The Book Thief

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak

2005

hardback, 552 pages

The closer I got to the end of The Book Thief, the slower I turned the pages. I did not want it to end. I wanted my life to keep having Liesel, and Rudy and Papa, and even foul-mouthed (yet big-hearted) Mama as a part of my days. I learned a lot about Nazi Germany, human nature, death, desire, loss, and hope and quite a few German swear-words through the story that mainly took the reader through 5 years of life. I had watched the movie with Russell, not knowing it was a book, and then a few years later Isaiah brought the novel home from the library. He was enthralled, so I checked it out next.  

Isaiah asked as I was getting started, "Isn't it interesting that the narrater is deaf?" Hmmmm, a deaf narrator, I had not noticed, but then I paid attention. But no the narrator could hear. "Not deaf, Mom, Death." I was the deaf one and yet I agree, a very interesting perspective from the narrator. And I loved how Death was not evil, cruel, but rather compassionate and faithfully did his job, lifting the souls of humans, mostly killed by the hands of other humans. 

That does not give anything away, if you pick up a book about Nazi Germany, you are bound to read of some suffering and death. But the life that you encounter through Mark Zusak's characters is the kind of life you can smell, and feel, and even taste. There were times when I was reading in a warm, cozy bed but I felt the dank coldness of a basement in winter on a poor street called Heaven, and from the planes flying to and from our Houston airports it took little imagination to hear the propellers and whining of planes from another time.

Wonderfully woven, and not told in a hurry, there was depth to everyday life in a small town outside of Munich as a war as big as the world was about to take place. Hunger mixed in with soccer as seasons made their rounds and Liesel and Rudy grew from nine-year-olds to young teens. What they experienced together made me want to more deeply reflect on my own childhood, wondering what really forms up a person. Liesel and her neighbor Rudy were rich in friendship, loyalty, and even bravery. 

With the title called, The Book Thief, you can guess that there were some books involved. And the books told their own stories (some stolen, some written, most all of them read multiple times) as they skillfully wove minor characters into the lives of the major ones. Even though I knew the ending (from the movie) I could not put this book down as the style and uniqueness made it feel like I was turning the pages of art.

The Book Thief has won honor awards for Young Adult Literature. I highly recommend The Book Thief and would love to hear what stood out to you, for in a story this rich, there are bond to be many meaningful observations.