The Book Thief

"They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up."
~Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)



I'm sorry not to have posted sooner, especially since I am the one who chose the book (yeesh!). This book was fascinating to me and, when describing it to various friends, the best words that I've come up to describe it are just that: "interesting" and "fascinating".


That being said, I have a true confession: I am a notorious End-of-the-Book reader, so to have Death "spoil" the ending for me was WEIRD! lol. Seriously, I went to the back of the book and SURE ENOUGH, the bomb struck, "Papa" died, Rudy died...the devastation occurred, just like Death said. Huh, I thought. And I have to admit, being a notorious End-of-the-Book reader, it DID change the way I read the book--in fact, it took something out of it for me. I know, it's COMPLETELY hypocritical, but true and I'm not really sure why it felt like that. Often, I read the end of the book because (as in the case of the Harry Potters or Eclipse, etc.,) I've gotten so involved (or obsessed!) in the story/characters that I start going a little wonky NOT knowing what's going to happen. So, with this book, KNOWING what's happening from the very very start messed with my head; so, even though I really really liked it, I didn't enjoy reading it as much as I wanted to, if that makes any sense. Probably not, but that's how weird I am. So anyways, it really became a bittersweet read knowing how much Liesel was going to lose at then end, and I had to focus on the hope element that also ran throughout the book.

I enjoyed Death as the narrator (and loved Katie's review using the different breaks that were used...inspired, Miss Katie!) and thought how "interesting" to have that perspective...a third party trying to be detached and yet still emotionally involved telling the story and offering insights and helpful translations! (though I could see where a creepy-voiced Death on the audio would have been distracting to the poetical nuances that Death was so often spouting). The illustrations were a really interesting touch, too, didn't you think?


I think I must have unconsciously selected this book because of its subject matter--it brought back all the stuff I learned when I got my degree in history, as The Holocaust was my area of emphasis. Even then, the topic was is such a dark place to be so immersed and full of sadness that I found myself looking for the bits of light of the era: the Resistance movement, survival stories, common links of humanity. That being said, the book really does effectively illustrate all of that: the lowest levels we can sink to if we don't check ourselves and keep ourselves awake to what is happening around us, but also the startling acts that reveal the very best of humanity that any person is capable of (Rosa).

I felt the book was also true to the feelings that most Germans had--of accepting things that normally would have appalled them, because they seemed to happen, little by little, until it was too late. Also, amid all the denial that was going on was just LIFE...a boy wanting to kiss a girl, friendships, sports.... We get the same way, don't we? Preoccupied in what we are doing, places we need to go, things we need to do, and even the fear of getting involved, that we don't pay attention to our literal and figurative surroundings. Furthermore, the Germans at the time were still recovering WWI's devastation (Death tries to capture that when characterizing Hans, I think) and the world wide Great Depression that affected them not only because they were so in debt after the war, but because there was such loss of life and employment! The atmosphere in Germany seemed to not only crush them physically but emotionally and mentally, so of course Hitler was able to come to power; he seemed like a charismatic light that would indeed bring about change, bring back their sense of "volk" and pride. Lots of his early ideas fit the mood of the people and, especially, became in sync with their need to blame SOMEONE for their plight.

Alrighty then. So now that I've digressed into a mini history lesson, let me just get back on target and say that this book helped me remember a lot and that context helped enrich the book for me.

I read somewhere that Markus Zusak has written other, critically claimed books for young adults, but actually wrote this with an older audience in mind. I think that was evident in the overall mood of the book and think that it might be a bit much for a younger audience to handle (there was, after all, more swearing than I expected...sorry about that if it offended anyone). But I LOVE the Non Sequitur cartoon Gina posted!!!! LOVED IT!!!! Because Liesels' story is much like the tattoo of the number of the old Holocaust Survivor...it helps us remember, and hopefully look at our world around us today. And for that, I enjoyed and appreciated this book.

:) Laurenda

I finally finished The Book Theif

I wish I had actually read this book. I instead listened to it on CD in my car for over a month... as my commutes are no longer than 12 minutes each. Yeah, so it took a long time to "read" the book and the narrator had such a creepy voice, I didn't enjoy the book as much as I think I could have. At the end, he thanked me for listening to the performance. He indeed gave me a performance. With his creepy German accent he would alter his voice for each of the characters in the book. Can you imagine Leisel having a high pitched old man voice? Yeah, it ain't pretty. I'd rather hear a more innocent voice made up in my head as I scanned actual pages of the book.

