The Book Thief

The Book Thief has had a place on my “To Read” list for quite some time now. For that reason I decided to read another. I knew that if i hadn't read it by now, it wouldn't get the dedication it should. I turned my focus toward a book that spoke of adventure and discovery, that promised to teach me of the world as well as myself. I continued to read The Alchemist because it did just that with its beautiful writing style and enchanting tale.

In The Book Thief, a work of historical fiction, written by Markus Zusak introduces the main character Liesel Meminger, the reader starts to see how she keeps having many conflicts but always stays positive. Liesel has many conflicts, for example her brother dies early in the book and that shapes the way she is. Later on Liesel steals books and that makes her happy because the first book she stole was the grave digger's handbook and that is how she remembers her brother. Liesel steals and reads books this is how she finds happiness with all the bad things going on around her. In the end of the book most of the people she loves die and it is hard for her to find happiness again. The author uses the setting and point of view to express theme and to make the reader feel sympathy; He uses this because with the theme of finding light in the darkness, deaths perception, and the setting of Germany makes the theme clearer.

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, takes place in 1940s Nazi Germany in the small town of Molching. The main character, Liesel Meminger, takes on a role as the foster child of Hans and Rosa Hubermann. She also meets a young boy named Rudy Steiner, who goes on to be her best friend and lover. In the book, Liesel faces many challenges big and small. From hiding a Jew in the basement to a thieving lifestyle, Liesel has to learn to overcome all of life's problems. Through all of this, she is supported by her foster father Hans Hubermann who is caring to people he barely knows, intelligence despite his lack of education, and generosity even when he has little for himself.

Liesel Meminger is the daughter of Paula Meminger. She is also the sister of late Warren Meminger. Consequently, she steals the first book in the novel, called The Gravedigger's Handbook. Therefore, Death gave her the nickname of “ the book thief” before us knowing that she would become “the book thief”. Liesel Meminger is the hardworking, book-thieving, kind-hearted protagonist of The Book Thief. She loves books so much that she steals them, even before knowing how to read. All of this started because stealing books reminds her of Warren Meminger. This is even she bonds more with Hans Hubermann, her foster father, dedicates his time to teach her how to read. We might be asking, why hasn’t she gotten an education at the age of 10. The answer is not as clear as others, but it definitely has to do with Liesel father’s communist affiliations. He was part of the German Communist Party, that was popular when Hitler took over. This is also the reason why she had to be fostered.

The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, outlines the tragedies and events that take place in Liesel Meminger’s life, in Nazi Germany. Throughout this young girl’s struggle of living in the oppressive Nazi regime, she is able to learn crucial lessons about life and the art of survival- some that follow her to the grave. The most important lesson she learned and the pivotal theme of the novel is that rebellion can be and beneficial in certain situations.

The Book Thief is about a young German girl named Liesel Meminger as she goes through life while living in Germany in 1939. Liesel and her foster parents live a normal life on 33 Himmel Street. There is only one difference between their family and the others, they are hiding Max Vandenburg (a Jewish man) in their basement during the time of the Holocaust. This story, narrated by Death follows the life of Liesel from her first step into 33 Himmel Street, until the day she died in Sydney, Australia.

Relationship to meaning: Death is an omniscient narrator giving us the unbiased view of all the things going on during the WWII in the novel and describes the main characters like Liesel’s, Max’s or Hans Hubermann’s etc. point of view and feelings in the novel associated with WWII but focuses mainly on the events during the WWII and a lot of the times foreshadows character’s destiny.

Continuing in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, whenever Liesel has a bad nightmare, her and Papa have a midnight class where he teaches her to recognize letters and words and then find them in The Grave Digger’s Handbook. For Christmas, Papa trades some of his cigarettes in order to be able to give Liesel a present, two books. At the same time, Liesel comes to really miss her biological mother and eagerly starts to write and send her letters, hoping to get a response but to no avail. While in a state of hopelessness, Adolf Hitler’s birthday comes, prompting the Nazis of the town to celebrate with marching, music, and (,most importantly,) a bonfire to burn any Jewish writing.

There are many books that will teach you important lessons. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak there are many lessons to be learned. Some of the lessons that the book teaches is that courage is the key to achieve anything, fear can be distracted, and Death’s kindness. These lessons are important to learn.

Liesel most definitely could have trusted Rudy with the secret of having Max hidden in her basement. Rudy was clearly Liesel’s best friend and partner in crime when Liesel was doing her acts of thievery stealing the books from the mayor’s wife bookself. The devotion to Liesel Rudy also had was strong and I believe Liesel could have trusted Rudy.

One thing that I saw in The Book Thief many times is how whenever something bad happens, something. or someone good always comes out of it. There are three significant characters that are the good in Liesel’s life whenever something bad happens, these characters are Hans Hubermann, Liesel’s new. adoptive papa, Ilsa Hermann, the mayor’s wife, and Max, the Jew that is hiding from the Nazis in her. basement.

The Book Thief is a film directed by Brian Percival, narrated by death, the film is about a nine year old girl called Liesel who is the protagonist of the story she went from being a character that’s angry to a character that deeply loves her family and friends. Hans Hubermann which is Liesel’s foster father he is described as being patient and gentle with Liesel and he was the first person to win her trust, Liesel’s foster known as Rosa Hubermann came across as cold and impatient after she fostered Liesel and Max she became kind and caring. Max Vandenberg went to hide in the Hubermann’s house he was cautious and introverted; when he grew stronger, he had a rage for Hitler which motivated him to stay alive. He understood Liesel’s experience

The Book Thief - written by Markus Zusak and The Boleyn Inheritance - written by Philippa Gregory. These two books are written by two very different people, However they both have a love for writing. Just like in every piece of literature or art, the creator puts a piece of them into their work. Since death is a part of all of us it's no wonder why both books revolve heavily around it. Death becomes a leading role.

Most movies/documentaries that are made or books that are written on the Holocaust show the brutality of it and the horror. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak does that but it also shows the beauty among the poor working class Germans, such as love, friendship and subtle resistance. It also proves not all Germans believed in what Hitler was doing and that people like Liesel, Rudy, Max, and the Hubermanns were able to see the beauty in life while surrounded by so much ruin. Each character has a personal experience with the ugliness that Hitler brought with the Holocaust, but everyone also is able to see that light can be found even during the darkest of times.

Throughout the years of living in Nazi Germany, she had experienced events unimaginable for a child to even witness. Liesel witnessed her younger brother die. She saw a young war soldier commit suicide by hanging himself. He was her neighbour. She had watched an enemy bomber pilot die in a plane crash near her house. "She had seen a Jewish man who had twice given her the most beautiful pages of her life marched into a concentration camp. And at the center of all of it, she saw the Fuhrer [Hitler] shouting his words and passing them around" (Zusak 521). Liesel despised Hitler and his words. He destroyed people with his words while she stole them back. At one point, she didn't even want words to exist anymore because "without words, the Fuhrer was nothing" (Zusak