Dear Bookaholics,
Hello, my fellow reading enthusiasts! I hope you all are having an amazing day and that a snowy white owl arrives at your windowsill very soon, with a Hogwarts acceptance letter hanging from its beak, of course. Until your Harry Potter fantasies come true though, I have come to you with this month’s Bookaholic Read of the Month — an eerie World War II story that’ll have you laughing and sobbing and every other feeling in between. I am certainly talking about The Book Thief by Markus Zusak!
As I said before, this book takes place during World War II in a small Germanic town called Molching, where orphaned Liesel Meminger, a blue-eyed girl with blonde curly hair, arrives at the age of nine accompanied by a foster care woman. She is assigned to the Hubermann family, consisting of an accordion-loving man called Hans, and an irritatingly loud woman named Rosa, who grumbles and complains all day long. Although stubborn at first, Liesel soon takes a liking to her adoptive parents, as well as Himmel Street, where the Hubermann household is located.
During her time in Molching, Liesel befriends Rudy Steiner, an obnoxiously sarcastic boy who enjoys playing street soccer and beating Liesel at it. Their friendships blossoms throughout the story and endures the many hardships with which it’s faced. Despite the difficult situation they’re in, Liesel and Rudy always manage to make the most out of the dreariest days, making their friendship a lot more valuable.
Now you’re probably saying, “Hey, Valerie, aren’t you gonna tell us how the amazingly talented Markus Zusak came up with the equally brilliant book title?”
To that I say, “Yes, yes I will.”
While staying in Molching, Liesel starts developing an obsession with books, a very understandable feeling, if I may say so myself. Her interest in books began when she acquired a book called The Grave Digger’s Handbook (don’t ask how she got it, because it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it). Even though she could not read, she and Hans progressively make their way through the book. By the last page, Liesel could read at her grade level. As her hunger for more books grew, she searched out more ways to get them… I think you can figure out the rest from there.
The coolest thing about this book, though, is the perspective it is told from. Indeed the narrator is an unlikely one, but his spin on the story makes the book a whole lot greater. The person… or spirit?…Could he be considered a spirit…? The whatever-it-is I’m talking about is Death. Yes, Death! Zusak didn’t think Liesel and Rudy and angry old Rosa would suffice; no, he had to add that finishing touch — the story narrated from Death’s perspective. It’s brilliant, to say the least, and clearly shows off Zusak’s writing skills.
I could go on and on about this book, but I have to end this letter here. I think I have raved enough about this story for today and I hope that my praise for Markus Zusak convinces you to go out and buy this book! If you have read it (or are planning to read it) make sure to tell me so in the comment section. Have a brilliant week and don’t forget to check your windowsill for that Hogwarts acceptance letter!
Yours Faithfully,
Valerie
