Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

If you have yet to experience the heartbreakingly beautiful masterpiece that is The Book Thief, do yourself a favour and pick it up ASAP.
“His soul sat up. It met me. Those kinds of souls always do - the best ones.”
The Book Thief is a story narrated by Death, and when Death tells a story, you really have to listen. In WWII-Nazi Germany, following the death of her brother and being separated from her mother, Liesel Meminger goes to live with a poor foster family on Himmel Street. In such dangerous times, the family hide a Jew down in their basement and a beautiful friendship based on books and reading develops.

The Book Thief is a story about the power of words. Back in WWII, Hitler used the power of words to spread hatred, whereas our protagonist Leisel claims the words back and uses them in their most powerful way, for friendship and love.

So many beautiful characters live within these pages...my favourites being Hans, Rudy and Max. All very interesting and rich and well-developed. Hans, Leisel’s foster father, stood out most of all - his relationship with Liesel was simply beautiful. As a reader, you never forget the bond you form with the person who encourages your love for words and books, and Liesel received this encouragement not only from Hans, but also from Max, the Jew they have hidden in their basement. I also found myself appreciating Rosa, her foster mother, even more this time around. She’s a character who seems quite harsh on the surface, but is actually brimming with love on the inside.

One of my favourite things about this book is that it is narrated by Death. I loved this unique idea from Zusak and I really enjoyed the beautifully poetic way in which Death narrates the story. You can almost feel Death lingering over the story, similar to how Death lingered over those who lived back then in Nazi Germany - you knew death was coming, you just didn't know when or for who.

It’s hard to convey how much I love this book. I literally adore everything about it - the writing, the characters, the story, the message. It has been firmly cemented in my top 10 books of all time.

Johann
x

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

50 Horror Books You Must Read!

Image
Behold! A blog post I've been working on for a few weeks now. I often get asked which horror books I would recommend, so I thought I'd make my life a little easier and create a mammoth list. So as of this minute, here are 50 books that I've read and enjoyed. I have included some that I personally wasn't overly enamoured with, but reading is such a personal experience that I thought I'd give you the chance to make up your own mind! In a year or so I might post an update with great horror books that I've discovered since this list was made. In the list you'll find novels, some short stories and a few novellas thrown in too... Enjoy! 1. Pet Sematary - Stephen King It’s me. Of course this book is at the top of the pile! (Even though the rest are in no way ranked…). An incredible horror novel providing heartbreaking insight into death, loss and grief. The horror is not found in huge tense, scary moments, but in those quiet and soul-crushing moments
Read more

50 States 50 Horror Books

Image
One of my reading goals for 2021 is to start working through my 50 States, 50 Horror Books challenge (inspired by lists on NYT and Bustle). For those who haven't heard of these lists, essentially a horror book has been assigned to each state in America depending on where the book has been set. Throughout 2021 I am aiming to tick off 2 states per month. And if others want to take part, then great! You can either follow along with me, or work through the list at your own pace, picking whichever books appeal to you (or inserting some of your own!) I've combined both the NYT and Bustle lists, adding in some suggestions of my own to get started (and thank you to anyone who sent me their suggestions too!) Alabama The Elementals by Michael McDowell Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke   Alaska 30 Days of Night by Steve Niles         Polar Night by Julie Flanders   Arizona The Revelation by Bentley Little   Arkansas Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs The Bird Eater by Ania Ahlborn   California
Read more

Book Review: Books of Blood Vol 1-3 by Clive Barker

Image
Comprised of insane and downright horrifying tales from Clive Barker, Books of Blood is a strong debut release which led to King referring to him as "the future of horror". This edition contains Volumes 1-3, a grand total of fifteen stories (sixteen if you include the intro) - a large number of which have been subsequently adapted into movies.  "Everybody is a book of blood; wherever we're opened, we're red." Having already been blown away by The Hellhound Heart, I was excited to get into more Clive Barker - and oh boy, this did not disappoint. The sheer range of stories within these first three volumes of Books of Blood is staggering. And the quality remains consistently high throughout. Barker's imagination is unparalleled - I mean, King has a pretty awesome imagination too, but his skills are slightly different to Barker's. One minute you're reading about a serial killer who quite literally skins his victims and hangs them up like
Read more