This book by Markus Zusak is truly amazing. I think the author is very clever- the way he links up everything and I think the person whose perspective he narrates through is very fitting and ingenious, for this book was based in the time during the World War II. This book was narrated by Death. See what I mean by fitting and ingenious?!
The books starts on a train ride. Liesel's on her way to the Himmel Street (Heaven Street) in Molching, Germany where her foster parents- Hans and Rosa Hubberman live. Her brother dies on the way to Himmel. The thief steals her first book during his funeral. One of the gravediggers had dropped it. Its was called 'The Gravedigger's Handbook'. During the early months of her stay with the Hubbermans, her "papa" with his gentle demeanor comforts Liesel every night after her nightmares about when her brother died and also plays his accordion. Liesel is uneducated and does not know how to read or write, therefore it brings her sorrow to learn that she cannot read her precious book which marks the death of her brother and the separation with her mother. Liesel makes many new friends, but her best friend is Rudy Steiner- her neighbor. Rudy is constantly trying to get Liesel to kiss him, but she always refuses.
For many months Himmel Street is truly Heaven Street for her. She enjoys playing football on the street with her friends, going to collect the washing from the rich inhabitants of Molching with her "mama" and eventually the reading and writing lessons her papa gives her. Gradually, she finishes her first book and she feels fantastic!
On the day of the "Fuhrer's" (Hitler's) birthday the Nazis collect all books and burn them. This breaks her heart and that is where she steals her second book. When the celebration had ended and everyone had dispersed. She begins to realize that Hitler is responsible for her brother's death and her mother's absence, and she hates him for it. Ilsa Hermann (the Mayor's wife) sees Liesel take the book and decides to share her own love of books with Liesel by inviting her into her library. To Liesel, the library is the most beautiful sight she's ever seen.
Meanwhile, Max Vandenburg, a Jew, is hiding in a storage closet in Stuttgart and receiving help from his friend Walter Kugler. Walter has been in touch with Hans and asks if Hans is willing to keep the promise he made to Max's mother after World War I. It was Erik Vandenburg, Max's father, who saved Hans's life during World War I and taught Hans to play the accordion. Hans promised Frau Vandenburg that if she ever needed something, she could contact him. Hans agrees to hide Max in his basement and sends the key to his house inside the front cover of Mein Kampf, which is HItler's autobiography. This book was the only legal book at that time.
When Max first arrived, Liesel was curious, but also afraid of the man living in the basement. Eventually, they become great friends and realise they have a lot in common from the nightmares to the love for books. For Liesel's birthday he paints over the pages of Mein Kampf and writes a book, somewhat describing his life, called the Standover Man.
Shortly after these days,
the air raids begin. Liesel and her family, along with Rudy and his
family, take shelter in the Fiedlers' basement because they've been told
their basement is not deep enough to protect them from the bombings.
They must leave Max behind. On one occasion in the Fiedlers' basement,
Liesel begins to read from The Whistler. Everyone gathers around her and the words calm them as they calm Liesel.
Death ends the story by saying how
she lived a long life in Sydney with her husband, three children, and grandchildren. When Death goes to collect her, he sets her down so
they can walk together for a while. He shows her The Book Thief
and wants to ask her so many questions about humans. He cannot
understand them, how they can contain so much lightness and darkness. He
doesn't ask these things, though. All he can tell her is that humans
haunt him.
The books starts on a train ride. Liesel's on her way to the Himmel Street (Heaven Street) in Molching, Germany where her foster parents- Hans and Rosa Hubberman live. Her brother dies on the way to Himmel. The thief steals her first book during his funeral. One of the gravediggers had dropped it. Its was called 'The Gravedigger's Handbook'. During the early months of her stay with the Hubbermans, her "papa" with his gentle demeanor comforts Liesel every night after her nightmares about when her brother died and also plays his accordion. Liesel is uneducated and does not know how to read or write, therefore it brings her sorrow to learn that she cannot read her precious book which marks the death of her brother and the separation with her mother. Liesel makes many new friends, but her best friend is Rudy Steiner- her neighbor. Rudy is constantly trying to get Liesel to kiss him, but she always refuses.
For many months Himmel Street is truly Heaven Street for her. She enjoys playing football on the street with her friends, going to collect the washing from the rich inhabitants of Molching with her "mama" and eventually the reading and writing lessons her papa gives her. Gradually, she finishes her first book and she feels fantastic!
