The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Date: September 18, 2007
Source/Format: Bought || Paperback

By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down. (from Goodreads)

I started The Book Thief with the knowledge that I was beginning a book with a reputation that preceded it – a book that had left a very strong impression on those who had read it. While it took a while for me get into the writing style, I fell head over heels in love with this story. It’s powerful and moving and beautiful and inspiring, and serves as a reminder of why I want to write stories. Though I’m almost certain that my review will be inadequate to express how amazing this book is, I sure want to try to tell you why I love it so.

First, there are these incredible characters. This story is filled to the brim with characters, both primary and secondary, that play a part in the constantly shifting, weaving storyline. Death narrates this story, and while I thought that was peculiar at first, I have come to realize that it was a wonderfully unique way of telling this story. Death, obviously, is not emotionally attached to these people, but he is fascinated by them and interested in them and eager to share what he knows with us about Liesel and her life.

Liesel is a character that I just wanted to hug and hand cookies and books to. She endures a lot of hardship at such a young age – death and hunger and pain and ostracizing – and yet, she still manages to have an indomitable, strong spirit. I admired her courage when faced with scary or new situations, her tenacity and desire to read and read and read, and her unquestionable loyalty and love for the ones she loves.

And, obviously, I think the fact that she wanted all of the books was something I could definitely relate to! The books, in fact, are what serve as the cornerstone for the beginnings of her relationship with her foster father Hans and Max, the Jew that they hide in the basement. Hans teaches Liesel to read and to recognize words, and the intimacy and sweetness of their father-daughter relationship just brought me to tears every single time. With Max on the other hand, the words were something that they ended up clinging to as their common ground. Words unite them, words are a language they both know and words prove to be an incredibly significant part of their lives.

Then, there’s the story. I say this all the time, and after reading this book, I am convinced that it is truer than ever – words have power. We see this evidenced time and again throughout the story, and each time there was a new example of it, I could feel my heart swell.

The relationships between the characters, the historical facts and musings tossed in, the descriptions of the settings and the people and the world at that time – all of it was impeccably written. I seriously find myself thinking about Adolf Hitler and the history of that time, and marveling at the fact that this (fictional) opinion of him is something that I can truly agree with. This story is a collection of beautifully curated prose, with carefully chosen words, and I closed the cover feeling like I had gone through a tremendously moving journey.

It is fairly obvious that I loved this book. While it’s certainly not the easiest story to read (and not just because it’s fairly lengthy), I can assure you that I truly believe it is worth it. The finesse and the cleverness with which the author wielded his words certainly made an impression on me – and that impression implores me to recommend that you read this book. If you’re hesitating or if you’ve been on the edge or if you’ve been putting it off, consider this review an invitation to finally allow yourself to be immersed in a story that will touch your heart and make you think.