Book Review #19

The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak
Audible Audiobook: Unabridged (13 hours and 56 minutes)
ASIN: B000J20TZA
Publisher: Listening Library
Release Date: Audible.com, 2006

Narrator: Allan Corduner -  He is an English actor that grew up in London, in a secular Jewish home. His mother escaped from Nazi Germany in 1938. He has narrated many novels and voices for video games. 
 
Quality of the Audiobook:
The sound quality was quite good.  Corduner has a very distinctive British accent that lends itself well to the character of Death in the story. The narrator of the book is Death and Corduner offers Death, the character, an embodiment that is very believable, yet endearing.
 
Listening Experience:
The listening experience was enjoyable. However, having read the book previous to listing to the audio version, I already had separate voices for the characters in my head. The rhythm and pace were nice and comfortable, and I had no problems following along with the story. The audio book was easy to access, and I like the simplicity of being able to hear a story at times when I am busy doing other things.
 

“The kind of book that can be life-changing.” ~~The New York Times

 
Reading Level: 12 & up
 
Main Characters: Death, Liesel Meminger, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, Rudy, & Max.

Setting: Most of the story occurs during 1939-1942 in the  fictional town of Molching, Germany.
 
Plot: Death is observing and extracting souls during a horrible time in history. Liesel’s brother dies and they burry him. Liesel steals a book from the gravedigger, hence the name book thief. Liesel’s Mother sends her to be cared for by foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann. She becomes friends with Rudy, and boy in her neighborhood. Hans teaches Liesel to read.
 
The town holds a book-burning and Liesel steals another book. The mayor’s wife, Ilsa Hermann allows her to read from her library. Hans has made a promise to take care of a Jewish boy, Max. Liesel become friends with Max, while he is hidden in the basement. Liesel continues to steal books and Ilsa gives her a book to write her own story.
 
Her neighborhood is bombed, and Hans, Rosa, and Rudy are killed. Liesel leaves her completed book, called “The Book Thief” behind in the rubble and Death salvages the book.
 
 5 Roars!🦁🦁🦁🦁🦁
 
Critical Analysis: As death is talking to the reader, he gives you the feeling that nothing good is coming if it is Death that is narrating the story. Death is drawn to colors, mainly as a survival technique.  Death mentions at the beginning of the book that “leftover humans” those he calls the survivors with the “punctured hearts” are disturbing for him to see. 

 

“They were French, they were Jews, and they were you.''

~~ Death, The Book Thief

 
The reader feels as sorry for Death, as the loss of the character that is leaving the story when he comes for them.  For me, Death became the character I felt the most sorrow for, because his job continues, while the souls exit the sadness of the world and move on to something other than this world. Death is clearly both poetic and damaged by the job, but cannot leave this suffering world behind.  

There is a lot of figurative language in the book.

 

"In The Book Thief, where battling to survive is sometimes an act of weakness, we see fighting in all its complexity. Max dreams, for instance, that he is boxing with the Führer. 'There was only one round, and it lasted hours, and for the most part, nothing changed. The Führer pounded away at the punching-bag Jew.' But then Max recovers and knocks Hitler down. Hitler takes off his gloves, seemingly defeated — until he whips the crowd into a fury. The 'fists of an entire nation' attack Max, and he cannot fight them all off. This is fighting as The Book Thief understands it: winners often lose."

~~ Review by John Green, 

The New York Times

I think the average 12-year-old might be overwhelmed by the sadness and the loss of life in this book. I think this book is better suited for readers 15 and up, or adults.
 
Why 5 Roars? It is a sad time in history, but the book is worth trudging through the sorrow and hardships of the characters to read it. It leaves you with the understanding of how valuable the words we read are and that the freedom to read should not be taken for granted.
 
Awards:
Kirkus Reviews Editor Choice Award,
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year,
Daniel Elliott Peace Award,
Publishers Weekly Best Children Book of the Year,
Booklist Children Editors' Choice,
Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book,
Boeke Prize,
ALA Best Books for Young Adults,

Connections:

 The Book Thief Official Movie Trailer