Books: The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


"1939 - Nazi Germany - The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.

"Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

"Some important information - this novel is narrated by death. It's a small story, about: a girl; an accordionist; some fanatical Germans; a Jewish fist fighter; and quite a lot of thievery.

"Another thing you should know - death will visit the book thief three times."

With a blurb like that, how could you not be interested? I loved this book for all of its quirkiness, originality, comedy and tragedy. It is a truly unique story, written from the point of view of Death. Death sees humans in various colours and he becomes, however reluctantly, engrossed in the life of little Liesel. The story follows Liesel's life as she grows up on Himmel Street, suffering the depression of the war years. She dabbles in a little light thievery with her best friend Rudy, who will not stop asking her for a kiss, but she only finds real joy when she holds a book between her hands.

This story is about the redemptive power of words and books, which allow Liesel to both escape and come to terms with the chaotic and colourful life that surrounds her. Somewhere between beating up a school bully, joining the Hitler Youth and befriending a Jew in her basement, Lisel becomes a young girl empowered by the printed word.

Having Death as a narrator continues to bring something uniquley sombre and matter of fact about the sheer number of human lives lost during the wars. Death's little notes and observations intermittently break up the narrative, allowing you to briefly step away from the difficulties of Liesel's young life. This book is a valuable addition to the Holocaust literature canon as Death, rather than separating the faces of suffering Jews and those men simply fighting for their countries, merely sees colours and lives ending. The Book Thief certainly shows the inhumanity of the Holocaust but instead chooses to focus on the power of relationships, conversations and words to overcome. After all, Death sees death all the time, so our narrator is interested only in the little flashes of humanity that manage to colour the blood red landscape of Nazi Germany.

Rating: ***** 5/5 stars
Recommendation: A must read, particularly if you have an interest in Holocaust literature. Also suitable for teenagers.