The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Book Thief
Book Review: Order it now. You will be so glad you did!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Somewhere, far down, there was an itch in his heart, but he made it a point not to scratch it. He was afraid of what might come leaking out."
This book has a huge heart. It is filled with beautiful writing and so many memorable metaphors -- you'll want to read them outloud to hear the beauty of the words and then break out the highlighter so you don't forget them. The story is compelling, and the characters are well-defined. You won't soon forget Liesel, her papa Hans, her friend Rudy or especially Max.
Order it now. You will be so glad you did!
Book Review: Magnificent Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Liesel Meminger is a Book Thief, living with a foster family in Germany during World War Two. Torn from everything she's known, her foster father shows her the power of words as the two of them share late night reading sessions of The Grave Digger's Handbook. Her love of books ties her to others, including the mayor's wife and Max, the Jew the family hides in the basement.
My own words escape me as I try to recount the beauty of this book in a short review. Rarely have I read a book as moving, as profound, as this one. Narrated by Death, this story is one that crawls under your skin and reverberates your soul with its images of Nazi Germany, friendship, and loss. The images stirred through Death's telling are so vivid, so wonderful, so tragic. Zusak has a masterful command of language and I was astounded by the way his words brought Liesel and her world to life. We follow Liesel over the years as she learns the true meaning of family through her caring new Papa and her friendships with Max and Rudy, the boy next door who idolizes Jesse Owens.
Just a small list of images that will stay with me forever:
+Liesel reading to the neighbors sitting terrified in a basement waiting for the bombs to fall around them
+A snowball fight in a basement
+Mama arriving at school to "yell" at Liesel
+A boy with candlelit hair standing up to a Nazi Youth Leader
+Death gathering up the souls of children softly
+The story of a Word Shaker
+An accordian player accepting a cigarette as payment
There are not enough words within me to express the beauty of this book. It will move you to laughter and tears, often at the same time. This one is a keeper that I will revisit frequently in the future. It has changed my soul. Highly, highly, highly recommended.
Book Review: Great on so many levels
Summary: 5 Stars
Unique style, touching story, engaging characters, important messages-- this book should become a classic. I would encourage everyone from high school age to adult to read this book.Book Review: A Must Read
Summary: 5 Stars
Reading The Book Thief was like being a fly on the wall during a terrible part of our world's history. There was great sadness, but there was continuous hope. Markus Zusak created characters that became very visible. With Death as the narrator, he hooked me on the first page. I can't wait until my children are old enough to read it. This book is a treasure! Book Review: This Is A Book That Everyone Should Be Reading.
Summary: 5 Stars
The book, which I can't even remember where I read the original raves about it, should be required reading for every school in the country. As a knock your socks off companion piece to 'The Diary of Anne Frank', '...Thief' captures the German side of the war through the story of a young girl being raised by foster parents who end up hiding a Jewish man in their basement. The catch, or the device if you will, is that the compelling, and nearly not depressing (considering the subject) story is told by death himself. This is the book to read in those book clubs after you've all been looking for something like 'The Kite Runner'. It's human, personal, and wonderfully written, and hopefully won't get lost on the shelves of young adult fiction. This is something everyone should be reading.