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herbookish_obsession's reviews
493 reviews
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
4.0
Review:
Having Death as the narrator and having as a central protagonist a young girl in Nazi Germany make The Book Thief by Markus Zusak stand out from the crowd of books about Europe during World War II; this book is good not so much because of the story, but how the author tells it.
In the Book Thief by Markus Zusak, author uses a rich, multi-layered blend of allegory, metaphor and symbolism to create amidst the dirt and depression of Germany during the late 30s and 40s a stark vision of historical and philosophical thoughtfulness. This international best seller features a healthy sense of dramatic irony, with the German setting and the strong use of script-like construction becoming reminiscent, especially the sympathetic depiction of Marxists.
The Book Thief cleverly inverts the commonly accepted position of history. It leaves us asking who writes the history and how accurate the history books really are. We are trained to believe that all of Germany was complicit in the atrocities of the war, and to some extent it was. Yet, in reality there were many, many, individuals and families who actively worked against the war machine, who lived their lives as best they could in trying circumstances. One of the key motifs of The Book Thief is guilt. Liesel has guilt over the death of her brother; Max has guilt over relying on the Hubermanns; Hans has guilt over the treatment of the Jews in Germany. Ultimately, the most sympathetic characters in the novel are those who, in some way, accept the burden of guilt placed on them by the actions of others. Hans Hubermann is not responsible for the Jews being marched through Molching on their way to Dachau, yet he stills feels sorrow at their treatment. Another central theme is words and language. The novel emphasizes both the destructive qualities of language, as seen in Hitler’s rhetoric, and its redeeming qualities. Liesel develops as a person through her pursuit of language. As well as being the cause of her difficulties, language becomes the key that sets her free.
By using a surreal personification as a narrator, the author has softened the blow of the harsh setting and thus, incredibly, makes the characters more accessible and makes the reader approach an empathy with them that may otherwise be unavailable. I am reminded of Anthony Burgess’ comments about A Clockwork Orange and how he created the Nadsat language not just to add depth to his narration, but also to minimize the brutality of his story. In much the same way, Zusak has used Death as a narrator to ironically assuage the viciousness of the everyday life that Liesel and the Hubermanns experience in their quiet section of Nazi extremism.
Through the eyes of Death, Liesel enters from stage left and we follow her through stereotypical misadventures made hackneyed in the World War II genre, but also through the good, the bad, and the ugly that is histrionic enough to be believable and understandable as an expression of real life during Nazi Germany.
The Book Thief is a marvelous work that will touch readers of all ages. In his use of imagery and language Markus Zusak has created a highly accessible vehicle for some complex issues. He puts us in the unfamiliar position of empathizing with Germans during the war, but does not excuse any of the appalling behavior. We are left happy, sad, and satisfied with a job well done.
Having Death as the narrator and having as a central protagonist a young girl in Nazi Germany make The Book Thief by Markus Zusak stand out from the crowd of books about Europe during World War II; this book is good not so much because of the story, but how the author tells it.
In the Book Thief by Markus Zusak, author uses a rich, multi-layered blend of allegory, metaphor and symbolism to create amidst the dirt and depression of Germany during the late 30s and 40s a stark vision of historical and philosophical thoughtfulness. This international best seller features a healthy sense of dramatic irony, with the German setting and the strong use of script-like construction becoming reminiscent, especially the sympathetic depiction of Marxists.
The Book Thief cleverly inverts the commonly accepted position of history. It leaves us asking who writes the history and how accurate the history books really are. We are trained to believe that all of Germany was complicit in the atrocities of the war, and to some extent it was. Yet, in reality there were many, many, individuals and families who actively worked against the war machine, who lived their lives as best they could in trying circumstances. One of the key motifs of The Book Thief is guilt. Liesel has guilt over the death of her brother; Max has guilt over relying on the Hubermanns; Hans has guilt over the treatment of the Jews in Germany. Ultimately, the most sympathetic characters in the novel are those who, in some way, accept the burden of guilt placed on them by the actions of others. Hans Hubermann is not responsible for the Jews being marched through Molching on their way to Dachau, yet he stills feels sorrow at their treatment. Another central theme is words and language. The novel emphasizes both the destructive qualities of language, as seen in Hitler’s rhetoric, and its redeeming qualities. Liesel develops as a person through her pursuit of language. As well as being the cause of her difficulties, language becomes the key that sets her free.
By using a surreal personification as a narrator, the author has softened the blow of the harsh setting and thus, incredibly, makes the characters more accessible and makes the reader approach an empathy with them that may otherwise be unavailable. I am reminded of Anthony Burgess’ comments about A Clockwork Orange and how he created the Nadsat language not just to add depth to his narration, but also to minimize the brutality of his story. In much the same way, Zusak has used Death as a narrator to ironically assuage the viciousness of the everyday life that Liesel and the Hubermanns experience in their quiet section of Nazi extremism.
Through the eyes of Death, Liesel enters from stage left and we follow her through stereotypical misadventures made hackneyed in the World War II genre, but also through the good, the bad, and the ugly that is histrionic enough to be believable and understandable as an expression of real life during Nazi Germany.
The Book Thief is a marvelous work that will touch readers of all ages. In his use of imagery and language Markus Zusak has created a highly accessible vehicle for some complex issues. He puts us in the unfamiliar position of empathizing with Germans during the war, but does not excuse any of the appalling behavior. We are left happy, sad, and satisfied with a job well done.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
4.0
Forget what I said. This was awesome. I understand why it's so hyped up now. I don't LOVE Cardan but I understand why he acts the way he does/ I'm full-on in love with Jude though and that needs no explanation...ON TO THE NEXT!!
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
This has got to be my favorite of the three. I was really excited going in to this because of how popular it is but I'm sad to say it didn't live up to my expectations. I was hooked all the way and didn't want to stop reading but I don't recommend you doing too much research or reading/Pinterest browsing before starting this series.
I think I'm more excited about King of Scars now that I read that one line in this book and I'm happy to say that Nikolai is my favorite character and he's better than everyone else.
Genya is also up there in the top three along with Tolya
I think I'm more excited about King of Scars now that I read that one line in this book and I'm happy to say that Nikolai is my favorite character and he's better than everyone else.
Genya is also up there in the top three along with Tolya
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
3.0
Loved it but wish there was more to percy's mom story. The characters were all very lovely but my favorite is definitely Grover hehe His sense of humor and sarcasm gives me life