Pub. Date: September 2007 Publisher: Random House Children's BooksFormat: Paperback , 576 pages Source: Bought
Rating:
"I saw him him-hip deep in some icy water chasing a book, and I saw a boy lying in bed, imagining how a kiss would taste from his next-door neighbour. He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It's his only determent. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry"
My Thoughts- The Book Thief is definitely one of a kind. I have to say due to hearing so many fantastic things about it and finding hints that this novel was special gave me more than very high expectations of it. It wasn't very fast paced though surprisingly, not to say it was slow as it wasn't at all. It flowed, but I also knew that in the novel being at a slower pace than expected I had the chance to savour moments- meaning throughout I had to use several bookmarks to mark special moments that I could go back to and read.
I don't think I have ever used so many bookmarks for one book. I think that should have been a sign in itself, although the novel gelled with me well I had it in my mind when I was halfway through that it had just reached over four stars and crossed to five. I felt it fit perfectly with the book since you have to be a pretty fantastic book to reach five. It took me to arrive close to the last few chapters when I had finally finished the book and sat silently taking everything in that I realised it deserved more, and that I had somewhere along the line underestimated The Book Thief.
It is 1939 and Nazi Germany is at war, at war in a way with itself. Hitler is reining the country and has spread his thoughts like poison polluting his people: convincing his people that all Jews must be eradicated. I have studied the man may it be through History class or through research or just in my mind, but no matter how many times I read about it or see pictures, each time it is horrifying as the first and I think: you monster, you coward.
I think of the Nazi and think what do I call them? I think of evil and of a country who forgot of humanity for a moment too long and believed themselves to be God, they forgot about mercy and regrets when it came to Jews whilst they kissed their children goodnight, what do I call these people after all these years. I just don't know. What I can tell you despite it all is that there is something sane telling the story, although I'm not exactly sure what it is. Grim reaper is the only thing I have right now, in other words, Death. Call it what you like. At times this Grim reaper seems almost human. It can touch solid objects and feel emotions, yet it takes lives what do you call that? Does death feel, cry, hurt, I never thought so, I always thought Death felt nothing, just emptiness, but Marcus Zusak has another take on death, something I could get used to, he makes me even like death a little.
This story is about the Journey of a little German girl under the name Liesel who looses her mother and brother within the same day. She watches her brother fade right before her and is let go by her mother and fostered by another family shortly after. Her brother has been buried in the snow without a moment’s thought: just one of the many cruelties of reality. Whilst her brother is being buried she comes across a book, a sort of a guide for grave diggers, of course she will not know this for some time for she can't read. Upon her arrival to her new home she meets the Hubermanns consisting of husband: Hans and wife Rose.
Rose comes across as quite horrid and mean and gives both Liesel and Hans curses on a daily basis, but eventually you start to notice that she comes to love Liesel at once and saves her little curses for those she holds dearly. I instantly hit it of with Hans and completely understood the bond between Hans and Liesel all too well , he is exactly like my father. The both of them happen to share the exact same bond I had with my father when I was her age, only the thing that brought us together was music.
Hans taught her how to read whilst my father taught me to appreciate and fall In love with music :) His gentleness and calm demeanour, loving yet stern when needn't be and polite has my father written all over it, it made me smile, Hans made me smile.
Rudy is another favourite. Rudy and Liesel quickly develop a close playful friendship and they practically grow up together. Stealing ironically is what brings them closer, she is labelled The Book Thief when she steals her first book and does many times after, once she starts, her hunger for words and books grows. Rudy is quite protective of her and extremely caring, the bond that they both share in a way is bitter-sweet. Liesel is very lovable; her curiosity, bravery and tom boyishness is very endearing, not to mention her hunger to read and learn is just admirable.
I loved everything about her, it's hard to think about the things this girl will have to face within the next few years as she has been through enough as it is but Death is not quite through with her yet. There is a lot of tragedy I must warn you. Max is the perfect example of that, his story is so saddening, but his story also offers a lot of hope and loyalty.
I held it together, but towards the end I just let go and was in a fit of tears. Many will have their opinion on the ending; I’m still not sure what to make of it, just that it is bitter-sweet and heart-breaking.
"Please believe me when I tell you that I picked up each soul that day as if it were newly born. I even kissed a few weary, poisoned cheeks. I listened to their last, gasping cries. Their French words. I watched their love-visions and freed them from their fear.
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