Markus Zusak: The Book Thief

[SFG75]

This book is the selection of my state's one book, one state teen selection. I have several students who are reading it and they just love it. The narrator is death itself, who has quite an interesting personality. Reading Zusak's narrator portion reminds me a lot of Vonnegut's writing. The book does have a good degree of poignancy in it as Leisel's foster father is a kind and caring man. He likes to rib his wife Rosa, who is a foul-mouthed woman whose tirades at her husband will leave you in stitches. The book contains many dark moments as well, especially relating to the death of Leisel's brother in a train car. So far, so good. I'm enjoying this book as well.

 

[jaybe]

I've almost finished this book and I LOVE it!

I can't understand why more readers haven't supported your thread.

The way Markus Zusak uses words is so original, it brings meaningfull pictures straight into my head without having to wade through long boring descriptive passages.

 

[jimbellows]

I have not heard of this but I will have to check it out,, thanks for the rec

 

[Gilgamesh]

The ending was unforgettably great. How death can tell a poignant story of endings of different human beings. I wish I would have the courage to embrace death when the time comes.

 

[Baz]

I've just started reading this book. I'm a little concerned though. I hope it's as good as you folks say it is. I read The Messenger and I absolutely hated it. It was amateurish, and I'm pretty certain it was written after The Book Thief.

 

[MoreCowbell]

The Book Thief is one of the most wonderful books I have ever read, and one of the saddest.
The beginning, with the narration by Death, was a little odd at first but that was not the majority of the book and so it was not "too much."
The characters in this story are real and beautiful at the same time, lovable and unlovable, and the tie-in of World War II in Germany is done very well.
This story also contains a love story I still think about to this day, years later.
This book is amazing but it is also amazingly sad. After I lent it to her she called me after she had read it, angry that I hadn't told her what happened in the end. I reminded her that she knew Death was telling the story.
This book is definitely in my top ten and I really enjoy all of Markus Zusak's work that I have read, although The Book Thief is definitely my favorite. The series about the Wolfe family is very good, and I highly recommend it for young/teen readers, especially boys. I loved I Am the Messenger and didn't feel that it was in any way "amateurish"...just a stort told from the point of view of a young man. The story didn't always go where I thought it should, but it always keep me guessing. It was an off the wall feel-good story, and I really appreciated it.

 

[Baz]

I'm just not a fan of the style of his writing, or his use of language. He uses unique descriptive words and I often find that they don't work. And The Messenger seemed amateurish to me because I felt his efforts to try and be poetic with his prose were unsuccessful.