The Book Thief

15:17

The Book Thief
- by Markus Zusak

5.0/5.0 stars

My only regret is having watched the film for this book before having read it.

The Book Thief made me root for Liesel, the thief herself. It made me melt for her Papa and resent her Mama, only to later admire her big heart. It made me fall in love with her best friend, Rudy. It made me crave the moments between Max and Liesel that reflect a beautiful friendship in a cruel period of time. It made me ache for the slices of life that every character loses and it made me dread turning each page because I knew the ending, I knew it dammit and it still broke my heart.

I finally understand. I understand the hype that surrounded the release of the film two years back. I get why, even though I was left feeling underwhelmed and unimpressed when leaving that cinema, my friend begged me to read the book regardless. It is a frickin' masterpiece.

"I am haunted by humans" ~ Death

Set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany, it centres around Liesel who at nine years old, is essentially an orphan and is sent to live with foster parents as her country is engulfed in World War II. En route with her mother, her younger brother dies and during his funeral, she steals her first book from beside his grave - The Grave Digger's Handbook - though she is illiterate and the act of thievery is one of sentiment. Having lost both her brother and mother, reading through that book in her new home on Himmel Street with her foster father, Hans (or Papa), becomes her saviour. She revels in words. She basks in their power and such is their pull, that she's compelled to steal two more books throughout the course of the book (within good reason of course). When she is not stealing, she's breathing the stolen words, or collecting laundry, or causing mischief with her neighbour and best friend, Rudy. We can later add "hiding a Jew" to that list - Max. Max, the shy but gentle German-Jew is hidden in the basement of the Hubermann's in the name of keeping a promise. The bond that is forged between he and Liesel over time is one that runs deep; their friendship and attachment is quite simply, beautiful. And so the story unravels snippets of Liesel's life both prior and following Max's arrival with the unravelling being done by Death himself, as he too being a book thief, stole the book that Liesel wrote about these years and carries it with him throughout time.

Death's narrative 100% worked for me; it's witty, poetic, and profound, and coupled with the humour that seeps through the pages and vivid descriptions that blow the mind, it is utterly genius. Death marvels at human life, at human tendencies, and his detailing of the souls that he walks away with is haunting and captivating. But it is his re-telling of Liesel's life that transports you to Nazi Germany as you play her football games in the street and join her in her escapades to feel the simultaneous thrill and fear during her moments of thieving. It makes you helplessly watch through her eyes, the parade of the skeletons of Jews through town and feel the tangible fear as bombs drop on Himmel Street.

I'm not a fan of historical fiction but not only did this book hook me from start to finish, it weaved a powerful story into the seams of a controversial time period. Through a masterfully written plot, it subtly gives a balanced portrayal of Nazi Germany; it is an eye-opening insight into the suffering of not only the persecuted Jews, but also the Germans who were forced to live under such a rule. It highlights the small yet significant fact we often overlook, that Jews and Germans alike lost their lives, just not necessarily in the same way.

This book is a gem. It is melodramatic, with a beautiful visual landscape and a stunning story that will haunt you for days. Zusak's writing is pure art and holy wow does he know how to evoke emotion through mere words. After all, I had already known how the book ends, yet when I read its conclusion in the early hours of the morning, I had tears streaming down my face as my heart broke.

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Kauser

Part-time blogger, full-time scientist, and lifetime Liverpool fan. Follow me as I document my life, from uni woes, to the chaos of adulthood, and every other awkward moment in-between that is part and parcel of being a socially introverted twenty-something year old.