Book Review: "Book Thief" by Markus Zuzak

My Rating: 

Why? While this is certainly not a classic 'fantasy' book, Zuzak tells an incredibly touching story from a very unique character perspective. It's a great mix of the fantastic and history.
Cost: New $4.17/Used $1.49 (Available on Kindle and Nook.)

Buy The Book Thief at Amazon.com

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Plot Tease

It's just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery...

Set during World War II in Germany, this book is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist—books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

Full Book Review

While "The Book Thief" is not your typical 'fantasy' book, I think it can still fall into the genre. Zuzak takes an incredibly unique narrative perspective: the point-of-view of Death in Nazi Germany. Think about that for a second.

Also consider the fact that the average score on Goodreads is 4.35. The prose in this book is beautiful and so different from what I am used to reading.  Even just reading through to find a quotation for this book review, I felt it pulling at my heart. Zuzak writes in artistic imagery and metaphors. It's this powerful combination of technique and voice that makes this such a special book. But even so, all that wonderfulness is just a framework for Zuzak's brilliant characters.

That Jewish fist fighter mentioned in the summary? His name is Max. I cried for Max more than once over the course of this book. The reality of Nazi Germany for a lower-class Jewish man is simply terrible, and the fear and loss are really well captured in Max's view passages. The humility and love demonstrated by Max, as well as the relationship built between him and young Leisel, truly lends a personableness to those events.

I tend to hold myself back from the horrors in history because, let's face it, to really feel that would be incredibly devastating. But you just can't help it with Max. He is so alone, even with Leisel's family, and I don't know of a heart that couldn't connect to that. This character helped me to understand the event beyond the numbers and facts. 

The element of "The Book Thief" that moves it into the fantasy genre for me personally, is the character of the narrator. He's Death. He is not limited to human perspective, and frequently comments on the natural of these people he watches in an incredibly perceptive, naive, emotional-yet-distant way (take the quotation below). Death is very personable, although he never directly interacts with character in the novel. I never once felt like this was Zuzak's voice overriding the story, which I feel the concept could have easily allowed. This is probably one of the most unique narrative voices I have ever encountered.

This book review is going to address Leisel and Hans together, for the sake of space. Leisel is the book thief, and the focus of this work. Hans is her adoptive, german father. I think there is sometimes a tendency to demonize the germans in stories that deal with Nazism or the holocaust. But Hans. I don't even know what to write. Even typing that name I just have to stop and stare and wait for that heaviness in my heart to calm down. Without him, Leisel wouldn't have survived. If not literally, then emotionally and intellectually.

He is her shelter whenever she struggles, and together they form an amazing relationship around reading. Hans realizes that Leisel cannot read, and sets out to teach her. He is not a classical teacher. I doubt he'd ever even tried before. But their moments and interactions are so incredibly touching. He is one of the main forces in Leisel's character development throughout the book. 

Lastly, Ruddy Steiner. Ruddy is the counterpart of Leisel in most ways, and he probably develops the most of any character in "The Book Thief" (which is saying something). As he grows into a man in so many ways, he becomes that strong force that Leisel needs. But he is never perfect. He's a german boy that had dreams, but he's growing up around Hitler Youth in the middle of Nazi Germany. The tensions and shifting powers in Ruddy himself and his relationship to Leisel give humanity to a group that are so often written off as altogether evil.

There are so many poignant lines and passages in this book, it was difficult to choose one to leave below. I really encourage everyone to read this book. It's a perfect blend of historical fiction and fantasy, told from a very unique perspective. I rarely cry, but this one got me at the end. It was good and painful and sad and beautiful. Let yourself get used to Death's odd narrative voice and I promise you'll be in for a great emotional ride.  

"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." - Death

Talk Back!

Have you ever read a book from the POV of Death? What do you think of the concept?
How do you feel about love stories? What makes a good love story?
If you've read this book, tell me which character hit you the most and why. I'd love to know.

(This book review is not sponsored in any way. All opinions are mine.)