The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
*ok so I know this is really long but it would be greatly appreciated if you could just skim this or something* Hey there! Welcome to my blog! So I've been reading the book "The Book Thief" as you probably know, and i'm only on page 170 :( and the book is like 500+ pages long. So I should probably read faster... But at least the book is enjoyable! The characters are also really cool so that's a bonus! So the three main characters are Liesel and her two foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann. Honestly I love Hans as a character. He's close yet distant. He's noticeable yet invisible. And that's probably why I love Zusak's writing so much. I'm honestly not sure how's he's made me feel that way about Hans in a matter of pages, but he has, and he did it well. Hans's wife, Rosa Huberman, is a very unique character. She's like one of those moms who cares but has a really weird way of showing it. She loves her family but she shows it by yelling and insulting them. She adds the humor and tension in the story which is why I like her-but not as much as I like Hans. The Hubermanns feel so real and believable. Probably because they remind me of a regular family. They reason why I like them so much is probably because they're ro relatable and welcoming. Like on page 37, Hans would play the accordian during breakfast just to annoy Rosa. They really remind me of the stereotypocal set of parents. The setting of Germany during Hitler's rule really changes the story obviously because it makes Liesel really need the foster parents in the first place. Also because it showed the nature of Rosa and Hans. Like for example, on page 40, it was Liesel's birthday. And as her parents, the Hubermanns were expected to get her a gift. However what she got was a doll with yellow hair and a missing leg. This was highly appreciated by Liesel, but the parents's responses define them and their personalities really well. Hans said "It was the best we could do" while Rosa replied "She's lucky to have that much." This just shows that Rosa is a bit more straightforward while Hans is more apologetic and sympathetic. The fact that they're living in Nazi Germany probably makes Hans more sympathetic and Rosa more harsh. Although times were rough then, they both still had the freedom to be more harsh or kind towards Liesel. Honestly, if I was Rosa and Hans I would be more sympathetic towards Liesel. I mean her brother just died and her mom abandoned her! Shouldn't Rosa at least try to be sympathetic? Since we're on the subject of Liesel, I might as well talk about her. She's just been practically shoved into the house of two strangers, and one of them is insulting her nonstop. I would probably go crazy. But it's interesting to see how the author writes about Liesel because i'm pretty sure Zusak hasn't been a foster child in 1939 Nazi Germany (unless he time traveled) and i'm sure he hasn't felt like 99% of the things Liesel has felt so obviously his point of view is different. I don't doubt Markus Zusak has done his research on the topic, but it evidently isn't the same. I mean of course Zusak's writing is amazing but if it was from experience it would include so much more emotional occurences and Liesel's feelings during things that Zusak might have been through. Ok but anyways,, this book is really good so far. I'll give it a 9.5/10 because of amazing characters, plot, and writing style but a -.5 because of the lack of emotion. It'll probably get more emotional though, and don't worry my seat belt is on, because i'm ready for an emotional roller coaster.
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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... 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. |
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