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The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

Start date: October 1, 2014

Finish date: October 31, 2014

Discussion: Read

Why we're reading this: It won the BOTM Poll
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What Members Thought

Sep 12, 2009 Ahtims rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paperback-hardback, borrowed, historical, favorites-books

What can I say. However much I review this book, no one is going to believe me unless they read and find out for themselves. (As I was forever thinking, what's so much to praise, its a fictional book, after all, till I started reading) Zusak made me hate Hitler with more passion and vengeance than second hand non-fictional knowledge of his own heinous deeds. Now I have a couple of heroes and heroines to my list of 'favorites ever'. I don;t think I will be able to forget 'Death'- the chief storyt ...more

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May 04, 2010 Gaijinmama rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

You are going to die.
That's the first thing Marcus Zusak, with Death as his narrator, tells us in this beautiful, devastating story. Inevitably, any story of Nazi Germany is going to be dark. This story is no exception, but Zusak reminds us that there were also kids joking, swearing, and playing soccer; and good, average, everyday people who decided to do the right thing even as evil consumed their world.
I suppose what I liked best was the fact that ultimately, this is the story of a little girl ...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Barbara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-book-group-reads

(Libary Book group read Jan. 2012)

It's World War II in Germany. Liesel Meminger is 9 yrs old when the story starts. She just lost her brother on the trip to go with her new step-parents. Her real mother couldn't take care of them because she had no food or money.

Liesel's first book she stolen when she was burying her brother. She seen it in the snow. After that she would only take one book at time as she needed them. The boy next door, Rudy, was her best friend and they stole fruit and vegetabl (Libary Book group read Jan. 2012)

It's World War II in Germany. Liesel Meminger is 9 yrs old when the story starts. She just lost her brother on the trip to go with her new step-parents. Her real mother couldn't take care of them because she had no food or money.

Liesel's first book she stolen when she was burying her brother. She seen it in the snow. After that she would only take one book at time as she needed them. The boy next door, Rudy, was her best friend and they stole fruit and vegetables together, along with some other town kids.

It's a story about when Hitler was in rein. If you didn't say "Hail Hitler" you could get a back lashing. And you could never associate yourself with Jewish people for if you did you were sure to die or get sent to do the most awful jobs in the war that no one else wanted, like collecting the dead bodies. It was a time when you had to always listen for the air raid whistle and when it blew you went running to the basement.

Liesel loved her step-father who played the accordion. He teaches her to read. Later, the family hides a jewish man in their basement and this brings Liesel a new friend. His name is Max. She reads to him or they sit in the basement telling stories. Her step-mother seems to be kind of mean sometimes but Liesel soon understands later in life the love her step-mom has for her step-father.

Words is what Liesel craves. She rather steal a good book than steal anything else. Death is watching her but he doesn't want to take Leisel away, he's just fastinated by the girl.

The book is told from deaths point of view. Death is tired. Even a death collector gets tired in a war where he is collecting so many bodies. Sometimes he misses the stories of Liesel because he is so busy taking peoples souls.

This book isn't morbid in any way though even though it's told from the perspective of death. It's well written and something that I've never seen by looking at it from death's point of view.

Sometimes it even has a few funny parts in it, but mostly it's about the hardships of war, friendship, loyalty, and the written words of books.

A great book and a must read. The writing is so well writen it gives you such a good visual on the scenes in the book. ...more

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May 28, 2008 Angie Taylor rated it it was amazing

This was a fantastic book. It was interesting to read a book about Nazi Germany that didn't deal with the details inside concentration camps so much as the details of Germans that lived in Germany and had to either accept the Furher's regime, or fight it.
This story is narrated from the perspective of death as he takes the souls of those who have died. He tells the story of a little girl that is made a foster child at the beginning of WWll because her parents are communists and taken away. The s ...more

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Mar 07, 2009 Caroline rated it it was amazing

Tender, haunting, funny and tragic all at the same time. I was so moved by this book. I tear up just thinking about it. A book with beautiful layers.

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Jul 13, 2009 Jacqueline rated it it was amazing

This book was amazing!!!

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Mar 28, 2008 Cheer Papworth rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites

If you are just starting this book, stick with it! I had a little trouble following "Death" and the story lie at first, but the ending of this book makes it all worth it! Excellent book, although haunting! ...more

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