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kyarabereading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is one of my favorite books of all time. No book has brought a tear to my eye quite like this one, even after having read it multiple times. The first few times I read it, I didn't have as full an understanding as I do now. I think it made this book hurt so much more this time around. The Book Thief tells a beautiful story that is as painful, tragic, and honest as it is heartwarming, inspiring, and at times, even funny.
I love the attention to detail Zusak clearly put into this book. This is a book that seems like it took a lot of Zusak's time and research - and all that hard work truly paid off. Everything is so, so real. The characters, the location, the historical events - they all create a story that is so incredibly real. So, so honest. It makes you fall in love with the characters. It makes you feel their pain. It makes it hurt that much more when they're hurt, especially when you realize this story was a reality for many people in 1940s Germany. This book does not sugarcoat the effects of the Holocaust or everyone's participation in it - everyone from the Hitler fanatic to the complaisant supporter. It does not sugarcoat how WWII hurt so many people. It's tragic to see how all this built up, to see what people did because of fear and hatred. What they did for survival.
I also love the creative choices Zusak makes in this book. For one, having Death as a narrator was a choice that really strengthened the book as a whole. Death as a narrator along with Zusak's way with words (along with his writing style and structure and loveable characters and etc., etc., etc.) is a combination that formed some of the most beautiful writing I have seen. Zusak also showed us how all the stories, all the moments in this book are intertwined with each other. I like how some stories remind us of things we have already seen or provide us with foreshadowing for what is coming up. It makes this book entertaining to read every single time.
I think what I love the most about this book is what it teaches us. It is a study of humanity and human nature from a distant point of view. Death is amazed by, terrified by, interested in humans. To quote the book directly, Death is "haunted" by us. It makes me think about my own humanity and that of the people around me. But it does not just make me think about the bad side of humanity, it makes me think about all the good too. The book reminds me of all the beautiful parts of other human beings - people's selflessness, kindness, trust, love, etc., etc., etc. The book also teaches the importance of words. They can be influential. They can be harmful. They can be helpful. They can be life-changing. They can be used as a weapon, but they can also be used for good.
Markus Zusak wrote a book that is so beautifully written and impactful. May I never forget how it made me feel. May I never forget his words.
I love the attention to detail Zusak clearly put into this book. This is a book that seems like it took a lot of Zusak's time and research - and all that hard work truly paid off. Everything is so, so real. The characters, the location, the historical events - they all create a story that is so incredibly real. So, so honest. It makes you fall in love with the characters. It makes you feel their pain. It makes it hurt that much more when they're hurt, especially when you realize this story was a reality for many people in 1940s Germany. This book does not sugarcoat the effects of the Holocaust or everyone's participation in it - everyone from the Hitler fanatic to the complaisant supporter. It does not sugarcoat how WWII hurt so many people. It's tragic to see how all this built up, to see what people did because of fear and hatred. What they did for survival.
I also love the creative choices Zusak makes in this book. For one, having Death as a narrator was a choice that really strengthened the book as a whole. Death as a narrator along with Zusak's way with words (along with his writing style and structure and loveable characters and etc., etc., etc.) is a combination that formed some of the most beautiful writing I have seen. Zusak also showed us how all the stories, all the moments in this book are intertwined with each other. I like how some stories remind us of things we have already seen or provide us with foreshadowing for what is coming up. It makes this book entertaining to read every single time.
I think what I love the most about this book is what it teaches us. It is a study of humanity and human nature from a distant point of view. Death is amazed by, terrified by, interested in humans. To quote the book directly, Death is "haunted" by us. It makes me think about my own humanity and that of the people around me. But it does not just make me think about the bad side of humanity, it makes me think about all the good too. The book reminds me of all the beautiful parts of other human beings - people's selflessness, kindness, trust, love, etc., etc., etc. The book also teaches the importance of words. They can be influential. They can be harmful. They can be helpful. They can be life-changing. They can be used as a weapon, but they can also be used for good.
