Reading Lullaby reviewed The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Review of 'The Book Thief' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
Bueautiful, inspiring, amazing
Paperback, 592 pages
English language
Published Aug. 6, 2007 by Doubleday.
4 stars
(126 reviews)
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still.
By her brother's graveside, Liesel's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Gravedigger's Handbook, left behind 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 accordian-playing 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.
In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.
govmarley reviewed The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Review of 'The Book Thief' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Death. Nazis. Sadness. And one young girl trying to survive it all. The Book Thief was a journey through the events of World War II, seen through the eyes of our narrator, Death. I can't say I loved this book. Stylistically, it wasn't my favorite. But I can't stop thinking about it, and those are the kind of books I want to read.
Sean Gursky reviewed The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Review of 'The Book Thief' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This story had a lot of heart and emotion, especially considering it was narrated by Death during the time of Nazi Germany. This was an interesting perspective to WWII and I found myself really enjoying the characters throughout. Overall this was a really enjoyable read and am glad I took a chance on this book.
unicorndeburgh reviewed The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Review of 'The Book Thief' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
My cousin pressed this book on me. It sat on my To Read shelf for awhile, and when I picked it up I found references to YA. I enjoy some YA, but I bounce off of a lot of it, so I wasn't too motivated to read it. It sat on the shelf a bit longer. Finally, I picked it up to give it a shot, and clear it out if need be.
I could barely put it down. The protagonist is a child, and I'm sure the book is accessible to teenage readers, but I didn't feel that the author was carefully explaining for a young reader. The book is narrated by Death, and he has a compassionate but chilly eye on Liesel, her foster parents and the friends she makes. The setting is Nazi Germany, and as she grows up, her world gets steadily worse. She's fierce, and …
My cousin pressed this book on me. It sat on my To Read shelf for awhile, and when I picked it up I found references to YA. I enjoy some YA, but I bounce off of a lot of it, so I wasn't too motivated to read it. It sat on the shelf a bit longer. Finally, I picked it up to give it a shot, and clear it out if need be.
I could barely put it down. The protagonist is a child, and I'm sure the book is accessible to teenage readers, but I didn't feel that the author was carefully explaining for a young reader. The book is narrated by Death, and he has a compassionate but chilly eye on Liesel, her foster parents and the friends she makes. The setting is Nazi Germany, and as she grows up, her world gets steadily worse. She's fierce, and a survivor, and has been most fortunate in her foster parents so while your heart is in your mouth much of the time, the author doesn't beat you too mercilessly. He frequently manages to be quite funny. Oh, go read it!
Eduardo Santiago reviewed The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Review of 'The Book Thief' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
The gimmick got in the way: there's just something goofy, jarring, about personifying Death. (Unless you're [a:Neil Gaiman|1221698|Neil Gaiman|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1234150163p2/1221698.jpg] or [a:Terry Pratchett|1654|Terry Pratchett|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235562205p2/1654.jpg]). Even so ... it worked. Wonderfully.
The narrator's voice is by no means detached or aloof. It's actually quite warm. Forget the Death thing, let yourself be drawn into the characters' lives. This is a tale of kindnesses, big and little, amid horror and despair.
patchworkbunny reviewed The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Review of 'The Book Thief' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
A very moving book about WW2 from the viewpoint of ordinary people in Germany. The narrator is Death and is not at all gimmicky. It somehow gives a more neutral view to the events yet still having empathy. I loved the 'inserts' of the books Max made for Liesel.
franksbooks reviewed The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Review of 'The Book Thief' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
The Words to describe this book are contained within it. I can say no more than read it