So anyway, you'll understand why I didn't love the book as much as the rest of you, but I did like it.

I need to buy this book just to reread the beautiful descriptive phrases and words this author uses. Such poetry, really. I was so touched by how Death himself would eloquently describe we humans.

I wasn't convinced that Leisel knew herself so well as a child that she understood every action she would make, though. I think Death was a witness and a major interpreter of what we humans are thinking, more specifically what Leisel was thinking. I hope you understand what I mean. I don't have a book to show examples of times that Leisel would do or say certain things, as a child, and we'd be given an explanation of why she did or said it that way. As if a child knows them self as well as an a middle-age adult. Or maybe I am undermining children... maybe Leisel did understand why she did the things she did. Who am I to judge a fictional character. What do you think?

My favorite character of the book was Hans. He was so warm and unconditionally there for Leisel. I loved how he kept Leisel's secrets, how he was more than a father to her, but the closest confidant. I am sorry to report that Rosa never grew on me. Maybe it was because of the cardboard description of her, maybe it was the creepy German guy impersonating her saying zowchel a million times, I just didn't connect with her lack of affection. Yes, she took care of her family, yes, she hid a Jew, but she still was so hard. I wish I liked her better after a month long getting-to-know-you in my car.

I learned much from this book. I agree with Amanda that it was an education on the people of that time and place, not just facts about the Holocaust. We know what happened from our history classes, but we didn't get a feel for the lives of those innocent Germans that didn't agree with what was happening. This book gave us that!

I can only imagine something so horrific occurring in our modern day, in our country (it was, in fact, their modern day and in their country). It's given me perspective on my own convictions and how far I would go to stand for the right. I hope that I would do what the Hubbermanns' did for Max. I would hope that if my religion was questioned and they came for all the Latter-Day Saints, that I would suffer and even die standing up for it.

Click to enlarge.

The Book Thief or The Tear Maker?

I finished reading The Book Thief on the airplane the day that our co-worker Curtis Cloud died. I couldn't help but wonder if the narrator "Death" was there with Curtis and what color the sky was. And at the thought of this, combined with the fictional deaths of Rudy, Mama and Papa, I had the tears flowing and no kleenex in sight. I had to use the cocktail napkin from my drink to sop up the tears and mascara.
How long did it take anyone else to know who the narrator was? I had to re-read the first 2 short chapters again just to get that understanding but from there I throughly enjoyed the short style of the chapters and the oftentimes humorous but telling asterisk marked statements from Death. I was also struck by the thought that we don't often hear the side from the Germans in Nazi Germany during this time. Most of us have read Anne Frank and other stories that show us the Jewish or outcast viewpoint. I am again amazed at how the power of persuasion and fear can make humans forget their innate goodness and commit attrocities in the name of righteousness.
Liesel had a horrible life and I can imagine that her story happened to many people including those that belonged to the Nazi Party. I was struck by Frau Hoptzanful (sp?) and that for all of her heil Hitlers, she lost her 2 sons and her own life. It didn't matter what side she was on, Death takes no sides in war.
Argh, I didn't mean this to be a diatribe about War and the horror of it. I loved this book and I found many parts that were funny and heartwarming. Such as Rudy's love of Jesse Owens and how he ran painted in coal just to be like him. I loved the interactions between Liesel and Rudy, Liesel and Papa, Liesel and Mama, pretty much any interaction with Liesel. Who else wanted to know more about what happened to Liesel after the pivotal moment of the airraid? We got a lot of before the bombs but not a lot of the after. I want to know how Liesel went from the Mayor's house to apparently working for Mr. Steiner and then her relationship with Max. Did she marry Max? Who else thought she should marry Max?
Again, I love this book and I learned a lot about this time period but in a very human and contextual way, not in the history book sort of way.

The Book Thief

I thought this was a painfully beautiful book. Death talks about that at the end of the book actually- which I thought a little cocky of the author but still true. Death says, "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. " The truth behind it comes from the contrast of human actions. There are the cowards and the vicious. There are also the heroes who are all the more heroic in the face of crisis and danger.

