Death being the narrator also sets the tone for one of the biggest themes of the novel – war. Death feels like a fitting choice, being the common denominator for everyone in Nazi Germany, whether they are Aryan or Jew, rich or poor. It is not Liesel or Max, the Jew Liesel’s foster parents hide in their basement, who tells the story, but it is Death.
When the reader picks up the book, he is greeted by Death (literally). One of the features that make this book such a poignant read is its narrator. The book starts with Liesel arriving at her foster parents’ home after losing her father and brother and follows her coming-of-age as World War II rages in the background. It is a work of historical fiction set in Nazi Germany and revolves around the titular book thief, Liesel Meminger. The Book Thief is Markus Zusak’s best-known book. The effort seems a bit extreme in hindsight – after all, there were a hundred other books I could have chosen that day – but it also oddly fitting. I lurked near the shelf until I was sure I was alone, snatched the book, hid it under my shirt, and dramatically pretended to pull it out of a regular shelf for the benefit of the librarian. I was instantly drawn to the title as it sat high and mighty in the teachers-only section of my school’s library. Ironically, the first time I read The Book Thief, I stole the book to read it.
0 kommentar(er)
