Jake and I originally bought this book for his grandmother who is a speed-demon reader. She told me it took her about three tries to get into, but then she really loved it. As she handed it over to me, she "gave away" that the narrator of the book is Death, and hoped that she wasn't ruining anything by telling me. As I started to read, I was thinking, "I don't get what's going on here," and then recalled what she told me and it all made sense. Smarter folks than I will figure this all out on their own right away, I'm sure, but I felt knowing ahead of time allowed me to get into this fabulous novel much more quickly, so I pass that spoiler along. This is the story of young Liesel, growing up in Nazi Germany during WWII. In traveling with her single mother to meet her new foster parents, Liesel's younger brother dies of starvation and cold, and after she is dropped off with her new family, Liesel determines that it is because of Hitler that her mother found herself on such desperate times. Liesel, unable to read, then finds herself fascinated by books and language. Her new father teachers her how to read, and Liesel finds a whole new world opened up to her. She befriends a neighborhood boy, assists her stern foster mother with a laundry business, and helps her family hide a very dangerous secret. Admist Liesel's growth is the constant presence of Death, and the need for all those around her to prove their loyalty to the Nazi Party, as well as the fear that they will be mistaken for or otherwise taken as a sympathizer of the Jews. Zusak's language is haunting, and his use of foreshadowing helps maintain the excitement and page-turning quality of this book. I am a sucker for books with young girls as protagonists, and this one did not disappoint.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Jake and I originally bought this book for his grandmother who is a speed-demon reader. She told me it took her about three tries to get into, but then she really loved it. As she handed it over to me, she "gave away" that the narrator of the book is Death, and hoped that she wasn't ruining anything by telling me. As I started to read, I was thinking, "I don't get what's going on here," and then recalled what she told me and it all made sense. Smarter folks than I will figure this all out on their own right away, I'm sure, but I felt knowing ahead of time allowed me to get into this fabulous novel much more quickly, so I pass that spoiler along. This is the story of young Liesel, growing up in Nazi Germany during WWII. In traveling with her single mother to meet her new foster parents, Liesel's younger brother dies of starvation and cold, and after she is dropped off with her new family, Liesel determines that it is because of Hitler that her mother found herself on such desperate times. Liesel, unable to read, then finds herself fascinated by books and language. Her new father teachers her how to read, and Liesel finds a whole new world opened up to her. She befriends a neighborhood boy, assists her stern foster mother with a laundry business, and helps her family hide a very dangerous secret. Admist Liesel's growth is the constant presence of Death, and the need for all those around her to prove their loyalty to the Nazi Party, as well as the fear that they will be mistaken for or otherwise taken as a sympathizer of the Jews. Zusak's language is haunting, and his use of foreshadowing helps maintain the excitement and page-turning quality of this book. I am a sucker for books with young girls as protagonists, and this one did not disappoint.
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