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_sal_ 's review for:
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
The Book Thief
World War II has prevailed in the consciousness of nearly every human in the world, every one has heard of its horrors and atrocities, of its technological feats and the story of liesel Meminger although fictional is one that could have very well happened. It’s a narrative which, like Anne Frank moves you in ways that are hard to forget afterwards. A good historical fiction book can place you in a historical setting sometimes better than a nonfiction book. Reading about the characters emotions, desires, faults, fears, and more can help you understand how peoples experiences in real life can affect the way we perceive history.
World War II has prevailed in the consciousness of nearly every human in the world, every one has heard of its horrors and atrocities, of its technological feats and the story of liesel Meminger although fictional is one that could have very well happened. It’s a narrative which, like Anne Frank moves you in ways that are hard to forget afterwards. A good historical fiction book can place you in a historical setting sometimes better than a nonfiction book. Reading about the characters emotions, desires, faults, fears, and more can help you understand how peoples experiences in real life can affect the way we perceive history.
Liesel Meminger’s story is that of a girl who struggles to cope with the difficulties of her life in Nazi Germany, thus finding comfort in books, full of words, words she comes to learn that were instrumental to the rise of nazism and the horrors that come as a result of it, all exploding literally with the bombings by allied forces of Munich and Molching the town the narrative primarily is set in. The terrible loss of life of her loved ones is unbearable however in many ways affords us a window into the past, reminding us over and over the narrative that the Book Thief’s story is only one of millions in those fateful years. I suppose for this there no better narrator than death itself who enthralls the reader with his witty yet macabre words.
Overall I believe as mentioned that this book can be very impactful and worthy of study especially in a context where students may find it hard to sympathize with words in a textbook. The perspective is also a different one, a German girl’s perspective, an anti-Nazi German man like Hans Hubermann, a jojo rabbit like character like Rudy who whilst proving himself as a hitler youth ultimately signs his own death. It’s really a story about words and their impact good and bad. The characters just feel so complete their faults and all they just feel real. Markus Zusak’s writing is witty yet serious in tone which gives it a Vonnegut-esque vibe which I enjoyed very much.
“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”
“It kills me sometimes, how people die.”
“Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day.”
“A small but noteworthy note. I've seen so many young men over the years who think they're running at other young men. They are not. They are running at me.”
“The consequence of this is that 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.”
“People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and ends, but to me it's quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. Waxy yellows, cloud-spot blues. Murky darkness. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them.”