My reading of the book thief

My reading of the book thief

My thoughts about the book:
Reading the book has been both interesting and exiting, especially since I have a special interest in history. Reading about a young girl in Nazi Germany, with the narrator being Death, really gets to you, and drags youn into the book. It is quite long(540 pages), but you shouldn't let that stop you from reading it. It is worth it! The book is simply magnificent, and the author Markus Zusak has done a terrific job writing it.

Theme:I could introduce myself properly, but it's not really necessary. You will know me well enough and soon enough, depending on a diverse range of variables. It suffices to say that at some point in time, I will be standing over you, as genially as possible. Your soul will be in my arms. A colour will be perched on my shoulder. I will carry you gently away.

To me, this book is about two things. The power of words, but most of all, Death. This is from the book opening, and as you probably understand, Death is the one talking. Throughout the whole book, Death is the narrator, and therefore I find this paragraph quite significant.

Setting:A horizon of Nazi flags and uniforms rose upwards, crippling her view every time she attempted to see over a smaller child's head. It was pointless. The crowd was itself. There was no swaying it, squeezing through or reasoning with it. You breathed with it and you sang its songs. You waited for its fire. Silence was requested by a man on a podium. His uniform was shiny brown. The iron was practically still on it. The silence began. His first words: Heil Hitler! His first action: the salute to the Führer.

This paragraph says much about the books setting, which is Nazi Germany in the late 30s and early 40s. It takes place at a book burning(Look at my old post, "The burning of books"), and you really get the feeling how it was like. You can imagine how Liesel feels like, standing there with all the books going to be burnt. This particularly event leads to her second book, taken from the ashes of the fire.

Plot:With a typical fistful of words, Rosa said, "Now listen, Liesel - from now on you call me Mama", she thought a moment. What did you call your real mother?" Liesel answered quietly. "Auch Mama"-also mama. "Well, I'm mama number two then."

This paragraph marks the beginning of Liesels new life, meeting her new mother and father. At this early point of the book, understanding what happened to her real parents, is something you can only guess. However, this marks the beginning of her survival as an adopted daughter, in a poor family, in what is about to become the bloodiest war of all times.

Character development:Occasionally he brought the copy of Mein Kampf and read it next to the flames, seething at the content. The third time he brought, Liesel finally found the courage to ask her question. "Is it - good?" He looked up from the pages, forming his fingers into a fist and then flattening them back out. Sweeping away the anger, he smiled at her. He lifted his feathery fringe and dumped it towards his eyes. "It's the best book ever." Looking at Papa, then back at the girl. "It saved my life". The girl moved a little and crossed her legs. Quietly, she asked it. "How"?

At this point in the book, something quite dramatic, and dangerous, has happened. Liesels family is hiding a Jew in their basement, who is also the son of a friend of Liesels father, from the First World War. In this paragraph, Liesel asks the question, from which the Jew tells the story of how he ended up in their house. From this point, Liesel and the Jew(Max), becomes almost friends. The paragraph marks a turning point in her life, and is one of many steps towards her become more independent, and mature.