Part historical fiction, part coming-of-age story, part literary, The Book Thief is fraught with beautiful exposition and words that are almost lyrical in nature.
Zusak explores Nazi Germany through the eyes of a child just learning to read (an apt theme to be discussed for the purpose of this blog). Liesel, the titular "Book Thief", is taken into a foster family.
The novel digs into the relationship between the protagonist and those around her, including a Jewish fist-fighter who takes refuge in their cellar, and a pesky boy from her neighborhood who claims to love her with a passion.
The author successfully conveys the pain experienced by those affected by the Nazi reign during World War II. The innocence of Liesel's views and opinions, and gradual understanding of the seriousness plaguing the Jews, proves to be heartbreaking and guttural.
As opposed to using Liesel's point of view, Zusak instead chooses an unconventional narrator: Death.
Given the omnipresent theme of death throughout the novel, his choice of Death (as a physical entity rather than abstract) as the narrator is symbolic in nature, and provides a glimpse of foreshadowing.
Zusak possesses a tendency to drag out descriptions, and this lends a certain lethargic quality to the text at some points. However, his nuggets of brilliance (which are present more often than not) more than make up for his lapses in writing.
The Book Thief is an introspective novel that opens one's eyes to the cruelty and injustice in the world, without being distasteful in its depiction of violence. Zusak is skillful in turning a violent scene literary, without losing the essence of its message, and without downplaying the true horror of it all.
Should you read only one book in your lifetime (which you hopefully won't), let it be this.
Book Trailer
