About the Book

Summary

The Book Thief is the story of a young German girl, Leisel, caught in Nazi Germany during World War II. Death narrates the story, describing the times they meet and filling in the spaces in between. Death first encounters Leisel at the death of her brother, and then follows her through her experiences with her caring foster papa, her vocal foster mama, and the rest of her influential neighbors, one of which happens to be a hidden Jew in their basement. Her discovery of words through the patient teachings of her papa allows her to fall in love with reading, so that even stealing is not going too far in exchange for a new book. As Germany begins to feel the pangs of war, and these pangs become even more real on her street, Death inevitably encounters Leisel more times than anyone would wish on a teenage girl. This novel deals with the contradictions that display themselves through human nature, and speaks to the power of words both to destroy and to encourage.

Reviews/Critique

Over all, Markus Zusak’s first, “adult” fiction novel, The Book Thief, has received rave reviews. It has been a number one New York Times best seller and called by the paper, “Brilliant and hugely ambitious…it’s the kind of book that can be life changing.” Many critics commend Zusak for is unique writing style and his ability to reach adults and young adults alike. This book is compelling and heartwarming, yet dangerous and unnerving. It’s a book you cannot put down.
In researching The Book Thief I have found mostly complementing reviews, from critics of the NY Times to the booksellers of our local independent book store, Village Books. However, there are the few that have found this book less than satisfactory. In comparing the opinions of the NY Times and literary websites like Goodreads.com with that of actual book sellers, we can get a comprehensive overview of The Book Thief.

Some rave reviews

"The Book Thief is perched on the cusp between grown-up and young-adult fiction, and it is loaded with librarian appeal. It deplores human misery. It celebrates the power of language. It may encourage adolescents to read. It has an element of the fanciful. And it's a book that bestows a self-congratulatory glow upon anyone willing to grapple with it.”
--Janet Maslin, 2006. New York Times

“I had this widely acclaimed novel The Book Thief by Australian author Markus Zusak on my to-be-read list on my Kindle for an embarrassingly long time. Why? Probably because it’s almost 600 pages long and classified as ‘young adult’ fiction, a genre I am not normally drawn to. I had also read so many rave reviews that I must admit I was a little skeptical – could a book about The War really be that original?
The answer is – it certainly can.
Markus Zusak’s decision to cast Death as the narrator was an absolute master-stroke. Zusak’s Death is not the one-dimensional character we are used to either. This Death has a heart and an ironic sense of humour. In my humble opinion, an author that can make his audience feel empathy for Death has a special talent.”

Joanne P. bookloverbookreviews.com

Some negative feedback…

“I was really excited to read this after all of the glowing reviews it got, but I was left extremely disappointed. I found the writing stilted and stuttering (hard to stutter in writing, but this book pulls it off), overly sentimental, and heavy-handed on the symbolism…
I think it is telling that while this book gets listed as teen fiction, Zusak actually wrote it for adults. For some reason, it got identified as being for teens when it got marketed in the U.S. (it was written in Australia). It seems to me that the explanation for this change is that the novel feels like it was written by a very immature author, and so the prose does not attain the quality one should expect of adult fiction.

I think good Holocaust stories need to be told, but The Book Thief fails at that endeavor. The story is trite; the narrative is sentimental and uninspired. I recommend that you look elsewhere for something better.”
Michael, goodreads.com

Awards

The Book Thief has garnered international attention, winning multiple awards and honors, and was “listed on the New York Times Children's Bestseller List for over 230 weeks” (Wikipedia). “The Book Thief” has been translated into over 30 languages and is often taught in High School.

To read more about the awards and honors won by The Book Thief click on these links:
The Book Thief
Curtis Brown: The Book Thief


Let’s hear from an actual local bookseller!

A few questions for Sarah:

As the buyer for Young Adult lit, why or why not did this book appeal to you?


It appealed because it was a distinctive story, not derivative at all. It
was also difficult because how many books have Death as a main character?

Would you recommend this book to young adult readers?

I try to recommended it to older readers. I am cautious about recommending
it to younger readers because of some of the themes in the story. When talking
to parents or grandparents, I always recommended that they read the book
first so that they can discuss it with their child.

Do you think it belongs in the Young Adult genre?

Interestingly, it was originally published in Australia as an adult book.
The YA designation in America was more of a marketing choice than where a
book "belongs." (However, the YA or MG or adult designation debate is a fascinating
topic.)

Did you generally like this novel?

I *loved* the book. I read it and was amazed and could not wait for everyone
to read it. I recommend it at every chance to teens and adults because it
really is a great book.

Regardless of negative feedback, The Book Thief is clearly an object for discussion.