The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Well… I’m not sure anyone really cares at this point-but i’ll update anyways. So far i’m at around page 100. I’ve been busy with other schoolwork to read more but i’ll definitely make time. But anyways, the narrator is a voice who seems to know the characters, especially the main character Liesel Meminger who is the book thief. He (or she) first narrates how colors affect situations and gives examples. He then talks about Liesel and how “her first [book] was stolen from snow” (30) which gives the story a more casual feel because we geet to hear the narrator’s casual tone and we get to know Liesel. I thought it was unexpected for a book titled “The Book Thief” because I was expecting a morose and glum tone (because it took place during a dark and gloomy time) but rather I recieved a more informal and relaxed tone. I’m not quite sure if this foreshadows anything but maybe the tone will dramatically change to a more formal tone, foreshadowing danger. Idk though. Also, i’m not sure who the narrator is. He sounds like he is very familiar with the characters but he states numerous times that he cannot communicate with them. For example, he says on page 24, “I waved. No one waved back.” This means that he cannot be seen by people. He also constantly refers to people as humans (19) meaning that he either speaks unusually or isn’t a human himself. I thought he could be some sort of ulterior spirit or god but more evil. I say that because he himself says he’s seen many deaths himself, millions even (11). It is also said that he takes people’s souls (21), the cemetery welcomes him like a friend (23), and how he “had come for a man of perhaps twenty-four years of age” and in the next paragraph, the man dies (9). He also gives riddles about himself such as “Sometimes I arrive too early. I rush, and some people cling longer to life than expected.” (9) Which obviously means he has something to do with death. Possibly the grim reaper?? Anyways, I thought this book would have many deaths and it did. Within the first 10 pages, multiple people were dead. This however didn’t affect the tone (I know right??) but instead made it less tense because of how light the narrator’s tone was while talking about it. As said earlier, I believe the author uses this tone to make the reader more comfortable and introduced to the main character and narrator. This is the plot because the narrator is basically explaining Liesel’s activities and how she found the books she had stole. This obviously helps develop her character because Liesel would obviously develop and change as a character and person. The main characters so far are Liesel Meminger, the Hubermanns, and Rudy Stiener. I’m not sure what role they’ll play but I am sure they play major roles in the story. Especially Liesel because (the book is named after her title) the story is about her experiences, and i’m sure Rudy will have a big role considering he’s Liesel’s best friend. The book takes place in 1939 Nazi Germany and is described to be dangerous times. In the novel, almost everything is very dramatic but topped off with a childish/innocent touch (because it is about a child’s experiences). The novel does however use figurative language which kinda cancels out the innocent tone. Each scene is described very morose and descriptively which makes the novel seem unfamiliar to me because it just reiterates the fact that the novel takes place in different times that what I live in. It is super effective. Up to this point I don’t have any questions other than who is the narrator?? Is it god? Is it death? Is it just a creepy guy who somehow knows a lot about the main character? I don’t know. I guess i'll just have to read on to find out...
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
Well.. it has 544 pages... I don't know if I want to read this anymore lol. But i've heard many good reviews for this book, so I guess i'll give it a try. I expect this book to be all deep and meaningful, but I wouldn't mind some humor. Apparently it takes place in 1939, during the Holocaust. The main character's name is Liesel, a young girl. I predict for maybe some deaths and emotional occurences. |
Pooja ShetHi! I'm a freshman at NCHS! Archives |