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In Review

21 November 2008 20:05 BST

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Published by Doubleday, out January 4th, hardback, pp584, £12.99.

In a nutshell…

Poetic insight into Fascist Germany.

What's it all about?

The book thief is the alter-ego of a nine-year-old girl called Liesel, whose life history is narrated by none other than the Grim Reaper himself. Now Liesel has both the misfortune to be raised alongside the burgeoning Nazi state in Germany and the good fortune to be sheltered from it by a vehemently anti-Fascist family, the Hubermanns.

Much of the novel revolves around Liesel's surprisingly normal childhood, in which Nazi book burnings, Hitler Youth and the persecution of the Jews are merely a backdrop to the main events in her life, such as stealing books and forbidden apples.

However, all this changes when her father's long-forgotten wartime promise comes to fruition and a desperate Jew lands in their basement. Unwittingly, Liesel finds herself thrust into the front line against the all-too-real hatred of the Nazi state.

Who's it by?

This is the first novel by Australian writer Markus Zusak. Previously famed as a writer of children's books such as I Am the Messenger, Zusak successfully crosses into the mainstream without abandoning his roots.

Indeed, these roots are exactly what sets his writing apart. Whether describing "the red sky still showering its beautiful ash" after an air raid or the "dying eyes and scuffling feet" of a Jewish death march, Zusak picks apart the underlying simplicity of Nazism with a childlike eye.

As an example…

"Soon there was nothing but scraps of words littered between her legs and all around her. The words. Why did they have to exist? Without them, there wouldn't be any of this. Without words, the Fuhrer was nothing."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

A dead cert. With film rights already snapped up by 20th Century Fox, The Book Thief has at least five characters your average Oscar-sniffing Hollywood A-lister would sell their kidney for.

What the others say

"Poised to become a classic" - USA Today

"It's possible to be overwhelmed and impressed by such moments in Mr Zusak's novel. It's also possible to wish there were more of them" - New York Times

So is it any good?

Clocking in at a hefty 584 pages, there's sadly no getting away from the fact that The Book Thief takes up a few more trees than is strictly necessary. And it's true that, no matter how beautifully written, too much weighting is given to the minutiae of everyday wartime life such as thieving said Granny Smiths. But those who stick around will be treated to an array of genius-tinged moments.

And there can be no doubt that Zusak soars highest when confronting the BIG issues. Exploring how Max Vandenburg, the stowaway Jew, is racked with guilt at bringing fear to the Hubermanns. Or how he fantasises about boxing the Fuhrer. Or how an honest man can choose complicity with Fascism while another cannot.

If you persevere, then, you'll find moments aplenty in which Zusak elegantly tackles the human fallout from the Fascist century. Just as long as you overlook those bloody apples!

7/10

Richard Frost



"I do not agree with Richard Frost about the length of this book and especially not with his view of '..too much given to the minutiae of everyday wartime life... ' For me it was this very detail and recounting of the realities of life at that time that made the whole story come to life. With only very small memories of my own of that time it is detail such as the need for food, any food and espeically the longing for particular food, that makes the book become so real.We have all read and seen so may 'war stories' that it is the vivid pictures that Markus Zusak paints which helps to make this book so very special. In the same way his portrayal of the characters, warts and all, helps the reader to immerse himself in the story and never doubt its validity." - Mary Reynolds

"It made me cry. Only the best books make you cry. 9/10" - Poooey Goooey

"It was interesting to read about a German girl's experiences during the last war. Many of them reverberated my own in London at the same time when I was a child, but obviously not regarding the plight of the Jews. As a child we knew some of what was going on but we continued to go about our daily lives and scrumped plenty of apples! And we did have a hatred of Hitler. However, the book has a lot of unnecessary descriptions, often repeated and it became monotonous. However, it kept me turning the pages but often skipping some paragraphs to see what happened next.The characters were very well drawn although it was sometimes difficult to sympathise with them. Is that because they were Germans? It was easier to empathise with their pain as it happened also in Britain. Words, are of course, very powerful but the style of writing was often a hindrance to holding attention. Some of the language was overblown and irritatingly precocious. It will be interesting to learn what members of my reading group will make of it tonight but I think many will remark that it was a long book without going anywhere very much until the last chapters. Too long by half." - Wendy Keeling Taylor

"Without a doubt my favourite book. It captivates me, and in my opinion, it isn't long enough. I've read it at least six times, and I plan to read it many more times. Zusak's simple yet captivating language never ceases to amaze me. The most beautiful and poignant of reads. 10/10." - Bree Dott

"This book captivated me from the very first word, and from the bottom of my heart it is the best book I have ever read, and no film can match it. I have recomended this to everyone I know. I shall never forget this book it has moulded my views and opinions about Nazi Germany. World War II has always been a great interest of mine and never ceases to intrigue me, this book is by far the best ever written and has made my day. This book has made me cry many times, and it's the hardest I have ever cried, even thinking about it makes my eyes brim. It is an immense book, with powerful emotions and feeling, the literature poetic and flowing, this book is a phenomenal read that everyone should have a piece of. 10/10!!!!!!!" - Big Fan

"Just finished this via the Sony 505 ebook reader and I LOVED it... very moving and insightful - no trees died to power it... ( which is a sad premise to include in a review anyway ) - info above... just read it... laughs and tears inc." - C P

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