Book Review

Oh it only took me about 6 months to finally get through this book and but it was soooooooooo good. The 6 month timeline was a bi-product of my deep fondness to this blog, facebook, tv, caring for my fiance, the doggies...generally just keeping up with life. But the feeling of finishing a good book - now that's a satisfaction that is irreplacable.

Last night I was able to bid a farewell to a beautiful book by Markus Zusak called The Book Thief.

By her brother's graveside, Liesel Meminger's life is changed when she picks up a single object, partially hidden in the snow. It is The Grave Digger's Handbook, left there by accident, and it is her first act of book thievery. So begins a love affair with books and words, as Liesel, with the help of her accordion-playing foster father, learns to read. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever there are books to be found.

But these are dangerous times. When Liesel's foster family hides a Jew in their basement, Liesel's world is both opened up and closed down.

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

There are several reasons why I adore this book. The first reason is that it is told from the perspective of 'Death'. See Death is a character, a being, a voice that tells the story of little Liesel. At first I was disturbed by it's morbidity. I thought that I wouldn't last past a couple chapters, that this author was perverse. But a couple chapters in and I began to see the beauty that this perspective brings and believe it or not, the carefully told tale brings you to a place where you develop an affection to the charater of Death. He is kind, insightful and filled with empathy and sorrow as he gently carries souls away upon their passing. I've never read a book before that has taken this approach. And I never thought that I would finish reading this book with a clear sense of appreciation for this character. Mark Zusak really gave this tale a unique spin with this ingenious idea. Now that's something I wish I had thought of!

Little Liesel is such a beautiful little character. A little girl with a big heart she exudes an innocence that made me smile whilst simultaneously squeezing my heart. Plucked from all that she knew was true, she was forced to start a life on Himmel Street in Molching, Germany during WWII with the Hubermann family. Placed with a foster family, Liesel brings a youthful joy to not only the household but to the whole neighborhood. Most fun to witness was her budding relationship with her Foster Dad Hans Hubermann. From strangers to close allies these two became almost inseparable. Hans Hubermann himself reminded me of Roahl Dahl's B.F.G. (Big Friendly Giant) as he tries to with love teach Liesel how to read and be a good little girl. In the midst of Liesel's journey she also develops a keen interest on her neighbor Rudy Steiner. Their fondness for each other is best classified as 'love/hate' as how most young boy/girl friendships might.

And now for the best part about reading this book.....taaa-daaa....oh it's the writing my friends, the writing! I love to delve in to a book that is easy to read, yet is so well-written. You can just tell that Markus Zusak is not lazy at writing. He is smart and he works hard to maximize the English language. Watching him at work is like being in the presence of a Picasso painting. I love a smart writer and I am in awe of Markus' ability to write. Really, it is such a gem. Here are two small samples:

"As you can see, we have a visitor." She could only just make out the shape of Hans Hubermann's tallness in the dark. "He'll sleep in here tonight."
"Yes, Papa."
A few minutes later, Max Vandenburg was in the room, noiseless and opaque. The man did not breathe. He did not move. Yet, somehow, he traveled from the doorway to the bed and was under the covers.
"Everything good?"
It was Papa again, talking this time to Max.
The reply floated from his mouth, then molded itself like a stain to the ceiling. Such was his feeling of shame. "Yes. Thank you." He said it again, when Papa made his way over to his customary position in the chair next to Liesel's bed. "Thank you".
Another hour passed before Liesel fell asleep.
She slept hard and long.



Between the hand-holding shadows, the painted words were scattered about, perched on their shoulders, resting on their heads, and hanging from their arms. "Liesel, if you tell anyone about the man up there, we will all be in big trouble." He walked the fine line of scaring her into oblivion and soothing her enough to keep her calm. He fed her the sentences and watched with his metallic eyes. Desperation and placidity. "At the very least, Mama and I will be taken away." Hans was clearly worried that he was on the verge of frightening her too much, but he calculated the risk. preferring to err on the side of too much fear rather not enough. The girl's compliance had to be an absolute, immutable fact.

Gosh isn't that just sooooooooo yummy? Doesn't it make you just want to curl up in bed with a hot cup of tea, to forget the laundry and washing up and just read for an hour or two? I'm not going to tell you anything more about the story itself because honestly as good as the story is, it appears secondary to Markus Zusak's writing. That is what takes center-stage for me and that is why this book will always remain on my top list of simply scrumpalicious books.