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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Feb. 16th, 2008 01:59 pmThe Blurb On The Back:
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath.
Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Merminger's life is changed when, by her brother's graveside, she picks up an object, partially hiden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found. But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
This is most definitely an over-written book, but there are some very moving moments in the text (particularly in those segments where the author uses drawings to emphasise his message) and Zusak has produced a book on the Holocaust that shows the impact on ordinary people whilst also making you think about the effect of Allied bombing on Germany during World War II. On that basis alone, I think that this is worth a look.
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath.
Death has never been busier, and will become busier still. Liesel Merminger's life is changed when, by her brother's graveside, she picks up an object, partially hiden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found. But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
This is most definitely an over-written book, but there are some very moving moments in the text (particularly in those segments where the author uses drawings to emphasise his message) and Zusak has produced a book on the Holocaust that shows the impact on ordinary people whilst also making you think about the effect of Allied bombing on Germany during World War II. On that basis alone, I think that this is worth a look.
