I’ve read a lot of really great books this year and that trend seems set to continue for me with The Book Thief. It’s a dialogue on love, loss, the inevitability of death (and its unfairness), and an examination of what it is to be human.

Title: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak

Publication date: September 2009

Genre: Historical Fiction, Children’s Literature, Bildungsroman

Format: Audio book read by Allan Corduner

HERE IS A SMALL FACT – YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.
Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

I always feel like there’s a real controversy with The Book Thief so I’ve put it off for a long time.

I can understand some readers’ frustration with Liesel on some levels but her age and circumstances are important factors and she is young and outspoken in a painful environment. I found her compelling and tenacious – a far cry from some readers’ image of a ‘cute little girl’. The book thief loves fiercely and fights the good fight despite also swearing, fighting, getting dirty, and breaking the rules. I found love for her acquired mother and father and found Liesel’s relationship with Rudy absolutely charming, though I wish it had developed further – it seemed to stagnate in one stage of its development – it didn’t age with the characters in the way I wanted it to. I think Rosa was my favourite character – she’s equal parts fierce and subtle, loud and quiet, loving and sharp.

I liked the choice of narrative control; Death is presented as a cynical but he’s telling you a story and you’re along for the ride. His acceptance of his own inevitability and warnings of upcoming sorrow added something more emotive to the sadness when it occurred. He was a bit coy but ultimately just a fancy framing device. Corduner’s rich voice (somewhat reminiscent of Scar from The Lion King) was a wonderful choice as it carried enough edge to be plausibly death but was undercut by something a little more tender. It really made a huge difference to my experience of the story.

I like books that have an effect on my emotions, and in its awful context how could a book about the holocaust not move you in some way? But Zusak only demonstrates the suffering of the Jewish people through Max’s kind, beautiful personality. He doesn’t describe the camps or much of the disgusting truth but it’s there, in the things that aren’t said, inviting the reader to question it. The focus is predominately on the German characters and their morals and complexities – it offers something fresh to the WWII fiction canon, particularly its children’s books. Some of the language I found to be a bit clumsy, Death used of awkward similes, for example when  “The sky was dripping. Like a tap that a child has tried its hardest to turn off but hasn’t quite managed.” It didn’t read smoothly. I remind myself here that (1) at least Zusak is using fresh combinations – cliches would’ve torn me apart, and (2) this is a young person’s book and I’m in my mid 20s. Also it reads like Liesel is describing something to Max. I was left unconvinced by some of the language choices but the story, and its themes had me hooked.

The power of words was a tremendously powerful theme; as a reader and a writer the focus on language was hypnotising and made for an incredibly emotive experience. Books and, more crucially, language define and enhance what it is to be a human being. Language can manipulate, create, move and destroy and Zusak demonstrates this wonderfully by intertwining words with the coming-of-age journey of a vulnerable girl in WWII Germany. I found it to be well executed, poignant, and moving. It shines a probing light on humanity’s best and worst inspiring human guilt and appreciation of moral good.

I’m definitely a fan.

Let me know what you thought in the comments section.

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4 out of 5