The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak

"It's just a small story, really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery ..." Narrated in the all-knowing matter-of-fact voice of Death, witnessing the story of the citizens of Himmel Street: When nine-year-old Liesel arrives outside the boxlike house of her new foster parents, she refuses to get out of the car. Liesel has been separated from her parents - 'Kommunists' - for ever, and at the burial of her little brother, she steals a gravedigger's instruction manual which she can't read. It is the beginning of her illustrious career. In the care of the Hubermans, Liesel befriends blond-haired Rudy Steiner, her neighbour obsessed with Jesse Owens. She also befriends the mayor's wife, who hides from despair in her library. Together Liesel and Rudy steal books - from Nazi book burning piles, from the mayor's library, from the richer people of Molching. In time, the family hide a Jewish boxer, Max, who reads with Liesel in the basement. By 1943, the Allied bombs are falling, and the sirens begin to wail. Liesel shares out her books in the air-raid shelters.
But one day in the life of Himmel street, the wail of the sirens comes too late ...A life-changing tale of the cruel twists of fate and the coincidences on which all our lives hinge, this is also a joyous look at the power of book to nourish the soul. Its uplifting ending will make all readers weep.

• ISBN10: 0385613385
• ISBN13: 9780385613385
• Publish Date: 1 January 2099 (first published 14 March 2006)
• Publish Status: Cancelled
• Out of Print: 2 May 2008
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Doubleday
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 592
• Language: English

Reviews

[ibeforem]

This book is many things. 'Haunting' may be an egregiously overused cliché, but it's difficult to find a better word to describe a book set in Germany during World War II that is narrated by none other than Death himself. People seem to either love or hate this book, and I think most of that has to do with the writing style. Zusak does things that are generally not done. Words are spoken about as objects that can slap you in the face or roll to a stop at your feet. Colors come to you through Death's eyes, so the skies may be blue or yellow or brown or white. And beneath it all is a rhythm that grabbed me and pulled me through Liesel's world.

'Summer came.
For the book thief, everything was going nicely.
For me, the sky was the color of Jews.'

For me, an interesting aspect of this book is the view of the life of a young German living in poverty in Hitler's Germany. I have read a lot of Holocaust literature, but very little from the German point of view. And there is a good mixture of points of view here. You have Germans from both sides of the line -- those who would help the Jews, and those who would throw things at the helpers and scream 'Jew-lover'. Yet even the screamers have their softer sides.

Though the book is about Liesel, the book thief, one of the more interesting characters is Hans, her foster father. He is the one who makes it possible for Liesel to develop the love of books and words that eventually saves her life. He makes it possible for Liesel to love anyone at all, with his patience and compassion. And he's the subject of one of my favorite descriptions in the entire book:

'Papa sat with me tonight. He brought the accordion down and sat close to where Max used to sit. I often look at his fingers and face when he plays. The accordion breathes. There are lines on his cheeks. They look drawn on, and for some reason, when I see them, I want to cry. It is not for any sadness or pride. I just like the way they move and change. Sometimes I think my papa is an accordion. When he looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear the notes.'

One of the things that really made this book come alive for me is something that you won't get if you're listening to it on audio, or perhaps even reading the ebook (depending on the format). At one point, Max, the Jewish man living in Liesel's basement, paints over the pages of his copy of Mein Kampf and writes and illustrates a story for Liesel. In the book you are treated to this story, complete with the faded words of Mein Kampf in the background. It was something so minor, but so powerful for me.

There *are* aspects to the book that are weak. The whole plot line with the mayor's wife comes off as a little undeveloped, and when Liesel decides to write her own life story, it's rushed through and then forgotten in the rubble. There are a few unanswered questions that I really wish had been answered, but I guess it's those unanswered questions that keep us thinking about a book long after we've closed it. Overall, I loved it.

[Eve1972]

WOW WOW WOW, I really don't know what else to say?! This book is simply one of the best books I have ever read. The author is almost melodic in his writing and the use of Death as a narrator was just brilliant. I lost track of how often my eyes welled up with tears. I will definitely be on the look out for more from this author!