clementine | The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I just back from my vacation, which was most excellent. Before I left, I bought five lengthy novels to get me through the week. All five were enjoyable, but I (unknowingly) saved the best for last – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

I originally added this book to my stack because Josh had mentioned a few times that it's a fantastic book. I'd been hearing a bit about it, so when I walked past it in Chapters, I decided to buy it. I will admit – I saved it for the very end because of the heavy subject matter. I wasn't sure if it would be hard to get through, so I read my lighter books first. I'm glad that I saved it for the end, though, because the other four would have paled in comparison!

For those who haven't read it, I will summarise the book without any significant spoilers. The Book Thief is set in Nazi Germany and is narrated by the omniscient Death¹ and is about a few years in Liesel Meminger's life. On the way to her new foster home, her younger brother Werner dies. She finds a book (The Gravedigger's Handbook) by his grave and steals it. Eventually her foster father, Hans Hubermann, finds it, and he teaches her to read it. Books become an important part of Liesel's life, and she begins to steal them. She rescues one from a Nazi book burning and steals a few from the mayor's wife's library. Partway through the novel, a young Jewish man named Max Vandenburg seeks refuge in the Hubermann's basement. The book spans a course of about five years and outlines the trials of living in Nazi Germany.

This book is incredibly powerful. The relationships and characters have been crafted so carefully that it's hard to believe that it's a work of fiction. All of the characters have multiple layers – none of them are completely good or completely bad. Even the minor characters² have backstories and details that help shape them. I also like that the perspective is a bit different from the majority of Holocaust stories – it's more about a young German girl than a Jew in hiding (although that is an important theme as well). It's interesting, too, to see that many of the Germans are not evil, murderous Nazis, although they do support the Nazi party. Their support is largely based on fear and the fact that nearly everyone else around them is joining the party. Hans Hubermann only applies to join because it's safer for his family.

The end of The Book Thief is extremely moving and heartbreaking. I had to leave the (very public) room I was reading it in because the emotions were so strong. I locked myself in the bathroom, finished it there, and cried and cried. A few books have made me cry before³, but they have never invoked a reaction this strong. It really speaks to how well-written it is and how real the characters are.

Although the subject is very severe, I didn't find The Book Thief hard to get into. I often have troubles finishing books about the Holocaust⁴ because it can be so depressing. (Example: I started reading Anne Frank's diary about 5 years ago and still haven't come close to finishing it; though I personally find the diary quite tedious as a lot of it is just teenage angst.) I started this book almost as soon as I woke up and read straight through the day without break, finishing it just after dinner. (I did indeed bring it to the dinner table.) The story is very compelling, possibly because of the complex characters. It's not what you'd usually think of as a page-turner, but it is.

The Book Thief is a must-read. I know lots of people read it in school because they have to, but you really should read it because it is an amazing book. One of the reviews featured on the back says that it has the potential to be life-changing, and that's true; I haven't gone a day since I finished it without thinking about it. The emotions you will experience after reading it will stick you with you for a long time. I can honestly say that in 12 years of reading, it's the best book I've read in my life.

though you sort of have to infer that yourself [↩]
Frau Diller, Frau Holtzapfel [↩]
the prime example I can think of is Charlotte's Web [↩]
although the subject interests me greatly [↩]

(Crossposted from my blog; please leave comments there.)