"I have hated the words and I
have loved them,
and I hope I have made them
right."
- Markus Zusak, The Book
Thief
The Book Thief is
about the power of words in the face of death. Zusak shows the reader this
throughout the novel not only by the characters using powerful words, but by
using words in a powerful way himself. He also took a subject that almost seems
overdone or predictable and does something completely new with it.
The use of Death seemed like a cliché to me when I first
heard the novel described, but it is woven into the story in a way that is both
natural and fitting.
There are points to be given on the feminist side of things
as well. Liesel is surrounded mostly by men, but she is not defined by them.
She loves and cares for them but the story is her own. She is the one with the
power. Though they help shape that power and her personality, they do not make
her who she is. She does.
The amount of moments in this book that make you cry will
shock you. If you know about Germany, WWII, and the Holocaust you will (like
me) think it won’t faze you. You might think you’ve read, seen, or heard about
every possible Nazi Germany story before. But Zusak does something with this book
I’ve never read before. It is those words and all the impact they hold. Zusak
uses them to slice you open and pour in emotion you’ve never felt.
Overall report: read this book. I went in thinking I would
give it a 3 but after closing the book with tear streaked cheeks, I’d give it a
5.
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