LS 5623 Advanced Literature for Young Adults

Zusak, Markus. 2005. The Book Thief. Alfred A. Knopf: New York.
ISBN: 9780375831003

Three times death notices Liesel Meminger as he completes his never ending work of collecting the souls of the dead during World War II. The third time, he rescues from the garbage a hand written book titled The Book Thief; the writing of which saved Liesel's life. Liesel and her brother are sent to live with the Hubermanns as foster children. Her brother dies on the train ride there and is buried in the snow. One of the grave diggers drops a book, which Liesel takes even though she cannot yet read. In the Hubermanns she finds loving, if strange, parents. Rosa's words are often sharp, though the tone betrays her love. Hans is kind to a fault, which causes much difficulty under a Nazi regime. With Hans she learns to read the book she has stolen, a guide to grave digging, and soon hungers for more books to devour.  Stealing books from the Mayor's wife with her best friend and cheering up the Jew hidden in the basement color Liesel's days until one day, as Death is not afraid to tell you, a lot of people die, though not Liesel because she was in the basement writing her book.

The narration of this story is the most excellently done aspect. Personifying death as someone who likes to notice colors and must perpetually take vacations in his mind to escape all the suffering he sees somehow makes humans bent on destruction and people living in pain seem more frightening than he is. Also well done are his frequent interjections with either: a note, or a definition, or explanation, or description of something in the story. Typically such exposition must be worked in by the main character or inferred in the description somewhere, but having death flat out explain that BDM stands for the Band of German Girls saves the reader some trouble.

Another thing excellently done and essential to the success of the book is that the author brings each and every character to life. Death makes very clear that most of these people are doomed to die but when it actually happens it is still surprisingly heartbreaking because the reader has come to care for the silly boy next door who only wants a kiss from Liesel. This is also important because it humanizes Germans living in Nazi Germany. Many times it is easy to believe that all Germans were inhuman automatons, and this book reminds us that there were real people with opposing view points just trying to survive and help their friends do the same.

This book is on the long side at 550 pages, but I think teens will remain hooked in the story as they read to find out the fate of Max, the Jew being hidden in the Hubermann's basement, or of Hans when he is sent off to war or to see if Liesel ever gives in and kisses Rudy. I would recommend this to readers 8th grade and up.




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