Review : The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Posted by on June 27, 2014 1:05 am in 5 stars reads | 5 comments

the book thiefThe Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Pages : 552
Genre : Historical Fiction
Stand Alone
My Rating : 5/5

About the Book  :

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who 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.

My Thoughts :

I loved this book so much that I almost didn’t want to review it. Truly, there is little I can say that hasn’t already been said by fans of the book; but I’ll try, because it would be a shame not to at least share a few thoughts on what is now a favorite book.

The Book Thief is, in a few words, World War 2 as seen through the eyes of Death – Death here being personified as an empathic narrator who sees life for what it really is. It makes for a very sobering narration, but also a deeply moving one.

Unlike most books taking place during WWII I have read, the story didn’t have a strong sense of urgency. It was heavy, and sad, and scary, yet the story had such a slow pace filled with beautiful prose that you almost get tricked into thinking that things will turn alright for Liesel and her family. The consequences of war are trickled through mundane elements, and from Liesel’s point of view, we don’t really see how huge and worldchanging the war is. It’s there in the subtext, in our own knowledge of the past; but Liesel’s story is much more personal and small, and therefore bigger and more human, if that makes sense.

And all of this only works together to create some of the most gut wrenching moments I have read, later in the book. Even when you see them coming, it doesn’t really feel easier.

But despite all of this, there is a weird sense of hope and love and life that emerges through the bleakness that is The Book Thief. And it makes it absolutely worth reading.

This isn’t a war book; and this isn’t a children’s book, either. It’s just one beautiful book, told from a unique perspective, in a prose that took my breath away. I am already looking forward to reading it again, perhaps in audio.

5 Comments

  1. I loved the movie version of this book and feel sure I’d love the book too. I’ve had it forever and need to make the time to read it.

  2. I really wish I’d liked this one. I didn’t *dislike* it, but it was just meh to me, and I barely remember it. 🙁 Maybe I just read it at the wrong time or something.

  3. Isn’t it a beautiful book? I’m so glad that you enjoyed it and found the hopeful message within. I read it again for book club a few years after my first reading and listened to the audio for part of the time–the narrator is fantastic and really gets to the heart of Death. I definitely recommend going that route!

  4. I also really enjoyed this book. I read this for a book club in college. Not many people made it through the entire book but I remember as I got into the book thinking and realizing how unique this story was. There are a lot of WW2 stories out there, but this one stands out with unique perspectives and narration. I too feel like I can’t really fully capture all the good feelings I had about this book. I’m glad to hear that you feel the same way!

  5. This is one of my all-time favorite books. I’m so glad you loved it, too. I’ve read it twice already, the second time with my daughter, and I loved it even more.

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