The Book Thief: Markus Zusak

The Book Thief: Markus Zusak
Genre: YA Historical
Published: 2005
Pages: 550

At the start of World War II, Liesel's life turns upside down. First her brother dies, then she is separated from her mother and sent to live with a foster family. Life isn't always easy, but when her new papa teaches her to read, she finds solace in books that she steals. 

Then her family decides to hide a Jewish man in their basement. Soon they bond over the power of words and tell stories together in the dark corners of their house. As the war descends and life gets darker, it's the power of storytelling that saves them all. But as Liesel will find out, words also have the power to destroy.

Boy, was this book all over the place in middle school. Every time a teacher did an independent reading check, it seemed like somebody was reading "The Book Thief." That among several books that were making the rounds. Fast forward to current times when the Great American Read is becoming a thing, and the novel has possibly even more interest than it did then. And there's a reason for it- the language and themes of the book make it a good pick for adult readers as well.

"The Book Thief" is most well-known as the story of a girl who steals books and whose family hides a Jewish man in their basement. However, it's a lot more than that. It's somewhat slow to truly get into as it focuses more on the character interactions as a whole. It assumes you already know the basic ins and outs of the Holocaust and doesn't go much in depth.

That doesn't mean life is easy. Liesel first deals with the death of her brother and is separated from her mother. Her foster mother isn't especially welcoming, but her new papa is, and teaches her how to read. There are bombings. Kids can be mean. Families are torn apart by war. So when she learns to read, she uses books as an escape.

But the only way to get some of these books is by stealing. And steal she does.

The idea of the power of words, for good and for bad, is talked about throughout. Max and Liesel work together to draw and write stories on the walls of the basement, powerful stories that undo Hitler's power (at least in their minds). Throughout the course of the novel they become unlikely friends, but this is just one part of her story. Liesel struggles to maintain a normal life- Hitler Youth meetings, soccer on the street, and stealing, while concealing her secret. A considerable part of the tale is just struggling to find joy in life. Zusak actually incorporates the pages from the stories that Max and Liesel create inside the story. Everything down to the illustrations and text looks downright authentic.

Someone else also has a story to tell- Death. Yes, Death is the narrator and is able to approach everything from his own perspective. (I found it interesting that Zusak chose to make Death a male.) Mostly he is amazed at the power of human evil. But he also appreciates the acts of goodness. Liesel's papa, for example, gives bread to a Jewish prisoner marched through their street. He pays for it dearly, but the act does not go unnoticed. Liesel, too, isn't fond of what is going on and is more than happy to befriend Max. You could argue that his language gets a little pretentious or literary once in a while, but his message is clear: humans can be amazing in more ways than one. I didn't like, however, how he was constantly spending time talking about what "was going to happen later." Let us get there!

Speaking of kindness, I was pleasantly surprised at how much there was of it. Even in Nazi Germany, there were people willing to lend a hand. Take the mayor's wife, who lets Liesel visit her library. Her slippers are decked out in swastikas but yet, there is kindness hidden away somewhere (probably because she is German, but still). The kids drop bread on the path for the Jewish prisoners. Everyone comes together during the bombings and listens to Liesel read her books. It's an inspiring sense of community and perspective that you don't always hear about in books that take place during this time period. Just because you weren't a Jew doesn't mean you were having an easy time of things...not that I excuse the hateful attitudes displayed by some in the book.

Yes, it's a devastating book, but it's worth reading. That includes adults. I especially love how free this book is of traditional YA tropes. There is no romance or love triangle to speak of, although it can be argued that Liesel loves Rudy and many others. Of course, it also includes a message that applies to everyone- words are powerful.


Also a SPOILER ALERT regarding the ending (highlight the space below):
Ah, the bomb. I almost forgot to address this until I saw it mentioned in another review. Normally one thing I don't like to see is the writer ending their book by literally or figuratively dropping a bomb on everyone. It usually means that they can't think of an ending, and then there is no true conflict resolution. But this is wartime and it certainly packs an emotional punch. There also isn't a clear structure to this story, so I can understand why something like that might have happened to end things. And again, it also shows the deadly impact that words can ultimately have. 

4 stars