The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that is now a major motion picture, Markus Zusak’s unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul.
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by … existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist-books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.
In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
From the Hardcover edition.
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This is one of those truly amazing, inspirational, heartbreaking, incredibly literary young adult novels that I think should have been characterized as a novel, pure and simple, no age-qualifiers, from the outset. I do not think that every book with a youthful protagonist is automatically a child’s (or more appropriately non-adult) book, and this is a prime example of that thought in practice. In this regard it reminds me of the most famous book of its genre – The Diary of Anne Frank. Yes, it is a book about the Holocaust, and yes, it is a book about a child in the Holocaust – in this instance, a foster-girl (the eponymous book thief) living with a family outside of Munich, and her interaction with a Jewish man who hides in the family’s basement. Zusak takes difficult subject matter and renders it accessible to all ages without ever over-simplifying or sugar-coating anything – including Death (who is actually embodied as a character). This is one of those books that will stick with you forever – the descriptions are some of the most evocative, literary bits of wordplay I have ever encountered (and that’s saying something given the quantity of words I have read), the storyline is moving and poignant without ever falling into maudlin. This is truly a beautiful story and a wondrous piece of writing, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
If you want a good cry, or a good laugh, just pick up this book, and be prepared to be taken away for a couple of hours. It takes a bit to get into the book, but if you just give it a little time, you will not be able to put this book down. I do not have a lot of favorite books. In fact, I usually like most books I read. But, there are very few that I LOVE, and will read more than one time in my lifetime. This book falls into that category.
Cannot believe I’ve discovered this book only now…because, what a book! It’s nothing like any I’ve ever read and loved, and will always remain a story I’ll forever recommend everyone to read at least once.
I could not choose books to be on the list of my favorite works of historical fiction without including this book. Originally published in Australia for children, the book is long, tackles tragic subject matter, and became a bestseller in adult literature. How could anyone not be pulled into a book that opens this way:
“First the colors. Then the humans. That’s usually how I see things. Or at least, how I try. HERE IS A SMALL FACT. You are going to die.”
It doesn’t take long to realize that the narrator of the book is the Angel of Death, and this device works wonderfully in a novel about some of the kind and innocent German citizens who were trapped in Nazi Germany during World War II. Despite the tragedy, fear, and suffering of the circumstances, this book manages to showcase the best of humanity through both adult and child characters. An abandoned girl is taken in by a childless couple and steals books so she can learn to read. A young Jewish man is kept hidden in the cellar. A clever German boy resists Nazism and steals everyone’s hearts. And there’s more…
In my opinion, nothing substitutes for reading the book, but this is one of those rare cases of a book made into a movie done well. The film adaptation is beautiful, but watch it only if you don’t have time to read.
The Book Thief had a slow start for me, but once I made it to the middle of the book, I couldn’t put it down! It is definitely worth the commitment, and a book that stays with you.
Question of the week: “What’s a book you didn’t expect to like, but surprised you in the end?” The Book Thief is one of those books. I think maybe the reason I didn’t have high expectations of this novel is because it is narrated by Death. I wondered how this was going to work. I was concerned the tone would be flippant, and too light-hearted for the subject. But I was totally wrong. This is a moving, sensitive and thought-provoking book. It tells the story of ordinary German families living in Munich whose lives are tragically altered forever by the Nazis. Max Vandenburg is a Jew who is being hidden in a cellar by painter and decorator Hans Hubermann. Liesel – the main character of the novel – has been adopted by Hans after her parents were taken off to a concentration camp. Liesel is the “book thief” of the title, as she rescues books from burning by the Nazis.
This book tells of the courage of ordinary people living through terrible times. It’s beautifully written and one of the best books about the second world war I’ve read. I’m so glad I persevered with it past my preconceptions.
DEATH being the start of this incredible book threw me, and touched my heart. LOVED this story of a young German girl placed in the home of a poor couple during WWII Germany. She loves books, steals them, and we live her childhood with her during the war. If you loved THE NIGHTINGALE, try this book. They will both stay with you forever.
The world around me fell away while I read this book. I wish I could read it again for the first time.
