The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Book Thief
Book Review: can't recommend enough
Summary: 5 Stars
Few books have had such a profound effect on me as this one. It made me laugh in places, think deeply in others, and cry a lot at the end. It has the power to truly make you sit and reflect about the atrocities in the world and the way in which humans crazily destroy each other. As the book is told from the point of view of 'death' in a very sensitive way, and through a child's eyes - the whole thing seems to be more inspirational. It makes us look at how cruel humans can be in their destruction of each other, and how important it is to stand up for what's right, no matter what. Nazi Germany seen through an innocent German child's eyes puts an interesting slant on things and makes for a powerful read.
At the end of this book, not only did I have tears all down my face, but I wanted to just sit on my own for a while and think. If you haven't read it, you really should.
Book Review: Every word of praise this book has received is richly deserved
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a book so beautiful, so tragic, so tender, about the depths and the heights of what it means to be human, and despite the horror of its subject matter - the Holocaust, it speaks of redemption, of hope and of what brilliance humanity is capable of.
Though this book is a novel, told from an unusual angle - that of a young German girl growing up in Germany in the 30s, it surely speaks of real acts of compassion, bravery, tolerance and understanding which quite ordinary people carry out. Even though there is an awful 'herd instinct' which we can also follow, which denies the other an equal humanity with ourselves, and which demogogues and the power driven can exploit, there have always been those who arrive at a more real understanding, and act with heroism, often at cost to themselves.
A book that deals with this subject matter can never have a 'happy ending' - every character we have grown to care about in the book - like every 'real' survivor, carries the burden, weight and memory of all those millions who did not survive.
That's why books - whether factual or fiction, about our most awful dark history need to be written - we need to remember, we need to have an awareness of both the best and the worst we may be capable of.
The actual craft of writing in the book is wonderful, clear,deceptively simple, without obfuscation or pyrotechnics. One of Zusak's subtexts is the magic (real magic) of the word. We don't generally think about what an extraordinary feat language itself is, what an amazing development it has been for us as a species. The demagogue unfortunately is one who DOES understand the potency of language, and uses it to manipulate. The Book Thief follows a different route, and shows us how language can heal - language, the ability to name, to conceptualise, to consider, offers us a tool to communicate for understanding.
Book Review: Unintended trivialisation
Summary: 1 Stars
I was looking forward immensely to reading this, especially since the narrator is the devil. Unfortunately this is a classic case of a well-meant effort which just doesn't work. The use of language is unimaginative and there is absolutely no feel for place and time although the book has clearly been conscientiously researched. The characters are flat and undeveloped, and the author is so desperate to give it some authenticity that he continually intersperses the book with swearwords like "Mistkerl" and other foregin terms like "Burgermeister" etc on which he proceeds to give us a translation. It might make a passable children's introduction to life under the Nazis. But it's basically an - albeit unwanted - trivialisation.Book Review: Trite
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this book in order to while away a long ferry trip and ended up reading trashy magazines instead. Despite this, I did plough through it due to a lack of other reading material. I was pretty surprised to read all the rave reviews on Amazon - this lengthy book manages the staggering feat of making the suffering of both Jews and ordinary Germans in Nazi Germany seem amazingly trite. The cutesy style gets a bit nauseating and I got not help comparing the character of Death, with his sympathy / compassion for his doomed charges, with the vastly superior version in Terry Pratchet's fantasy series. The characterisation is rather hackneyed and the prose overblown. Worst of all, there are the bones of a good book buried in here, which could have emerged under a strict good editor trimming out the cliches and unnessary over-writing.Book Review: Quirky and theatrical...?
Summary: 5 Stars
I am finding this book difficult to review; the phrases that immediately come to mind such as 'written more as a theatrical performance' and ' a quirky style of prose' do not seem to do this book justice. Or indeed, get to the root of what I am trying to say. Certainly, it is beautifully written, that much I can say with ease. But to say that it's a 'great read' does not encompass the feel of this story.
The Book Thief was given to me by a friend, and not being my usual style of novel, I opened it with a heavy heart...
And was pleasantly surprised.
How Leisel came to be living on Himmel Street is not immediately clear (I was confused as to her heritage) and the Devil as a narrator takes some getting used to but eventually you begin to warm to his prophestations of doom as being part of the style of the story as opposed to an irritating insight into what's to come.
As for being realistic, gritty, and a true account of Nazi Germany, I really wouldnt know as my knowledge of the Holocaust is, admittedly, of a basic level. But it felt very real to me and that's what is most important; the friendships, the loss, the misery, the very 'human-ness' of this novel is warm and appealing. Had I wanted an historical account of the horrific events of this time, I would have chosen a book to give me that. This book is simply a story - a tiny slice of life from this time - about a girl and her experiences. It has the ability to make you laugh, cry and ponder - what more can you ask for?