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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

Jul 24, 2012 Katt Hansen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical

This book took me a long time to read because I had to take it in stages. Rarely do I find a book that is so intense, and leaves me so drained emotionally on reading. Tears are near the surface as I finish and turn my hand to writing this. I don't have the words. Perhaps this is a review better laid aside until another day. ...more

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Apr 21, 2014 Brenda H rated it liked it

This one was hard for me. With all the good reviews and praise this book and author got, I was expecting SO much more. The story was interesting and the characters generally likable but overall, the story was ....okay. I liked it, but didn't love it. It's not a book that I will recommend to my friends as a "must-read". Therefore, 3 stars. ...more

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Mar 01, 2014 Steve Lindahl rated it it was amazing

Technically, the idea of writing a book from the point of view of Death has problems since there are many scenes in The Book Thief where Death isn't present. But the choice works. Markus Zusak seems to be saying that Death is hanging over everything in Germany during the time leading up to and throughout World War II. This is something that has been said many times before, but his way of saying it is unique.
Like all well written books, The Book Thief is about different things. The story looks Technically, the idea of writing a book from the point of view of Death has problems since there are many scenes in The Book Thief where Death isn't present. But the choice works. Markus Zusak seems to be saying that Death is hanging over everything in Germany during the time leading up to and throughout World War II. This is something that has been said many times before, but his way of saying it is unique.
Like all well written books, The Book Thief is about different things. The story looks at the power of words in multiple ways. The most important of these is as a mechanism to convey Hitler's message of hate. Late in the novel the pages of Mein Kampf are painted over in a wonderful symbol of the resistance to that hate. But the story isn't only about Hitler's words. Liesel steals a book and becomes enthralled by words even before she can read them. She connects with her father, with Max Vandenburg (a Jewish man her foster family is hiding), and with Frau Ilsa Hermann (the mayor's wife who has a large personal library) through their shared love of words. Rudy, Liesel's best friend in her community, doesn't share her love of words and for that reason her relationship with him always seems to be missing something.
Although the theme of words runs throughout the book, the core story is about a German family and their need to resist the hate that is pervasive in their country. Rosa, a foul mouthed, strong willed woman, and Hans, her gentle, but equally strong, husband, take in Liesel, a foster child who has lost her mother to the brutal politics of the time. Later they hide Max, who comes to them because his father had saved Hans' life during World War I. Hans hides Max, but also tries to do what his community considers proper by applying to join the Nazi party. Yet Hans can't put his heart into it this act of hypocrisy. He cares too much and so does Rosa in her own way.
The Book Thief is a wonderful book about, among other things, keeping ones humanity while living through horrible times and coming of age in a world that's falling apart.

Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul and White Horse Regressions ...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Wendy Kalthoff rated it it was ok

Shelves: could-mot-finish

I hated it. I am not sure, why though. All I know is that I wanted to slap the main charactes constantly. I could not finish it, and I never do that for a book. I foind the main characters to be whinny and annoying. I was hoping it would be another Anne Frank kind of book but it wasn't. ...more

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Mar 15, 2018 Andrew Shanks rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, 2018-reading-list

This book was hard for me to get into. I felt it was disjointed and didn’t hold my attention. Until that very last chapter where I was almost in tears.

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