The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 14, 2006
Pages: 552
Source: purchased book and audiobook
About the Book: The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that will be in movie theaters on November 15, 2013, Markus Zusak’s unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul.
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.
Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.
In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
My Thoughts: Oy. This book. This book! I can’t even. It’s a book I’ve been meaning to read for years. I’d actually started it a number of times. I guess the timing was never quite right. I’d either pick something else up or I’d have to return the audiobook to the library. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it. I was just never so caught up I couldn’t put it down. That all changed when I read it for book club this month. I re-listened to the first part of the book while making book club snacks and cleaning around the house. Soon I found myself stopping what I was doing and just listening. I then curled up on my couch to read the physical book because I couldn’t wait to find out how everything played out. In the end I was sitting up on the couch, crouched over, sobbing over the events of the story. When I finished (and mopped up my face!) I posted the following on facebook:
As I said, I felt shattered. I mean, the narrator tells you what’s going to happen way in advance but it still snuck up on me. I just couldn’t distance myself from the characters. The scenes at the end of the book (trying not to get specific here!) were so powerful and evocative. I cried while re-reading the places I’d highlighted to make favors for book club. I cried while talking about the book at book club. I cried while reading excerpts aloud. Basically there was a lot of tearing up going on.
I know immediately after finishing I said I’d never re-read The Book Thief and put myself through that again. I’m still an emotional wreck when I think about it (how am I going to survive the movie?!?!?!) But I may have changed my mind. The book was just so incredibly beautiful. By missing out on the hard parts I’d deprive myself of too much good as well.
Audiobook Note: I really loved the narration on this one. Truly a fabulous audiobook that added much to the story. Also, I can now pronounce “saumensch” and “saukerl” which is a skill I value.
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