The Book Thief - Review

I finished the Book Thief a few weeks ago and I must say it was a page turner! Marcus Zusak managed to create a novel brimful of heart warming innocence, compelling characters and an insight into Nazi Germany. The tale is narrated by Death, and you might ask how is a story told by death written for young adults? Well in this novel Death is no Grim Reaper, but a gentler version who feels sorry for what he has to do.

Character - The heroin of the story, a young girl called Liesel, has been left in foster care by her mother and has just witnessed her brother's death. A great deal has been taken from her and almost to settle the score she steals books. The story continues with her life with her new foster family in a small German village, how she forms a relationship with a Jew in hiding and her connection with books and words.
Liesel is an identifiable character, with an innocence that brought me back to my days as a child. She has a very simplistic view on life, and yet she is also three dimensional, with many different sides to her personality. Her compassion for those in need is strong, and we see this when she does her best to help the suffering Jews by giving them bread. It is acts of defiance like these that make Liesel so likeable and unique, as she is righteous in her stance against what is wrong. I found her courage and determination admirable.

Cultural Context - The novel is set during the Second World War and gives us a valuable insight into Nazi Germany. Despite the scope of the events happening at that time, it could perhaps be said, that the world of the text is quite small as it’s written from a child’s perspective focusing solely on a single town, a single street and only a handful of characters. This seems to highlight the simple view of the world through a child’s eyes. Although we are shown the impact the war had on the lives of those living in Germany at the time, from men being sent to war and not returning, to the lack of food and rationing.
Most importantly, we learn of the suffering of the Jews when a Jewish refugee comes to hide in Liesels home. Building a strong relationship with Max opens Liesel’s eyes to the injustice around her and in turn the world of the text evolves giving us true insights into human cruelty, and the compassion of those trying to help those victims.

Style - The way the story is told is truly unique and Death's little anecdotes and soliloquies add a certain charm. It is a beautifully balanced piece of storytelling with glimpses of what is yet to come: sometimes misleading, sometimes all too true. It may be said that some events told by death before they happened spoiled it slightly, softening the blow as opposed to the impact it may have had, had it been unknowns to the reader . Personally I found this take original and refreshing; each chapter was unexpected as we were brought forward and backwards in time.
Zusak is most skilled at story-telling, in particular I am envious of the way he can create vivid images in my mind with apparent ease. His descriptions are very original, in particular those relating to characters. For instance Liesel’s foster mother is described as "like a small wardrobe with a coat thrown over it’’ and referred to as a ‘cardboard woman’. He uses metaphors freely, crafting them to his unique style. ‘The sky was the colour of Jews’.

Themes – One of the themes in this novel is Literature and the impact of words. Liesel is named the ‘Book Thief’ for a reason as she begins her love affair with books and words, when she steels her first book. She is illiterate to begin with, but with the help of her foster father and Jewish refugee Max, she begins to learn the power of words. It is hinted at through out the novel, particularly through Max’s allegorical story ‘The Word Shaker’, that words are at the route of Hitler’s power. This subtle message is another way of pointing out the propaganda that secured him position as dictator, and Liesel learns this through her understanding of the impact of words. I thought this theme was strongly developed, linking many events, and the love of literature was so evident that I felt it was written for those who understand the joys of books and words.

I loved this book, and it has to be said it achieves many moments of tear-jerking sentiment.
The ‘Book Thief’ is thought provoking, original and story-telling at its best.