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4.46 AVERAGE
4.46 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.”
I just finished reading this book last night. I admit I watched the movie first before having this book so I feel a little bit weird when I read some scenes in the books that weren’t in the movie but I’m thankful for the events in the books that I didn’t see and that it explained more than the movie and I still fell in love with the words by the book thief and Death. Yes, the story was narrated by Death (“I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.”) and Death told the story of Liesel Meminger (“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”), the book thief’s life that was intertwined together with the lives of other people involved with her.
It’s been a while since I read a book where I loved all of the characters so much that I felt that they were too real and so my heart was torn to pieces when I read about their demise.
There’s Hans Hubermann, the accordionist, Liesel’s foster father and the man who taught her how to read. Liesel loved him the most. Then Rosa Hubermann, Hans’ wife and the woman who became ‘Mama’ to Liesel after Liesel’s mother sent her to foster care. Rosa is a woman who seemed to have a big mouth and bad temper but she’s more than that. There are a couple of times that she had shown she really had a good heart and like what Death said about her: “Make no mistake, the woman had a heart. She had a bigger one than people would think. There was a lot in it, stored up, high in miles of hidden shelving.”
There’s also Max, the jewish fist fighter, the sky stealer who the Hubermanns took in during the time Jews were being prosecuted by Hitler. He wasa man full of words. I loved the stories he made for Liesel and his ways with words were just too great. I would never forget his encounter with the stars after a long time of not seeing the outside world when he was left alone in the Hubermann’s house because of the raid. “From a Himmel Street window, the stars set fire to my eyes” My heart was broken into two when he had to leave Himmel Street but it was mended when he and Liesel reunited years later.
And Rudy. Gosh, Rudy “…the boy whose hair remained the colour of lemons forever.” I loved him the most in this book. To summarize what I feel about this boy let Death tell you the words: “I watched the contents of his soul for a moment and saw a black-painted boy calling the name Jesse Owens as he ran through an imaginary tape. I saw 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 glorious next-door neighbor. He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It's his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.”
See, even Death cried for him and I feel just the same way but I don’t know what’s with this boy that really caught my heart. Maybe it’s his love for his ambition, his aspiration to be like Jesse Owens and maybe it’s his love for the book thief.
I didn’t cry in the cinema when I watched the movie. I cried afterwards when I returned home and then last night again when I read the words that described the events when Himmel Street was flattened to the ground. I cried again when Liesel kissed Rudy for the first and the last time and when she said goodbye to Rosa and Hans, especially to Hans.
Years after when Death finally came for Liesel, who lived to a very old age, he admitted that he will always be haunted by humans.
And this book will always haunt my mind, I am sure of that. I salute Markus Zusak for writing this book that made me feel so happy, nostalgic and so sad, the book that made me feel so alive.
I just finished reading this book last night. I admit I watched the movie first before having this book so I feel a little bit weird when I read some scenes in the books that weren’t in the movie but I’m thankful for the events in the books that I didn’t see and that it explained more than the movie and I still fell in love with the words by the book thief and Death. Yes, the story was narrated by Death (“I'm always finding humans at their best and worst. I see their ugly and their beauty, and I wonder how the same thing can be both.”) and Death told the story of Liesel Meminger (“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”), the book thief’s life that was intertwined together with the lives of other people involved with her.
It’s been a while since I read a book where I loved all of the characters so much that I felt that they were too real and so my heart was torn to pieces when I read about their demise.
There’s Hans Hubermann, the accordionist, Liesel’s foster father and the man who taught her how to read. Liesel loved him the most. Then Rosa Hubermann, Hans’ wife and the woman who became ‘Mama’ to Liesel after Liesel’s mother sent her to foster care. Rosa is a woman who seemed to have a big mouth and bad temper but she’s more than that. There are a couple of times that she had shown she really had a good heart and like what Death said about her: “Make no mistake, the woman had a heart. She had a bigger one than people would think. There was a lot in it, stored up, high in miles of hidden shelving.”
There’s also Max, the jewish fist fighter, the sky stealer who the Hubermanns took in during the time Jews were being prosecuted by Hitler. He wasa man full of words. I loved the stories he made for Liesel and his ways with words were just too great. I would never forget his encounter with the stars after a long time of not seeing the outside world when he was left alone in the Hubermann’s house because of the raid. “From a Himmel Street window, the stars set fire to my eyes” My heart was broken into two when he had to leave Himmel Street but it was mended when he and Liesel reunited years later.
And Rudy. Gosh, Rudy “…the boy whose hair remained the colour of lemons forever.” I loved him the most in this book. To summarize what I feel about this boy let Death tell you the words: “I watched the contents of his soul for a moment and saw a black-painted boy calling the name Jesse Owens as he ran through an imaginary tape. I saw 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 glorious next-door neighbor. He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It's his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.”
See, even Death cried for him and I feel just the same way but I don’t know what’s with this boy that really caught my heart. Maybe it’s his love for his ambition, his aspiration to be like Jesse Owens and maybe it’s his love for the book thief.
I didn’t cry in the cinema when I watched the movie. I cried afterwards when I returned home and then last night again when I read the words that described the events when Himmel Street was flattened to the ground. I cried again when Liesel kissed Rudy for the first and the last time and when she said goodbye to Rosa and Hans, especially to Hans.
Years after when Death finally came for Liesel, who lived to a very old age, he admitted that he will always be haunted by humans.
And this book will always haunt my mind, I am sure of that. I salute Markus Zusak for writing this book that made me feel so happy, nostalgic and so sad, the book that made me feel so alive.
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Spectacular book. Another weird one to read in 2025 cause it’s getting closer and closer to our reality. The ending left me sobbing for days.
Beautifully written, really interesting to read about life as a young German girl growing up in Nazi Germany. If you want something to hit you in the feels, this will definitely do it.
Only negative for me is that it’s quite a slow burn, but I imagine this wouldn’t bother a lot of readers
Only negative for me is that it’s quite a slow burn, but I imagine this wouldn’t bother a lot of readers
Love this one. A tale full of hopes and dreams and some of those ending too soon and needlessly. Had me tearing up.
I didn't think I would like this book but I honestly really enjoyed reading it. I won't give any spoilers but if you enjoy reading historical fiction or you enjoy reading about ww2 then I would recommend this book. The ending made me cry 😭
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This is a story told by Death. It is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl living in Germany during WWII. It is the story of Liesel's foster family; her best friend Rudy; Max, the Jew hidden in her basement; the street on which she lives; and the war that brought Death to her door. This is an excellent book!! Funny, sad, sweet. Death is a very effective narrator and does an amazing job of bringing these interesting characters to life. I listened to the audiobook version - the reader was excellent!
This book was magical and heartbreaking in all sorts of unexpected ways.