Markus Zusak wrote a book that is so beautifully written and impactful. May I never forget how it made me feel. May I never forget his words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, War, Antisemitism, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, and Grief
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Torture
Minor: Excrement and Alcohol
maeverose's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, War, Violence, Antisemitism, Bullying, Confinement, Physical abuse, Grief, Genocide, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Torture, and Murder
Minor: Alcohol
brownieboo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Antisemitism, Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Death, Death of parent, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Police brutality, Suicide, Bullying, Colonisation, Slavery, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Physical abuse
hoarde_of_words's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Child death, Antisemitism, Death of parent, War, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, and Genocide
joan_salder's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
** spoiler alert ** Here is a small fact: you are going to die
It tore me apart!
That is not all I would say about this book.
I am astonished by the context and perspective of the story, as it is told by someone we have never met: Death. Death says he's haunted by humans, and I believe he's right. We are born to die or we die to be born again, I don't know, secrets are still secrets. The souls, the people, we make links with them, we love them, knowing that one day none of us will exist, not only on earth, but also in the minds.
A reassuring announcement: Please, be calm, despite that previous threat. I am not violent. I am not malicious. I am a result.
Papa (Hans Hubermann), just blew my heart away as he died. His death was more tragic than the rest. Oh dear Rudy. Do you have any idea how much Liesel loved you? Don't you know how she feels about your death? Oh no! All you cared about was that kiss you never received from her. Is that so? Eh? The tragic deaths of all the people around and death tells so peacefully, as if it sedated them. I cannot help but love every character, even death. Everything is beautiful in this book. The kiss, the theft, the mini-stories of Max, the presents given to Max by Liesel, the accordion, the insults of Rosa Hubermann (Mama) and everything. The accordion breathes as Papa breathes, Papa is the accordion. He is the sweetness of music and the taste of music, the keys and the notes because he is the accordion.
One opportunity leads directly to another, just as risk leads to more risk, life to more life and death to more death
The accordion and the book, they bought the characters together. Papa with Rosa, Liesel with Papa, Rosa with Liesel, Liesel with Rudy, Papa with Max and Max with Liesel. It is unbelievable that two normal things which are often found in the world could bring people together and save someone's life, but life is surprising in its many ways.
Hitler truly deserved the death he received in my view because he is a whore
'When death captures me,' the boy vowed, 'he will feel my fist on his face.
One story I cannot deny is "The Word Shaker." Words have the power to destroy us, to rebuild us, to convince, to reject and to even capture the world. Liesel, at such a young age, has understood something years of experience cannot and that means she has experienced the world in these few years?
'After all,' he said, 'you should know it yourself - a young man is still a boy, and a boy sometimes has the right to be stubborn.'
Papa is heaven and anyone cannot prove it to be wrong that that is why he lives in Himmel Street. He is a teacher, a friend, a best friend, an uncle, a husband and a father. Liesel may have seen or not seen her father but Papa is the only true father she had.
Mama. What could I say about her? She is a coconut: hard on the outside but soft in the inside. My opinions changed about her when she hugged Liesel for the first time after she had a bath. I can say nothing more because she is heaven's wife.
'His hair is like feathers.'
The Jew fist-fighter is the one that broke my heart for the first time in the book when he left Liesel and Papa and Mama with the thought that they would get caught because of him. No, he shouldn't have, but yes he should have because that is how he survived.
The lovely Rudy Steiner is the little miracle that happened in Liesel's life. He is like a pure golden chain that when tugged at, breaks. Oh dear Rudy.
Liesel Meminger hated herself for being in the basement, writing her stupid story, but no, it was not her fault at all. It was the stupid Fuhrer that did all that happened.
It is my favorite book of all time and I loved it more than anything out there, just like Liesel.
A Masterpiece
It tore me apart!
That is not all I would say about this book.
I am astonished by the context and perspective of the story, as it is told by someone we have never met: Death. Death says he's haunted by humans, and I believe he's right. We are born to die or we die to be born again, I don't know, secrets are still secrets. The souls, the people, we make links with them, we love them, knowing that one day none of us will exist, not only on earth, but also in the minds.
A reassuring announcement: Please, be calm, despite that previous threat. I am not violent. I am not malicious. I am a result.
