Tears Tuesday: A Review of The Book Thief

"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.