Zannachan's review
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
I felt the same way you did at first, and decided not to finish it. Death as narrator completely irritated me, and I hated that I was so aware of the author's hand, and really, I'm sick to death of reading about the Holocaust. I don't know have any idea why I picked it up again, but I'm glad I did. Give it another chance, and I think you'll find yourself caring about the characters by the end, even if you don't want to. The book I hated I now recommend to all my friends.
I don't really think of this as a Holocaust story, per se. I mean, obviously, the Holocaust is part of it, but there's a lot more to this book than the Holocaust. Part of the reason I liked it so much is because it shows WW2 from a German perspective, which you don't get in fiction very often.
I agree with how you felt about "Death" and his interjections. It was off putting. I finished nonetheless ... and though it was a really good plot - I would have rather not read it actually. The ending was so very sad and I felt deflated once I finally finished it.
I totally agree with your review, this book was a big disappointment. I was really looking forward to reading it, but the obvious manipulation by the author and the narrator were just too irritating! I liked the characters well enough, but every time "death" interjected to tell me what was going to happen, or to recap what had happened, I felt as though the reader's intelligence was being insulted. I know that the book was written for young adults, but they are savvy enough to be insulted as well! Plus the heavy handed treatment of the "book thief" concept was too much for me. I felt like I was being hit over the head with the idea that Lissel was a book thief.
i agree with you as well...
i'm very surprised its been so unanimously praised...
Zannachan's review
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Zannachan's review
rating:
bookshelves:
general-fiction,
young-adult
I had a hardcover of this book. I no longer have it. I did not even finish reading it, because it irritated me so much and when I asked if it got better no one could convince me that it was worth persevering.
I know that there are many people who love this book, authors who's book I love, readers who's tastes I respect. But I couldn't stand the narrator. Every time the Narrator intruded on the story it felt like exactly that--an intrusion. A lot of people really like the narrator, and I imagine if you did the book would be much more enjoyable to read. As it was I found the writing style consciously "artistic" or "literary" while the characters felt fake, superficial, and mechanical. I was too aware of the mechanics of the story and how he was manipulating the reader--kind of like going to a puppet show and having the puppeteer continually slipping and letting himself be seen. It kept knocking me out of the story.
Holocaust fiction is hard for me to read ...more
I know that there are many people who love this book, authors who's book I love, readers who's tastes I respect. But I couldn't stand the narrator. Every time the Narrator intruded on the story it felt like exactly that--an intrusion. A lot of people really like the narrator, and I imagine if you did the book would be much more enjoyable to read. As it was I found the writing style consciously "artistic" or "literary" while the characters felt fake, superficial, and mechanical. I was too aware of the mechanics of the story and how he was manipulating the reader--kind of like going to a puppet show and having the puppeteer continually slipping and letting himself be seen. It kept knocking me out of the story.
Holocaust fiction is hard for me to read ...more
I felt the same way you did at first, and decided not to finish it. Death as narrator completely irritated me, and I hated that I was so aware of the author's hand, and really, I'm sick to death of reading about the Holocaust. I don't know have any idea why I picked it up again, but I'm glad I did. Give it another chance, and I think you'll find yourself caring about the characters by the end, even if you don't want to. The book I hated I now recommend to all my friends.
I don't really think of this as a Holocaust story, per se. I mean, obviously, the Holocaust is part of it, but there's a lot more to this book than the Holocaust. Part of the reason I liked it so much is because it shows WW2 from a German perspective, which you don't get in fiction very often.
I agree with how you felt about "Death" and his interjections. It was off putting. I finished nonetheless ... and though it was a really good plot - I would have rather not read it actually. The ending was so very sad and I felt deflated once I finally finished it.
I totally agree with your review, this book was a big disappointment. I was really looking forward to reading it, but the obvious manipulation by the author and the narrator were just too irritating! I liked the characters well enough, but every time "death" interjected to tell me what was going to happen, or to recap what had happened, I felt as though the reader's intelligence was being insulted. I know that the book was written for young adults, but they are savvy enough to be insulted as well! Plus the heavy handed treatment of the "book thief" concept was too much for me. I felt like I was being hit over the head with the idea that Lissel was a book thief.
i agree with you as well...
i'm very surprised its been so unanimously praised...