The Book Thief: Review



Markus Zusak (2013)

Photo by Page Thirteen 

via Wikimedia Commons

There are many books that stick out from the endless pages of black on white. Books which delight, books which scare, books which bewilder, and which make a person reflect on their own humanity. But very few have had such an impact on myself as with Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief. 

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right."

Narrated by Death himself, Zusak tells the story of Liesel, a German girl sent to live with foster parents just before the outbreak of World War II. After her brother’s death on the journey to her new home, Liesel’s life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow – The Gravedigger’s Handbook. Though she cannot yet read, this first act of thievery sparks a love affair with books and words that is nurtured further by her accordion-playing foster father, Hans. As war closes in and rationing and air raids commence, soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings as well as the mayor’s wife’s own library. But when Liesel’s foster family hides a Jew in their basement, her eyes are opened and her world closes. And Death has never been busier.

To reveal that the story is told by Death undoubtedly conjures up images of Terry Prachett’s Death in the Discworld novels, and may well seem inappropriate or distasteful to some, considering the sensitive subject matter. Yet in Zusak’s hands, this narrative device simply gives a unique and empathetic voice to a narrator who is able to comment on humanity and their hearts without appearing laborious or conceited. Only a small number of writers have the talent to twist words in this direction. An abundance of adjectives and adverbs are constructed in such a way as to revitalise language and paint a picture of emotion in a vivid landscape as one has never before encountered. With a particular focus on colour and sound, Zusak combines the minute everyday with such terrible events and believable characters that you cannot help but fall in love with every aspect. Just as the novel centres on the power of language and words, so it is fitting that it is written to encapsulate this very notion.

“I am haunted by humans.”

For any author, it is difficult to infuse light-hearted entertainment into such a melancholy and serious setting as that of WWII, but Zusak manages to find the perfect balance in his novel. Lively humour dances through the pages that are peppered with the tragedy of life for a country at war, where bombs are a regular occurrence, Gestapo take children away, and Jews are paraded throughout the street. We encounter all colours of German, from truly committed Nazis to the benevolent likes of Hans Huberman, alongside the innocence of a full-hearted child playing soccer in the street.

"Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day. That was the business of hiding a Jew."

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Not only is this a tremendously powerful portrayal of life under Nazi rule, it inspires each reader to think about human nature and the meaning of doing what is right in a time when everyone is telling you how wrong you are. Characters suffer cruel fates, but also provide a stunning example of the power of personal sacrifice, courage and friendship. Characters of particular note include Rudy Steiner, a close friend of Liesel’s who is obsessed with the black athlete Jesse Owens, even donning black-face makeup. While his outward appearance is emphasised as being that of the perfect German, with his “gangly blue eyes” and “lemon” hair, his idealisation of a black man cuts completely across any racial, ethical or religious lines, and mentally, he is the complete opposite. Max, the Jewish man in hiding, is also a very poignant character, who writes and illustrates a strangely beautiful short story for Liesel over whitewashed pages from his copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf.

Perhaps it is my penchant for books and story-telling, or maybe it is because I sympathise so with the likes of Hans, a man possessing a heavy heart of gold, that I so adore this novel. Ultimately, this is a devastatingly powerful book, a portrait of the triumph and spirit of humanity that would please even the most impassive reader.

“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.”

I also thoroughly recommend having a look at the interview with Zusak which looks at both The Book Thief and another of his novels, I Am The Messenger. Find the interview here.

Author: Markus Zusak
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Date: 2005