Papa (Hans Hubermann), just blew my heart away as he died. His death was more tragic than the rest. Oh dear Rudy. Do you have any idea how much Liesel loved you? Don't you know how she feels about your death? Oh no! All you cared about was that kiss you never received from her. Is that so? Eh? The tragic deaths of all the people around and death tells so peacefully, as if it sedated them. I cannot help but love every character, even death. Everything is beautiful in this book. The kiss, the theft, the mini-stories of Max, the presents given to Max by Liesel, the accordion, the insults of Rosa Hubermann (Mama) and everything. The accordion breathes as Papa breathes, Papa is the accordion. He is the sweetness of music and the taste of music, the keys and the notes because he is the accordion.
One opportunity leads directly to another, just as risk leads to more risk, life to more life and death to more death
The accordion and the book, they bought the characters together. Papa with Rosa, Liesel with Papa, Rosa with Liesel, Liesel with Rudy, Papa with Max and Max with Liesel. It is unbelievable that two normal things which are often found in the world could bring people together and save someone's life, but life is surprising in its many ways.
Hitler truly deserved the death he received in my view because he is a whore
'When death captures me,' the boy vowed, 'he will feel my fist on his face.
One story I cannot deny is "The Word Shaker." Words have the power to destroy us, to rebuild us, to convince, to reject and to even capture the world. Liesel, at such a young age, has understood something years of experience cannot and that means she has experienced the world in these few years?
'After all,' he said, 'you should know it yourself - a young man is still a boy, and a boy sometimes has the right to be stubborn.'
Papa is heaven and anyone cannot prove it to be wrong that that is why he lives in Himmel Street. He is a teacher, a friend, a best friend, an uncle, a husband and a father. Liesel may have seen or not seen her father but Papa is the only true father she had.
Mama. What could I say about her? She is a coconut: hard on the outside but soft in the inside. My opinions changed about her when she hugged Liesel for the first time after she had a bath. I can say nothing more because she is heaven's wife.
'His hair is like feathers.'
The Jew fist-fighter is the one that broke my heart for the first time in the book when he left Liesel and Papa and Mama with the thought that they would get caught because of him. No, he shouldn't have, but yes he should have because that is how he survived.
The lovely Rudy Steiner is the little miracle that happened in Liesel's life. He is like a pure golden chain that when tugged at, breaks. Oh dear Rudy.
Liesel Meminger hated herself for being in the basement, writing her stupid story, but no, it was not her fault at all. It was the stupid Fuhrer that did all that happened.
It is my favorite book of all time and I loved it more than anything out there, just like Liesel.
A Masterpiece
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Grief, Physical abuse, Blood, Abandonment, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Slavery
Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, Violence, and Bullying
johannslauren15's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I like this book, but it was really slow and probably would not read again since it became so daunting to read. I really did fell in love with the character, but I am just really torn about this story. I feel like I would have just read from 0-400 if I knew what was going to happen (plus Death just spoiled the story and did not make the ending so interesting I guess. I think Death's perspective was interesting but not as perplexed as I thought it would/should've been even if he does this all the time. When I think back upon what I read from this book, I just end up very confused about what I was reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Confinement, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Torture, and War
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Misogyny, and Vomit
starlessnights's review against another edition
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, and War
averyconfusedhomosapiensbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood and Genocide
Minor: Alcohol and Murder
angel_lyd's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I can’t even begin to describe what this book put me through emotionally. I was recommended it by a friend and I decided to read it on holiday, thinking ‘surely it can’t be that emotional’. LORD was I mistaken. Liesel Meminger is a foster child who lives in a small German town during World War Two. Following the death of her brother, 9 year old Liesel moves in with the Hubermann family. It tells the story of her arrival to her foster family, her attempting to teach herself to read, a Jewish boxer hidden in their house from Nazi’s and much more. It was absolutely heartbreaking the entire way through and I just felt myself wishing I could hug this little girl.
I won’t say a full spoiler, I will just simply state that near the end of the story something horrific and heartbreaking happens, so heartbreaking in fact that I was tearing up on my sun bed and I had to get a pinã colada to cure my sadness.
I won’t say a full spoiler, I will just simply state that near the end of the story something horrific and heartbreaking happens, so heartbreaking in fact that I was tearing up on my sun bed and I had to get a pinã colada to cure my sadness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Murder
This book discusses world war two, anybody uncomfortable with mentions of nazis, death, violence, antisemetism etc should not read this.
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