The
Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Orginally published in 2005 by Picador (Australia)
My edition: 2012 paperback from Definitions
What’s
it about?
Narrated by Death and set in
Nazi Germany, The Book Thief tells
the tale of Liesel, a stealer of books. Moved to a new town to live with new parents alone, this is her struggle to survive as the bombs begin to
fall.
Why
now?
With the film adaptation
currently filming, I’ve been flooded with screen shots, trailer reaction and
gorgeous, gorgeous quotes and I’m feeling rather left out. And it’s Jenny from Wondrous
Reads’
favourite book and I trust her taste.
The
verdict:
I feel like everybody loves
this book. It’s one of those books that everyone has reacted so viscerally to
that they have to tell every person they talk to about it. I was looking
forward to discovering a book like that. Sadly, I was disappointed.
As I started The Book Thief, I was wracked with nerves.
Will I love it? Will it take me forever? Will it destroy my heart? I was thoroughly
surprised by how easy it was to read and I sped through it. At just under 600
pages, I never thought I’d have this review ready for today but I read it in two
days! Zusak’s writing is stunning and so involving. Death’s narration is such a
unique view point and I love the way that he discussed humans and their lives. And
yet I still didn't fall in love with The
Book Thief.
I’m rather wary of war novels. They
put me o edge in ways that I don't enjoy and can't quite pin point. I felt none
of that with The Book Thief and yet
the novel was a stark portrayal of a view of World War Two that doesn’t get
considered very often: the German everyman. You’re not taught about the effect
on the average person flinching under the rule of Hitler, about the people who don't
buy into his poisonous words, the ones who risk their lives for the persecuted.
It’s eye-opening and heart-breaking, and yet I still wasn’t feeling the
connection I wanted to.
Leisel, while a brilliant and
engaging heroine, didn’t stick in my heart anywhere. Only Hans, Leisel’s foster
dad, and Rudy Steiner, Leisel’s best friend, had any impact on me. They were
the most complex and interesting characters in the novel, bar Death himself and
Max. And yet, with everything that happened in the final chapters, the bit that
I was warned would make me sob my heart out, nothing. I didn't even get choked
up! And I think it was merely down to the fact that I didn't connect with the
characters properly. It’s a shame and I definitely finished the novel
disappointed that my heart was in one piece and I didn't go back to work with
tear-streaked cheeks.
Still
not convinced?
- You want to see the film right? You know the
rules: book before film.
- It’s narrated by Death.
Sophie
I read this book in 2011 and gave it 7 or 8 out of 10, because it was well written, but it didn't punch me in the gut like some other books have. Even Stephen King's "Cujo" was a harder punch in the gut than "The Book Thief." Nevertheless, I saw this as a Holocaust themed novel that was meant to spark a reaction.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your book-before-film rule. I did love The Book Thief but there are other books that I disappointingly didn't love that seemingly everyone else in the world did (The Scorpio Races, most recently) so I completely understand the feeling. Perhaps this book was just too hyped up for you, or maybe you wouldn't have loved it regardless. I was really nervous when I heard they were adapting this novel for the big screen, but after seeing the trailer I'm cautiously optimistic. Maybe you'll like the film better.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thanks for your post. I wrote a post on The Book Thief on my blog recently, feel free to check it out, should you feel so inclined: www.bookmarkdragon.com. I'm new the book blogosphere, and am really excited to stop being a lurker and be a more active participant in these conversations about books. Wow, this comment got long. Anyway, thanks again for the post.
I won't ramble on here because I do that enough on my own blog and Twitter, but just wanted to say that I'm really glad you read and liked it and it's totally ok that you didn't cry. My mum was the same, so I disowned her. ;)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this book completely destroyed me and still does every time I read it. I'll never read anything better.