I read this book several years ago and really enjoyed it. I know it is considered to be for middle school age,but I found it to be very thought provoking for adults as well. Highly recommended.
The story is of an innocent girl living in Nazi Germany and how books become her driving inspiration. To me as a writer, this obviously held a great attraction. At over 500 pages it is a huge book that takes a fair degree of concentration to keep up with all the meandering paths and fantasy. I will not say how the story is told other than it befits Liesel’s poverty and innocence.
All in all, it does take a bit of reading but in my opinion, it is worth the effort.
When I first read this book I was in the 6th grade, and since then I have re-read this wonderful book over 12 times! This is the greatest book ever!
A riveting book of a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany where death itself is a character in the story trying to help the reader make sense of the incomprehensible. When the world seems turned upside down, Liesel Meminger takes comfort in books which have the means to temporarily transport her away from the horror going on around her. She takes to stealing books wherever she can find them. When Liesel’s foster family hides a Jewish man in their basement, reality comes crashing in and her books become more important than ever, both to her and her new friend. But are they enough to combat the nightmare of reality?
Brilliant…unforgettable…praiseworthy.
This had me in tears more than once. It is still my top recommended read.
Totally enjoyed this book. Characters were mesmerizing and author’s style of writing led to an exceptional read. Reading about the horrors of living under the Nazi regime from the perspective of children ,who were made to grow up way too fast was heart wrenching at times.
One of my favourite books ever. So moving and such amazing imagery
This book was wonderful and very realistic! Though I was sad, the amazing literature and word choice made it worth it!
5 stars to Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief.
Liesel is the heroine — of so many things. Such a young girl, so intelligent in ways many of us aren’t even as adults. It’s one of the few books that actually provoked a tear or two from me.
At first, I was not interested in this book. My book club selected it. I only knew what the book jacket said (before I used Goodreads) and as soon as it said it took place in Germany in World War II, I had that nasty pit in my stomach that I would be suffering through reading about the tragedy of the Holocaust. While it had no direct connection to my family (we’re not Jewish and all of my Germans had long been in the US since the mid 19th century), I just can’t read or watch anything about this particular nastiness. I think it’s heartbreaking to think about what people suffered at the hands of…. nevermind. You get the point.
So here I am having to read this book, putting it off until the day before Book Club meets… I finally relinquish my attitude and dive in… then I never stopped. I read it that entire evening skipping dinner, ignoring my ringing phone and letting the poor dogs suffer with no attention. It was that amazing.
I want a copy of that book within a book. I want to hold on to it forever for Liesel. I want to know more about her and the future and her family and everything.
Read it. Enjoy it. Pretend it’s you. Pretend you’re there watching. Just live and breathe with it while you read it.
Zusac is a virtuoso of words. It seems to me that he could have turned the most casual story into a purely literary diamond. So all the more when it comes to a subject so emotionally charged. Zusac wrote us a story about a strange friendship between death and one little (special) girl. The combination of humor within the fabric of such problematic issues dispels fears of confronting an awful event in the history of us all. This is a way that I find excellent, and the writer cracked it fantastically. But this book doesn’t suit everyone. That’s why the schism between reviewers of the book really doesn’t surprise me – either it makes you short of breath, or you say, “What was it that I just read?”
As for me, I’m on the 5-star side.
I fell in love with this book. I have to say, when I first started it, I had a hard time with the narrator (Death – as in, THE Angel of Death). The language seemed disjointed, and Death’s thoughts seemed unfinished somehow. But the premise was so original that I persisted and I’m so glad I did. Once I submitted to the author’s vision for this story, I was completely entranced. I actually cried in my dentist’s office as I read the end (only an emotional spoiler there). So highly recommended for adult and young adult readers alike.
One of my all time favorite books! Told from a very interesting and original point of view – Death. This depiction of life during WW2 is one of the most immersive I have ever read, I never wanted this book to be over. The WW2 settting and coming of age story combine two of my favorites, and the fact that the main character is obsessed with books and learning was just an added bonus. While there are 100 more positive things I could say about this book, it is also the saddest I have ever read, I was full on bawling, tears streaming down my face at the end of this story….but in my book(ha!) that is another positive, as it just goes to show what a great job the author did getting the readers so emotionally invested.