The Book Thief
Markus Zusak
I have recently finished reading a wonderful book, The Book Thief by
Markus Zusak. When I first saw the book at our local book shop I didn’t like
the cover, so I must admit I do judge a book by its cover. When everyone in
Book club agreed to read this book at first I was very sceptical, thinking I
won’t like it. Then I opened the book...
It is set during World War 2 in Nazi Germany; Markus Zusak novel is told
by Death, he remembers one girl that stood out over the years. The then tells the
story of Liesel Meminger, a foster child living in a small town outside of
Munich. Liesel travels with her mother and brother to their new foster family.
On the journey her brother dies and they bury him in a small town she doesn’t
even know the name. She then steals her first book, the gravedigger’s handbook.
She arrives on Himmel Street where she is handed to her new mother and father.
She has terrible nightmares about her brother, and wakes up screaming,
Hans her foster father then comforts her in the nights by sitting with her
until she falls asleep again. After a couple of nights he decides they might as
well do something productive with the waking hours and he starts to teach her
how to read using the gravedigger’s handbook. This starts her love for books,
and she starts stealing books, the second book she steals is from a bon fire
made by the Hitler Youth burning books that belonged to Jews.
She shares her books with her neighbours during bombing raids as well to
a Jewish man, hiding in their basement. The book is a wonderful twist on the
usual World War 2 books, by using Death as the Narrator. There are a couple of
quotes from the book that I love.
“So
much good, so much evil. Just add water.”
“I
am haunted by Humans”
This was one of my favourite books and just
proofs; don’t judge a book by its cover.
Do yourself a favour, go read it, if you
don’t want to buy the book yet, download the Ebook and read it
