From the Bookshelf of Read Between the Wines…

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

Start date: July 1, 2012

Finish date: July 31, 2012

Discussion: Book Club Discussions

Why we're reading this: This book was nominated by Keryn.
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Discussion: The Diary of a Young Girl
By Jason , Cabernet Sauvignon · 7 posts · 7 views

last updated May 25, 2017 06:30AM

Discussion: Slade House
By Jason , Cabernet Sauvignon · 16 posts · 11 views

last updated Feb 17, 2017 04:44PM

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What Members Thought

Jul 18, 2012 Rhianna rated it it was amazing

So here is where my usually snotty "this book's writing is basic so I hate it" side conflicts with the fact that I actually enjoyed the story when it was taken at face value.

There was nothing deep nor compelling about this book. The writing was basic, and at times juvenile. Side note: I also didn't realize I was reading a young adult book until after I was finished-- had I known in advance I don't know if I would have picked it up, quite honestly. The characters weren't complex, nor were they ex So here is where my usually snotty "this book's writing is basic so I hate it" side conflicts with the fact that I actually enjoyed the story when it was taken at face value.

There was nothing deep nor compelling about this book. The writing was basic, and at times juvenile. Side note: I also didn't realize I was reading a young adult book until after I was finished-- had I known in advance I don't know if I would have picked it up, quite honestly. The characters weren't complex, nor were they extraordinarily interesting. The plot was easy to predict, so basic and superficial... yet I really enjoyed it.

And truth be told, I can't pinpoint why because everything that I usually love about books was totally absent here. This is a two-star book that I enjoyed enough to give a five-star review. I wasn't really involved with the characters, so I didn't care that Death was a whiny bitch, if Rudy got his kiss, or if Max made it out OK. I didn't really flinch when Hans turned out to be a Jew hider (why else would he have taken Liesel in to begin with?) or when the bombs finally blew up their street and killed everyone. You knew it would happen. All of it. And yet, I really enjoyed the story.

Someone slap me in the face here. What is going on?

I think what it comes down to is that I gobble up most stories (factual or not) about WWII, and have had some really interesting conversations with Jewish friends and coworkers about whether Hitler is in 'heaven' or the power of oration to move the masses. So by default, this book had a leg up because it ran alongside some of my interests. This is where the simplicity of the story won some points. It wasn't necessarily a story about how bad Hitler was. It wasn't necessarily a story about how unfortunate the Jews were.

It was the story of a girl who falls in love with words and books, and for whom the simple acts of reading and writing saved her life. But the book was about how important and strong words are. Hitler used words to rise to power. Words saved Liesel's life. Specific words showed how much Mama cared for people. Words kept people going at a time when they just didn't feel like they could continue any longer. And more importantly, words stand the test of time.

I realize it wasn't that deep, and at times that message was staring you right in the face. But I liked it anyhow. If anything, what made me love this book was the gentle reminder of what awesome things are brought into your life by reading.
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