characters, not least those of her foster parents Hans and Rosa. Rather than a couple with a child forced upon them we find genuine warmth and affection for Leisel. Their beliefs are refreshing in that they don't sit comfortably alongside those of Hitler's Germany. A promise made during World War I brings a Jewish refugee to their door and there begins a dangerous time for them all.
It isn't just the story of Leisel and her friend Max whom we follow. We also fall in love with all the other colourful characters of Himmel Street. Rudy, Leisel's school friend and partner in crime. The mayors wife who gives Liesel access to her library of books. The strange lady who owns the local shop. It is a wonderful blend of stories all told in a great book.
As with any book of this time period it isn't one without great sorrow or sense of danger. Perhaps that is why Death made such a fitting narrator as it is made clear throughout that his work was never so in demand as during those terrible years of world was II.
It is a beautiful book and was a brilliant book to read after having read Prisoner of Night and Fog as it truly did move from the glamour and nievety of Hitler's Germany pre-war to the brutality, fear and sense of impending doom of the war years.
It is truly deserving of all the accolades this book has received and is a joy to read
This book was so moving and sad. And also beautiful with some truly fascinating turns of phrase.
My shelf listing is a lie, it's not really read, I still haven't finished. I've tried for 2 years and can't make this book work for me. The writing is gorgeous and lush and heartbreaking and the story is interesting. It's not the book, it's me. I loved I Am the Messenger....does that help? I'm feeling a lot of bookshame, here. I'm sorry, Leisel. It's me, not you.
Very fascinating book.. i love that it is narrated by death. Also I found it a surprisingly cheerful story in spite of everything :)
3.8 stars!
** I AM HAUNTED BY HUMANS **
Review:
http://mea-news.net/en/index.php/around-the-clock-2/585-the-book-thief-book-review
I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that's where they begin. Their great skills is their capacity to escalate.
I can't seem to find enough words to describe how much I loved this book. I was completely engrossed it it after the first quarter or so. The writing was exceptional. I grew attached to all the characters. The last few chapters broke my heart, I could barely stop sobbing. It's definitely one of my most cherished reading experiences.
4.8
It's kinda crazy how I managed to finish this book in one-sitting during a 13-hour trip from the Bicol region to Manila. It kept me occupied throughout the entire trip so here's what I think of this book.
This book is by far one of the best I've read this year. It's the perfect epitome of what professional writing is all about. You can learn a lot from it. It will open your eyes from a lot of things. It will change your views and perspectives in life. There's humour. There's love. There's war. There's the depiction of the conflicts in families. There are tragic moments and heartbreaks. But despite all of that, it was overall a positive book. The idea of Death narrating the entire story is what really blew me away as well as the tale of the Holocaust (since I'm a fan of war books and stories).
This book had a lot of horrifying moments in it. But despite all of that, it greatly deals with the lives of the people experiencing the war and it's like you're actually following how their life goes. It is just incredibly touching. You'll get attached to the characters most especially Liesel (aka the book thief).
This is just very fantastic and it should be on everyone's book shelf. I can't recommend it enough. PLEASE FOR GOD'S SAKE READ THIS BOOK!
I liked the way this book was written. The author's use of metaphor and personification was really interesting. I also found it interesting that death had feelings and didn't appear to like his job. He had compassion for certain souls and took special care of those that touched him.
This book was remarkable. It was definitely refreshing in the new way that it was written. The narrator is death, and he gives us hindsight into a world you never would have imagined. The characters are ones that strike emotion in you immediately. Your opinion changes with the book and the characters evolve into individuals you would be proud to know as well. Touching on multiple difficult subjects, this book does it remarkably. Nazi Germany will never be the same to anyone reading this.
I need some time to mull it over I think. I became aware of it when Audible starting pushing it in their promo material and I thought my mum would like it. And she did.
before anything i would like to say that choosing death as the narrator was really good. he is such a spoiler. true to his character and yet manage to show me he has a heart. i always knew he had one. but i didnt know it was circular. this book is so amazing i cannot fathom how i am very pleased to have read this. you know when you have to pause after one chapter and cry. just to let it all out. i mean how can markus be calmed and say rudy was going to die at the first few chapters. gosh. now im crying. liesel was an incredibly brave half of a woman. there are a lot of amazing this that had happened here. my favourite was when ilsa let her ib to her library. i had to stop and sync all that in. that was really lovely. i love this book. please read it. please.
Español: Pocas veces me he encontrado con libros inusuales y esta vez, fue uno de esos. Esta historia está narrada por la muerte, lo cual le da un toque especial. La narración es divertida, descarnada, real y muy humana. Por momentos, yo sentí que la muerte hacía spoilers y contaba por adelantado lo que iba a pasar, pero este escritor supo jugar sabiamente con la narración y la hizo magistral.
Es un libro espectacularmente bueno y espero poder conseguir más libros de este escritor porque me ha impresionado.
Inglés: I have rarely encountered unusual books and this time, it was one of those. This story is narrated by death, which gives it a special touch. The story is fun, gritty, real and very human. At times, I felt that death had made spoilers and advance what was going to happen, but this writer knew how to play wisely with narration and made it masterful.
It's a spectacularly good book and I hope to get more books from this writer because he has impressed me.
This is the first book I've ever read that, once finished, I had to flip to the beginning and start again. I wasn't ready to let go just yet. Fantastic.
Beautiful. Heart-breaking. Poetry. I've read so many books about WWII but this is so much more than a book about the Holocaust. I am not a fan of too much description but I was captivated with this author's literary style (genius) making it one of my favourite reads.
Beautiful prose, with a story that gets more clear and characters drawn sharper as you turn the pages. Not the best rate of revelation for its plot, but its surely has some of the best Nazi-era everyday life scenes you could imagine.