The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is marketed as a book for teens, but don't let that stop you from running out and getting this book for yourself. The story is incredibly engaging, the characters endearing and the themes are thought provoking.

In a nutshell, it's a book about Nazi Germany told by Death. Sounds strange, but the device is used well and enhances the story without intruding too much. Otherwise, the tale is rater straightforward although there are little asides thrown in here and there that make it different -- nothing Vonnegut hasn't done before.

While I fell in love with the characters, I also loved the honest portrayal of the German citizens -- torn by the Nazi dictatorship -- living in fear, trying to do the right thing, wondering what the right thing is when they can hardly take care of their own families. It puts things into perspective in a way that you might not expect.

So I highly recommend this book and not just for teens.

Comments

[Donna]

The ordinary German citizens trying to make reasonable decisions in an unreasonable time is the theme I was most attracted to in this novel. I really enjoyed the perspective.

You might want to check out the Ravelry Book Club. We're just finishing up the discussion on this book.

[--Deb]

It's interesting that we have (in some cases) such similar interests in books and yet different tastes, because I loved the idea of the Book Thief but didn't like the book. Whereas the author's "I am the Messenger," I loved....