Bayda,+Abby



// The Book Thief // by Markus Zusak Published in 2005 My Destiny Review: // The Book Thief // is an absolutely incredibly written novel by Markus Zusak to stir the ages. Narrated by Death, this book shows an innovative view into a supposedly well-known subject: Nazi Germany during WWII. It follows the life of the title’s book thief, Liesel Meminger, who is a young German girl whose foster family befriends and shelters a Jewish man, though his presence puts a lot of stress on the Hubermanns. Death normally doesn’t pay much mind to humans, but Liesel stands out from the others, and similarly, // The Book Thief // will certainly stand o   ut in the minds of readers. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Basic overview of the book: // The Book Thief // by Markus Zusak is a novel set in the World War II era. Told from the vantage point of Death, it follows the life of Liesel Meminger, as she is sent to live with a foster family after her mother was taken to a concentration camp. The title refers to Liesel’s habit of collecting books from traumatic instances in her life, such as when she witnessed a plane crash, or when she was (as a German youth) forced to attend a Jewish book burning. She befriends the mayor’s wife, who shares her passion for reading and offers the girl an extensive library to read from. Her foster parents, the Hubermanns, care for her, though her foster mother’s idea of compassion involves swearing quite fiercely at Liesel. She befriends a boy named Rudy Steiner, who constantly begs her for a kiss. Throughout the course of the war, the Hubermanns acquire a Jewish fugitive named Max, to whom they all take a quick liking, though his presence is felt hard amongst the family. Style: Zusak’s choice to have Death narrate //The Book Thief// allows for many great choices in style to flourish. Death has an unbiased, if not occasionally sarcastic, view on the world. “He” is not a cruel, evil character in the novel; he is a work-worn figure, who is almost afraid of the destruction and cruelty of humanity. Brian Farrey of Bookreporter.com mentioned this in his review, pointing out “  Death is simultaneously dispassionate about his work and the impact it can have while striving to understand humanity's resilience. ” ([|Farrey] )  In the very beginning of the novel, Death compares the deaths of human to all the different colours in the spectrum, a metaphor extended throughout the entire story. Death is able to offer beautifully haunting descriptions of the atmosphere without the story getting boring or detail-oriented. Death also inserts small facts that serve the function of footnotes, translating unfamiliar German phrases and further explaining points, while keeping the flow of the novel unbroken. Examples of this are prevalent throughout the book, but one of my favourites can be found on page 249, “* * *THE WALL-WRITTEN WORDS OF MAX VANDERBURG* * * It was a Mon day, and they walked on a tightrope into the sun.” (Zusak, 249) Foreshadowing is also highly prevalent in the book. Death is recounting the tale of Liesel’s life, and as such, knows exactly what is going to happen. He points out events that will occur later on in the story, often adding tidbits such as “If only Liesel knew at the time that soon, [whatever event] would occur.”

Through Death, Zusak doesn’t feed the reasons behind occurrences in Liesel’s life. “ But for every startlingly rebellious episode — Rudy's Führer-baiting impersonation of the black American athlete Jesse Owens, the building of an indoor snowman for a Jew in hiding, the creation of books and drawings that frame Liesel and Max's experiences as life-affirming fairy tales — there are moments that are slack. ” (Maslin ) For example, at one point in the story, Rudy and Liesel steal apples, in order to defy (in some small way) the Nazi regime they both hate. However, the reason(s) behind Liesel stealing the books she does are open to interpretation. Zusak explains the strong pull Liesel felt towards the books, but never why, leaving readers to decide upon their own reasons for Liesel’s book thievery.

“//The Book Thief// is unsettling and unsentimental, yet ultimately poetic. Its grimness and tragedy run through the reader's mind like a black-and-white movie, bereft of the colors of life. Zusak may not have lived under Nazi domination, but // The Book Thief // deserves a place on the same shelf with // The Diary of a Young Girl // by Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel's // Night //. It seems poised to become a classic.” ([|Memmott] ) This excerpt from USA Today reviewer Carol Memmot’s review is an excellent summation of //The Book Thief//: Despite its thoroughly grim subject, it is a chillingly poetic and realistic novel that is sure to stand the test of time and become a classic World War II realistic fiction novel.

Personal Recommendation: It’s my favorite book. At 550 pages, it’s a novel with a fair length, but the moment I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. It was worth pulling an all-nighter to finish, and it’s definitely worth reading again. It strikes a haunting chord, and will leave its mark on your heart like something equivalent to //My Sister’s Keeper// would.



 Works Cited:  Farrey, Brian. "The Book Thief." Rev. of The Book Thief. BookReporter.com. The Book Report, Inc., 2010. Web. 29 May 2010. <  [] >.

Maslin, Janet. "Stealing to Settle a Score with Life." Rev. of The Book Thief. The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Mar. 2006. Web. 29 May 2010. <[] >.

Memmott, Carol. "'The Book Thief' rises above horrors of war." Rev. of The Book Thief. USA Today. USA Today, 2008. Web. 31 May 2010. <[] >. Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief . New York: Random, 2007. N. pag. Print.