** A 'Must Read' **'
If you cried at Time Traveller's Wife or sobbed at the Notebook this one is for you.
I remember reading through the tears! You know its a good one when the words swim and you get annoyed that you cannot read any more.
Beautiful story told by a very human-like Death, you may know what's coming but you still are shocked when it happens. Well written and absorbing. You will be buying this book for your relatives and friends just like the Time Traveller's Wife.
Just Amazing
I will not go into the ins and outs of the plot, many many of the other reviewers here can do that for you. I just had to write what I thought of this, I got this as a Christmas present from my father who couldn't understand why I wanted it... I was a bit unsure myself. Suffice to say I am so glad I got it. I have read many war/holocaust novels that have made me think but this one was/is incredible. I have laughed and sobbed through it. I truly think that everybody should read it. The characters of Liesel, Hans, Rudy Max and all of the others come off the page with such intensity that I could not put it down. It is not a happy story, it is not meant to be - but there is an element of triumph amongst all of the tragedy. The writing is fantastic, I loved the way Zusak put it together, the words and the form are such that you cannot rest but to finish it. I didn't want to finish it in some ways, you are led unremittingly towards the end with very little choice.
I put it back on my shelf when I finished it just now where it will rest momentarily before I pass it on to the next unsuspecting reader I can find.
Average story but very original format.
While I enjoyed this novel I felt that beyond its unique structure it was not as brilliant as previous reviewers. The narrator is the Grim Reaper(Death) and he tells us who dies and the endings before telling us the details of the story, a quirky aspect I enjoyed. It is very accessible with short snappy chapters, an interesting look at ordinary decent Germans during WW2 and for a book which addresses the holocaust is not overly sentimental like most novels dealing with the issue. I would recommend without question but don't expect to be reading your all time favorite.
An endearing tale...
The book thief is a beautiful story, you are drawn into little Leisel's life with her Mama and Papa. Her love of books and her new family grows as she does. The narration by death of this girls life is sometimes sad, funny and always touching.
A must read book!
An utterly amazing book - one of the best
I was a bit sceptical of this book at first and thought of it to be very unsettling but in the end it became my favourite of the many I have read. In some parts I laughed and in others I weeped but it came out tops overall.
The book is narrated by Death who comments a lot in the book and expains in a cold and sometimes warm heart what he is doing and what is happening. Leisel is a young german girl who has had a traumatic life and, after witnessing her own brother's death, is sent to a foster family clutching a book, "The grave digger's manual" she found in the snow in her hand. It starts off with her character being a weak little girl but then shows how the Nazi influenced germany shapes her life and she flourishes into a strong willed young lady with a loving family and friends and a passionate love for books. Her foster family then take on a jew named Max and hide him in the basement. Now all hell breaks loose as her foster father is seen passing bread to the marching jews in the street. As Max is a constant threat and danger to their lives, Liesel loves him as a brother and shares her love for books with him as they go on a terrifing journey through world war 2. The ending resulted in many tears as it has an awful and then happy outcome but that was expected really.
The book opens your eyes to the germans' view points during the war and how most of them strongly dissagread with everything but could not stop it in fear of losing their's, and other's, lives. A heart-breaking yet incredible books that is definately 1st in my Top Ten list.
Highly recommended.
