Book Thief: What do you think about the narrator for this book?

[Ashley]

What do you think about the narrator for this book? Do you think the author's choice for narrator is interesting? wierd? strange? Do you think readers get anything from a narrator whom represents death and dying?

[Kelsey]

I thought the choice of narrator was completely brilliant. I remember thinking "Okay wow. Is the narrator really Death? That's freaking awesome!" I think that it provides a very interesting perspective on the events in the story.

[Heather]

I also really thought the choice of narrator was interesting. It was such a different way to tell the story. I liked the fact that Death was made into this almost likeable character, and that he was sorry about all of the lives he had to take.

[Allison]

i thought that it brought a really unique perspective.
especially in a setting where dying was so horrible, and senseless, it was nice that 'death' was compassionate.

[Jayme]

I agree with Allison about death being compassionate, and I love the fact that Death is shown to be more of an observer then the Grim Reaper. It through me off the first time I read it, and I had to go back and reread and make sure it was Death who was the narrator.

[Tami]

I love that the narrator is Death. The whole vision of what was going on was unbiased, because as Death kept saying, humans do this, and that, but he doesn't know why. It kept the narrator neutral, so you formed your own ideas about what ever was going on. Death did start to show some emotion but maybe that was just me wanting it to be.

[Ashley]

Having Death as narrator is definitely different from your usual narrators which are usually the main characters. It's a different perspective on the story, the characters, the relationships between the characters, etc. It is something new and different in the YA genre which is nice. And I think Death being narrator is one of the main things that makes this book a best-seller and a book that many people love.

[Kelsey]

Have any of you read I Am the Messenger? It's by Markus Zusak as well and equally as brilliant in its own way.

[Ashley]

I have the book, but have yet to read it.

[Heather]

I've read it and thought it was a great book. Not as good as The Book Thief, but still really good. I usually am let down when I read a fantastic book by an author, so I want to read more by them and nothing comes close to the one I loved. I think Markus Zusak is really the first author that I've really thoroughly enjoyed all of his work so far. I'm looking forward to more by him!

[Kelsey]

Me too! I will read anything he decides to write.

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner), The Founding Bookworm]

Tami..i agree..having Death as the narrator makes it have such an unbiased look at the whole story. He is simply an outsider doing his job..yet being observant while doing this job. It definitely is not the way you would think Death would think as a narrator..he seems compassionate thus far. Death saw it all..all the deaths of everyone..Jews..Germans..innocent..guilty.. it is just really such an interesting perspective for a narrator to take..it could have been corny..but he has done it soo well!

[Lauren]

I liked how Death said he was not a nice person and truly he isn't, but he is compassionate. Haha. Ironic...

[Janet]

I am just getting into the book, so I am a little late with this discussion. I really liked the Death idea. I thought it was really great and a little funny at the same time. In a way it reminded me of The Lovely Bones. I don't know why but it just kind of felt the same. Did that make sense? Haha

[sara frances]

Oo, I didn't even think about the Lovely Bones, but that totally makes sense. It's interesting how both narrators are sort of involved, but not really.

[Emily]

Hey, I'm waay late of this discussion, but I just finished part one. I definitely like the characters, but I'm not a big fan of death narrating.. or maybe it just bothers me when he has notes in bold in the middle of a story. I find it kind of distracting, does anyone else feel that way?

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner), The Founding Bookworm]

at first it was really distracting to me..but the more i read..i guess i just got used to it and kind of appreciated Death as the narrator.

[Tami]

I found it less confusing than having the narrater being a main character that interacts with the others. Sometimes it is hard to determine what they are saying "out loud" versus just narration for us to understand more.

[Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner), The Founding Bookworm]

good point Tami! I think you are right.

[Lauren]

Honestly... and I may sound a little like a kid here.. but I thought Death was awesome. Haha. He was blunt & just told you how it was. I want that sometimes in a book. No twists or turns.. just the story. I loved this dang book! =)

[Emily]

see what bothered me about the way that Death talked was that he kept reminding me that I was reading a book. I love that feeling when you open a page and get so caught up in a story that you're surprised to look up and find you're still yourself. He kept interrupting my submergence into the story.