I was struck by how precarious a position the Hubermanns were in . While I can't understand how a nation ever let their hate get to this point I do understand why at that point so few were willing to take action. I am amazed by those like the Hubermanns were willing to risk the lives of their families to save a few souls. I hope that I would do the same. I hope that I would prevent the situation from getting that bad in the first place. I was amazed at how quickly the people would turn on each other. I thought it most revealing when it talked about how Rudy's dad felt about the Jews being kicked out and when Hans jr. voiced his opinions. You could hear the propaganda that spouted fear. I thought it interesting too that kicking the Jews out took away Herr Steiner's competition and also his paying customers. The war furthered that even more. So what he had originally feared ( no work) came to pass because they kicked the Jews out. Hans Jr. was exceptionally brutal especially because of the contrast between him and his Dad. He is quoted as saying,"It's pathetic - how a man can stand by and do nothing as a whole nation cleans out the garbage and makes itself great. " It reminded me of the rhetoric against illegal aliens in our country. Now don't get me wrong- I do think that we need to protect our borders better. But blaming all of our country's problems or our personal financial troubles on a group of people gets a little too close to what the Germans did to the Jews and anyone who helped them. At least that's how it started. Indifference and the building of fear kept it escalating. I'm thankful for the many opinions in our country and the loud voices that keep us on the straight and narrow- for the most part.

Anyway I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it's perspective though it was very hard to read at times because because of the tragedy of it. I've been having weird dreams where we need food storage ever since. I think it's a combination of things making that happen but still... it's good advice to myself in my sleep. :) We are having a preparedness expo this weekend where I plan on gathering lots of good info.

These Is My Words

Karen would like us to focus on the following questions for the review of These Is My Words...

There are 12 discussion questions at the end. I would like to propose that we focus on the following questions in the order listed.

#1--1st person vs. 3rd person narrator
#7--themes: thirst for education, etc.
#2 and #4 together--the heroic in women's everyday lives
#9 and #11 together--the relationship of Sarah and Jack

The Book Thief

* * * Death as the Narrator * * *
A intriguing literary tool, providing powerful
insights into human nature while still being
(somewhat) detached from human follies (“I guess
humans like to watch a little destruction”).

I found everything about this book to be captivating – the narrator, the way the chapters were broken up, the use of the * * * breaks * * * to further explain detail, but mostly the characters. I grew to love the characters – some, of course, being easier to love than others – Hans, the mayor’s wife, Rudy, Liesel and Max, and even Rosa – who stood by her husband in his quest to do the right thing.

I marked up much of this book. I loved the way the author described everyday, mundane things – using unique adjectives, using adjectives in direct opposition to what is being described, or giving inanimate objects movement. Examples:
“shivering snow,” “chips of rain,” “He smiled loudest… ,” “, shivered like the future,”
“A gang of tears trudged from her eyes… ,” pg. 28
“…due primarily to the brute strength of the man’s gentleness… ,” pg. 36
“Hans Hubermann wore a face with the shades pulled down. ,” pg. 63
“The horizon was the color of milk. Cold and Fresh. ,” pg. 175
“[Liesel could…] taste the human flavor of [Max’s] words. ,” pg. 218
“The words landed on the table and positioned themselves in the middle. ,” pg. 330
“…she woke up tasting the sound of he accordion in her ears. ,” pg. 358
“Rudy’s voice reached over and handed Liesel the truth. For a while, it sat on her shoulder, but a few thoughts later, it made its way to her ear. ,” pg. 364
“When [Papa] looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear the notes. ,” pg. 527

I’ve always been fascinated with WWII, and greatly angered by it, as well. Each time I study it, read about it, or whatever, I think of three questions: 1. What causes that kind of hatred against an entire group of people (slaves in America, the Civil Rights movement, etc.)? 2. How can that many people be influenced by that kind of hatred? 3. What would I have done if I were a German during this time? I hope I would have been like Hans – disgusted with what I saw and wanting to do the right thing, no matter the risk. Another thing that amazes me about WWII is what people could live through. Max spent months locked up in a house, never going outside, afraid for his life – but yet, he was living.

Death gave us a lot of information in advance, which added to the bitterness of the story (“Of course, I’m being rude. I’m spoiling the ending… ,” pg. 243). Rudy’s a great example. Death foretold what would happen to Rudy before we were done learning to love him. After knowing what happened to Rudy, each moment he spent with Liesel was bittersweet for the reader.

My final question is this: What color will everything be at that moment when [death] come[s] for [me]?