On the day of the "Fuhrer's" (Hitler's) birthday the Nazis collect all books and burn them. This breaks her heart and that is where she steals her second book. When the celebration had ended and everyone had dispersed. She begins to realize that Hitler is responsible for her brother's death and her mother's absence, and she hates him for it. Ilsa Hermann (the Mayor's wife) sees Liesel take the book and decides to share her own love of books with Liesel by inviting her into her library. To Liesel, the library is the most beautiful sight she's ever seen.
Meanwhile, Max Vandenburg, a Jew, is hiding in a storage closet in Stuttgart and receiving help from his friend Walter Kugler. Walter has been in touch with Hans and asks if Hans is willing to keep the promise he made to Max's mother after World War I. It was Erik Vandenburg, Max's father, who saved Hans's life during World War I and taught Hans to play the accordion. Hans promised Frau Vandenburg that if she ever needed something, she could contact him. Hans agrees to hide Max in his basement and sends the key to his house inside the front cover of Mein Kampf, which is HItler's autobiography. This book was the only legal book at that time.
When Max first arrived, Liesel was curious, but also afraid of the man living in the basement. Eventually, they become great friends and realise they have a lot in common from the nightmares to the love for books. For Liesel's birthday he paints over the pages of Mein Kampf and writes a book, somewhat describing his life, called the Standover Man.
Because most of the people on Himmel Street are struggling for money,
Rosa Hubermann loses her washing jobs, including the one for Ilsa
Hermann. One night, Liesel takes Rudy to the mayor's house and earns her title of
book thief when she sneaks in through the window and takes The Whistler from Ilsa Hermann's library. On another late-night visit to Ilsa Hermann's house, Liesel and Rudy take the Duden Dictionary and Thesaurus,
which appears to have been placed by the window as a gift. Liesel finds
a letter inside from Frau Hermann, saying that Liesel is welcome to
come in the front door, too.
Parades of Jews come through Molching on their way to Dachau. Hans feels bad and tries to help one of them. Because of
Hans's actions, they must send Max away because Hans is afraid the Nazis will come to search their house. The Nazis never comes for
him, they come for Rudy to offer him a place in a
special school. The Steiners refuse. Eventually, both Hans and Alex
Steiner are punished for their actions. They are both sent to serve different units during the war. Hans for picking up dead bodies after raids and Alex for sewing up the uniforms of the soldiers.
Soon, Hans Hubermann avoids a fatal accident
while on the pick up truck. Reinhold Zucker, who holds a grudge against Hans
because of a card game loss, takes Hans's usual seat on the truck and
dies in the accident. Hans gets a broken leg and is sent home.
Once, when Liesel goes to Ilsa Hermann's house, she gets angry with the words and tears up the whole book and writes a letter to her saying that she will never come back. Not long after, The mayor's wife shows up at Liesel's house and gives her a journal to write her stories in.
Later that year, Molching gets bombed and the only survivor was Liesel, who instead of sleeping, sat in the basement writing her journal. When the Air Raid officers finally get her out from in between the rubble, she sees the dead bodies of her loved ones- her mama, her papa and Rudy who she never told she loves him. In despair, she finally kisses Rudy's lifeless lips and collapses out of sorrow.It is there that Death, after picking up the souls, finds her book.
Ilsa Hermann and the mayor collect Liesel from the police station and
take her home with them. Alex Steiner is relieved of duty after he hears
about the bombings and he finds Liesel. She tells him about Rudy, about
kissing him. They spend a lot of time together in his shop, where she worked, and one day in 1945, Max Vandenburg shows up. They hug each other and tears of sadness and joy spill out of them.
Death ends the story by saying how
she lived a long life in Sydney with her husband, three children, and grandchildren. When Death goes to collect her, he sets her down so
they can walk together for a while. He shows her The Book Thief
and wants to ask her so many questions about humans. He cannot
understand them, how they can contain so much lightness and darkness. He
doesn't ask these things, though. All he can tell her is that humans
haunt him.
Now tell me that wasn't a good book! I found this book an amazing read. I learned about the life of Germans and Jews during the WW II and also quite a few swear words in German- thanks to Liesel's mama for that!
I'd like to give credit to Ms.Alison, my sixth grade teacher, who suggested this book to me and I would also like to request all of you to suggest some book to me. I'm having a tough time finding them, as I am either too young or too old for them. Write an e-mail to me or leave a comment below about what you thought about this book, would you give it a read and some books I can read.